Hi I apologize if this is not directly related to food equipment but I
thought it's appropriate due to the audience here.

I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.

I have read about under cabinet lights and counter lights and where they
need to be located etc...to avoid you casting shadow over the work areas
etc...

However, I also need to locate some general down lighting in front of the
range and full height pantry area. Any idea how far back from the wall
these lights should be to provide optimum lighting? I was thinking whatever
the cabinet depth is, double that...but I am not sure and I can't find any
references so real experience pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

MC

In article >,
"MiamiCuse" > wrote:

> owever, I also need to locate some general down lighting in front of the
> range and full height pantry area. Any idea how far back from the wall
> these lights should be to provide optimum lighting?

My kitchen's pantry is a walk in closet. I put florescent lights on the
door frame, just inside. On on each side and one on the top beam of the
frame. Works great for me. And I have had guest marvel at the idea, so
simple and practical at the same time.

jt

"MiamiCuse" > wrote in message
...
> Hi I apologize if this is not directly related to food equipment but I
> thought it's appropriate due to the audience here.
>
> I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.
>
> I have read about under cabinet lights and counter lights and where they
> need to be located etc...to avoid you casting shadow over the work areas
> etc...
>
> However, I also need to locate some general down lighting in front of the
> range and full height pantry area. Any idea how far back from the wall
> these lights should be to provide optimum lighting? I was thinking
> whatever the cabinet depth is, double that...but I am not sure and I can't
> find any references so real experience pros and cons would be greatly
> appreciated.
>

We had our high hats installed about a foot from the cabinets. This seemed
to work pretty well.

I don't think shadows are a major concern as much as having lights over the
area you really do your work at. The high hats throw a fairly narrow beam of
light and can leave adjacent areas relatively unlit.

Jon

> I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.

Let's get a definition of "high hat light". Are you referring to a
recessed CAN light?

"Mr. Bill" > wrote in message
...
>> I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.
>
> Let's get a definition of "high hat light". Are you referring to a
> recessed CAN light?

Yes. Isn't that a 'high hat light'. The ones in my kitchen are 50 watt
halogen 'floods', but because the floods
are recessed throw a fairly narrow beam. We went a little crazy and
installed 15 of them in the kitchen we
built last year.

Add to that the under cabinet lighting, and the pendants over the island and
I think we might
be able to get a tan in kitchen if we really tried.

Jon

On Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:34:44 -0400, "Zeppo" > wrote:

>"Mr. Bill" > wrote:
>>> I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.
>>
>> Let's get a definition of "high hat light". Are you referring to a
>> recessed CAN light?
>
>Yes. Isn't that a 'high hat light'. The ones in my kitchen are 50 watt
>halogen 'floods', but because the floods
>are recessed throw a fairly narrow beam. We went a little crazy and
>installed 15 of them in the kitchen we built last year.

Yes, the use of high hats is ambiguous. It could refer to regular
incandescent flood lights, and it could refer to MR-16s, which sounds like
what Zeppo installed. If MR-16s you have a choice of dispersions, so you
can select the dispersion to best light up the counter.

Then MR-16s come in both 12 volts and 120 volts, which the former much more
common. Then there are PAR-36 which are low voltage, but large like regular
incandescents.

So we have no idea what the OP is asking about.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Mar 18, 8:24*am, "Zeppo" > wrote:
> "MiamiCuse" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi I apologize if this is not directly related to food equipment but I
> > thought it's appropriate due to the audience here.
>
> > I am having a few high hat lights installed in my remodeled kitchen.
>
> > I have read about under cabinet lights and counter lights and where they
> > need to be located etc...to avoid you casting shadow over the work areas
> > etc...
>
> > However, I also need to locate some general down lighting in front of the
> > range and full height pantry area. *Any idea how far back from the wall
> > these lights should be to provide optimum lighting? *I was thinking
> > whatever the cabinet depth is, double that...but I am not sure and I can't
> > find any references so real experience pros and cons would be greatly
> > appreciated.
>
> We had our high hats installed about a foot from the cabinets. This seemed
> to work pretty well.
>
> I don't think shadows are a major concern as much as having lights over the
> area you really do your work at. The high hats throw a fairly narrow beam of
> light and can leave adjacent areas relatively unlit.
>
> Jon- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I'll double what John says. The beams from the "high hats"/ "recessed
cans" must overlap enough that every area is lit by 2 fixtures. This
way a shadow is only half dark, unless 2 shadows overlap. With one
light every shadow is very dark and the contrast makes it hard to see.
So calculate the width of the beam at counter level and place your
lights that far apart. Directly over the counter edge works well if
you have upper cabinets, otherwise center them on the work area.

--RickR
(lighting designer for 25 years)