Kitchen Lighting

[browningthree]

In our kitchen we have two lighting fixtures, one of them has a ceiling fan with a 60 watt light and the other is over the sink and it has a 60 watt light. Our kitchen is about 18'long so we are able to have a table in there. The lighting isn't enough! I don't want to lose the ceiling fan because when you are in there cooking it really helps move air around! I was thinking of using the rail track lighting system which is bendable and I can use the fixture above the sink as the power source and end it over my table. What I want to know is has anyone used this type of system before and had good luck with it? I have put a link to the brand we are looking to purchase. Thanks!

http://www.tiella.com/default.asp?page= ... thisStep=5

[Yanita]

Hi,

I have not used that particular brand but I do have a track light that requires the same bulbs, the lights are very harsh and they generate alot of heat...Hubby now refers to that light fixture as our 129.00 livingroom jewelry!

Yanita

[browningthree]

We have one in our living room. It is a three light track light but it isn't bendable or anything like that. The one that i am looking at is going to be 4 lights. Two spotlights and I would like to get two pendants to go over the table. I think I am going to go for it. We are in the kitchen a lot! We do everything at our table like work and play on the computer and things like that. I am hoping that they have 20 W bulb or I may switch them out! Our living room one has 50 watt bulbs and they are bright! I just don't want the kitchen to get even hotter! We just replaced our AC unit! So we are at a cool 73 degrees instead of 90..lol We are hoping the electric bill goes down too! Thanks for your response!

[Greg]

I put LED cluster lights under our cabinets, they are not a bight "room lighting" type but the are a great for lighting up the countertop. Lowe has them for under $20. Greg

[browningthree]

We also have those! They are awesome and they do help you with a task that you are doing on the countertop! We are trying to find the right color and then we are going to give it a shot! My husband is also going to install a dimmer and that should help with the heat and also the electric bill!

[Kyle]

You could try using a swag lamp. They are cheep and hook on the cieling.

[bell30655]

Why not look to change the light kit under the ceiling fan to a three bulb fixture? Also if you use the compact florescent bulbs you can install brighter bulbs (a 60 watt CF only draws 13 watts).

[browningthree]

The only problem with changing the ceiling fan light fixture is the ceiling fan doesn't sit directly over our table and our kitchen table sits in a corner so the corner is still dark. We need some sort of lighting that will brighten up this corner.

[oldfart]

Just a side-note here folks but beware of using c.f.l.'s (compact flou. lightbulbs) in ceiling fan light fixtures. Even the best balanced ceiling fans vibrate...c.f.l.'s don't handle vibration well... from what I've read. (of course..I could be mis-informed!) As well...c.f.l.'s only save you money if they're turned on for extended periods of time. For example...it won't save a dime to install a c.f.l. in any fixture that is only turned on occassionally or for less than 4 hours at any given time. (read: bathroom lights, reading lights etc.) Yup..they use less elec. and don't cause a heat problem in small areas. (closets, cabinetry, etc.) For those areas..the L.E.D. (Light Emitting Diode) lights shine! (pun intended..) The problem with L.E.D. lights is the narrow focus of the beam...as was mentioned. Life is a trade-off. Extended life, low energy cost...and media hype enter into the fray. One of the drawbacks of of c.f.l.'s is the warning that if the fixture breaks..evacuate the room..to allow the mercury to vacate the premises. Just a word to the wise and informed consumer is all I'm saying. Audie..the Oldfart...

[bell30655]

Thanks Old Fart, those are some disadvantages I had not thought about. I think almost every light bulb in my trailer is a compact florescent or an actual florescent.

I moved these ceiling fans from my house and the bulbs have been in them for at least two years. I may not have that much vibration but the fans stay on 24/7 and the lights get used 4-5 hours each night.

Even the lights in my refrigerator, freezer and porches. I like saving money.

[browningthree]

Ok...well we went through the trouble of purchasing the bendable track lights, my husband put them up and we got everything pointed in the right direction and we turned it on! BIG DISAPPOINTMENT! The lights are harsh as Yanita mentioned and also for as harsh as they are they don't put out a lot of light! So my husband took them back down and we took them back to Lowes. We went ahead and bought a flourecent light to go over our sink and we will have to figure out something else for lighting over our table. Thanks for all of your responses!!!

[Yanita]

Hi,

Thanks for the update. I am going to lock this topic, if further discussion is needed please put it in the Decorating or Off topic forums.

Yanita