Features of installation and connection of LED lamps in a stretch ceiling

When venturing the ceiling at home or in the office, we often opt for a stretch ceiling made of PVC. And here it is important to decide in advance which fixtures to install and how many will be required. In this sense, LED spotlights are one of the most economical solutions today due to their high light output and durability.

The first thing, even before installing the stretch ceiling, lay electrical wiring for future lighting. This is done according to a pre-designed scheme: the number of bulbs, their location, rated power. However, this process has its own peculiarities, subtleties and nuances, which will be discussed later.

Choose the number and power of fixtures

The number of LED fixtures is selected based on the area and purpose of the room in order to obtain sufficient illumination, and taking into account the restrictions on the heating temperature of PVC - it should not exceed 60 ° C. It can be lamps for a supply voltage of 12 volts DC or 220 volts AC, with a power of up to 7 W each, for a light temperature from 2700 to 5100 K - from a warm, cozy home to a cold bluish glow.

Light flow led light sources lies in the range from 80 to 120 Lm / W - these figures are worth orienting when choosing the number of fixtures individually for your area. And although the cost of high-quality LED lamps is higher than that of spotlights on halogen lamps and incandescent lamps, LEDs will last ten times longer than other types of lamps.

So, choose the power of the lamps based on the area and height of the room, as well as in accordance with the taste of the owners. Whether you need bright light or diffused dim light - everyone chooses for himself.

However, there are approximate average values, relying on which it will be easier to make a choice: to illuminate a square meter of the area of ​​a nursery, kitchen, living room (bathroom), bedroom (hallway), pantry - they accept 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 watt of LED light per square meter, respectively. Choosing the location of each lamp, make sure that the light is not reflected where it is not needed from monitors, glasses of furniture and TVs.

Consider this example. The rectangular bedroom has an area of ​​12.5 sq.m. So, to get an acceptable illumination for the bedroom, you need to choose the minimum total power of the LEDs 12.5 * 2 = 25 watts. Let the walls be glued with wallpaper with a light green pattern, and then a warm light of 2700 K is very suitable (if it was necessary to light up the decor elements, some of the lamps could be made cold 4200 K).

For our example, the optimal choice would be in favor of 6 pieces of 5 watt LED spotlights, evenly spaced throughout the ceiling. These can be 220 V luminaires with a GU5.3 pin socket or others suitable for your ceiling height (for LED lights, the ceiling height is usually 5 to 6 cm).

If the bulbs are selected for a voltage of 220 V, they will not need additional devices, but if the supply voltage is 12 V, then it will be necessary to devote a special place to the adapter, taking into account its overall dimensions.

When choosing a model of fixtures your imagination will be where to roam. And although there are not so many fundamental differences among them, you can choose the appearance to your taste. The luminaire housing on the outside is a ring with fasteners for spacer springs.LEDs are usually installed either on the board or in a cartridge that is closed by a diffuser or open.

Lighting wiring and fixtures directly

Choosing a wire for LED lamps, proceed from their supply voltage and power. Suppose that the supply voltage is 12 volts for the selected 30 watts - 6 to 5 watts, then for a current of 0.5 A, a cross-section of 0.5 square mm will be enough for each lamp - two-wire wires of 2x0.5 PVA will come from the power supply direct current to each of the six fixtures. With a parallel switching circuit, the wire cross section is selected based on 0.2 mm2 for every 1 ampere of current.

When the power of the bulbs in the fixtures and the number of fixtures are calculated, and their location on the ceiling selected, proceed directly to the wiring installation.

The wires are attached to the base ceiling with dowel clamps or brackets in increments of 50 cm. Wire connections can be made with terminal blocks, but it is best to solder the wires, and use heat shrink to insulate the joints or, in extreme cases, a PVC tube or electrical tape. However, in practice, masters most often use terminal blocks.

On a suspended ceiling of a rigid structure (armstrong), fixtures are mounted so. In the hole made in the ceiling, the lamp housing is inserted and secured with spring struts: they squeezed the springs by hand, inserted the lamp, released the springs - they straightened pulled the lamp housing to the seat. The wire is attached to the cartridge, the cartridge is installed in place - the lamp is fixed in place entirely motionless. All.

But if we are talking about a PVC stretch ceiling, then you can’t just take and install the lamp in the hole - it will deform the stretch ceiling canvas with its weight. An additional mount is needed - a platform for a spotlight.

The universal platform has the shape of a stepped ring, the inner diameter of which is cut by the master himself to the size of this lamp. The platform is attached to the base ceiling on a piece of perforated metal tape, so it turns out an auxiliary rigid support for the lamp.

The platform is screwed to a metal tape for self-tapping screws. The luminaire will now press on the support, and not on the delicate canvas of the PVC ceiling. When the seats for the fixtures are ready and the wiring is mounted, the ceiling is mounted, then installed on the finishing fixtures.

Installation of the LED lamp must be done not just neatly, but before making a hole in the PVC sheet, it is imperative to use a protective plastic ring. This ring is glued to the canvas of the stretch ceiling in the place of the proposed future holes, and only then the hole is cut with a sharp knife. Through the hole, the cartridge is pulled out, the height of the canvas is adjusted if necessary, the lamp is attached together with external decorative elements.

See also on this topic:How to make wiring under a stretch ceiling