LED Track Light – An Ultimate FAQ Guide
Introduction
Are you thinking of lightening up your space and enhancing its beauty? Well, you must try LED track lights. No matter how beautifully you decorate your room, it will not have any beauty if it doesn’t have lights. So if you want to glory your decoration ideas, you must try LED track lights.
The term “LED track light” is not so old that you don’t know anything about it. But if you are a beginner and want to know something about these, read this article. You will learn some significant basic concepts linked with LED track lights.
Table Of Contents
- What Is the Meaning of Track Light?
- What Is Track Lighting Used For?
- How Do LED Track Lights Work?
- What Types of Track Lighting Are There?
- What Types Of Tracks Are There For LED Track Lights?
- What Is the Most Common Type of Track Lighting?
- How Long Do LED Track Lights Last?
- Do LED Track Lights Get Hot?
- What Are the Advantages of Track Lighting?
- How Do I Choose an LED Track Light?
- How Many Lumens Do I Need for Track Lighting?
- Can You Use LED Bulbs in Track Lighting?
- Are LED Track Lights Dimmable?
- How Far Apart Are Track Lights?
- How Far From the Wall Should Track Lighting Be?
- Is Track Lighting Bright Enough for a Kitchen?
- How Many Lights Can You Put on Track Lighting?
FAQs
- What Is the Meaning of Track Light?
The term track lighting was used for the first time in 1972. This is known as track lighting when installing movable lights along the tracks. In most cases, you must mount the lights along the electrified tracks. The main thing about track lighting is that you can adjust them into fixable positions. You can place them on a ceiling or wall in flexible positions.
- What Is Track Lighting Used For?
Track lights are famous for their versatile applications. But people mostly prefer them for task lighting and decorative lighting purposes. Let’s see some of its amazing applications:
✔️Accent Lighting.
You can highlight architectural projects, art, and photographs using track lights. These lights can help you to achieve the highlights creatively. The best part about track lights is that you can use them as spotlights. For example, if you change the position of objects placed under the track lights, you can also change the track lights’ position.
✔️Decorations
Track lights can be your best choice to achieve a breathtaking wall-washing output. You can also bring out the surface of your well-textured wall using LED track lights.
✔️Task Lighting
LED track lights are known to perform functions more than just decorative lights. You can install these lights in your workspaces and retail stores. This process can attract more customers to your shop and hence you might be able to achieve more sales.
- How Do LED Track Lights Work?
LED track lights should be installed on a matching track rail. The track on which you install LED track lights contains voltage inside it. The voltage can be either 220-240VAC or 110-120V. The best part is that you can even get customized LED track lights in terms of voltage. For example, you can set it to as low as 12-24V DC.
The track consists of conduction metal on both of its sides. The joints of LED track lights consist of rotatable conductive copper sheets. These copper sheets contact the metal strips inside the track during the LED track lights’ installation.
LED track lights work by using two significant parts:
✔️Track
The track of LED track lights is the part that is mounted to the wall or ceiling. It helps in the conduction process.
✔️Heads
These are the lamp-holding fixtures that connect to the power source inside tracks.
The working principle may also vary depending on the type of track lights. It is because LED track lights are either Plug-in track lights or Hardwired track lights. The first type doesn’t need electrical wiring, while the second needs electrical connections. Make sure you seek help from a professional when installing hardwired LED track lights.
- What Types of Track Lighting Are There?
When looking for the types of LED track lights, you must ensure that a particular type matches your needs. The best light is the one that matches your requirements. Moreover, there exist so many types of track lights across the globe. Some of those types are listed below
✔️Track Heads.
These are the most suitable form of LED track lights when you have to achieve spotlighting. Moreover, these lights are also suitable for accent lighting purposes. Some more types of track heads are listed below:
✔Flat & Round Back Head.
These track heads consist of flat and round heads. The shape can be oval, cylinder, or octagon. The sleet look of these lights makes them look modern. Therefore, minimalists prefer these lights.
✔Gimble Head
You can turn these lights at an angle of 180 degrees. Simply put, you can fixate them in multiple directions. The most common applications of these lights are found in galleries and museums.
✔Tornado Head
These lights consist of steadier backing that helps support them. Moreover, these lights look more like industrial lighting.
✔Step Head
This type of LED track light is conventional for installing track lights. The ample light of the step head can make it an elegant choice for your office space.
✔️Track Pendant
Track pendants are beautiful LED track lights with limited functionality. You can not change the fixtures of these lights, unlike track heads. They possess a tiny directionality. Track pendant lights are ideal for accent lighting or decorative lighting. Some people also use these lights for ambiance purposes. But these lights are less popular when compared to track heads.
- What Types Of Tracks Are There For LED Track Lights?
The types of LED track lights also vary according to the type of tracks, just like the type of fixture shape. Some most popular types of tracks are:
✔️H-track
Single circuit tracks with three wires that run around your track.
✔️J-track
The contact tip in J-track is one inch apart. Moreover, it contains two wires throughout the track.
✔️L-track
L-tracks contain two wires that run through them. The contact tip is ⅞ inches apart.
- How Long Do LED Track Lights Last?
The lifespan of your LED track lights depends on a few factors. For example, how well you take care of your lights, how much time you keep them turned on, or how is the quality of the lights, etc. Based on these factors, you can judge whether your LED track lights will last longer or not.
On the other hand, if you got good quality and take care of your lights, they can easily last for 30,000 to 50,000 hours. The lifespan of LED tracking lights is higher than that of incandescent lights. The average lifespan of incandescent light is about 1,000 hours.
- Do LED Track Lights Get Hot?
First of all, it depends on the quality of your LED track lights. If you got a low-quality track light, there are more chances it gets hot and burns out. But if you get an excellent quality LED track light, you must know they don’t get hot. As a result, they produce less heat and consume less electricity. The best part is that LED track lights don’t cost you too much electricity bills.
On the other hand, there is also something else to consider. In most cases, your LED track light may get hot even if it is high quality. It depends on the size and type of LED bulbs. The larger the bulb’s size, the higher the heat produced.
- What Are the Advantages of Track Lighting?
If you want to purchase LED track lights, you must know their pros. It can make the process easier for you. We have listed some fantastic advantages below:
- You can get ultimate freedom and flexibility to adjust your light fixtures. It happens by providing light in any area of your space.
- You can flexibly install them wherever you want.
- Ideal for small locations.
- Easily customizable.
- Easy to install because you don’t have to make holes and cut wires for every track light.
- Best for highlighting features and directional lighting in malls, restaurants, measures, art galleries, and retail stores.
- Best for wall washing, grazing, and accent lighting.
- The number of track lights on the rail can also be selected according to your wish.
- How Do I Choose an LED Track Light?
When choosing an LED track light, you must know your requirements first. Once you know the requirements, you can decide on which type and size to choose for your space.
Secondly, you must consider factors like manufacturer, quality, and prices when choosing LED track lights.
Even if you are buying an expensive track light, ensure it has enough features to spend a large amount.
You should check if you need a single-circuit or double-circuit LED track light.
Ensure your LED track light provides enough brightness to lighten up your desired object.
It should have a high quality to last longer and consume less power.
- How Many Lumens Do I Need for Track Lighting?
LED track lights are found to be brighter than traditional ceiling lights. The number of lumens may vary depending on the type of LED track lights you purchase. But the best part to know is that you can get a customized LED track light. According to some manufacturers, you get 500 lumens at 8 watts through a single unit of LED track light.
Moreover, when you achieve a recessed light at the same watts, you get an increased illumination of 640 lumens. This example is only given according to a user’s or customer’s perspective. You need to choose the lumens of your LED track lights according to where you will fix them.
You need to tell your supplier to give you a customized product if you can’t find LED track lights with the required lumens.
- Can You Use LED Bulbs in Track Lighting?
LED bulbs can be the most efficient solution for tracking lights. There are several reasons for it, but the most common reasons are low energy consumption and cost-effectiveness. Due to the amazing benefits of LED lights, most manufacturers and trading companies are implementing LED bulbs in track lighting.
You simply get a high output with less power and watts consumption.
- Can You Customize LED Track Lights?
As mentioned earlier, it is easier for manufacturers and trading companies to give you customized track lights. And when it comes to the customization of track lights, you need to customize the accessories of LED track lights. Surprised? Right. Let’s explore this thing in detail.
You must know that you can design your LED track lights according to your ideas. This can be overwhelming initially, but it is straightforward to understand. You only need to get some track lights accessories and use them according to your requirements. The customizable accessories of LED track lights are
- X-connectors,
- Track fittings,
- Power feeds,
- T-connectors,
- Extension rods, etc.
For power tracks, you can choose a customizable length. The power feed should be X, L, T, or conduit. For the rest, you can consult the supplier to guide you in a much better way.
- Are LED Track Lights Dimmable?
Yes. LED track lights have wide applications due to their dimmable nature. This feature works with the help of an internal dimmable driver. The driver uses the PMW method to dim the LED track lights without flickering. The process occurs smoothly, and no change in the color of light occurs.
- How Far Apart Are Track Lights?
You may position your LED track lights anywhere between 6-12 inches on the track. The spacing changes with some main factors, such as
- The Application
- Number of LED track lights on the track,
- Axle Angles.
- The Brightness of LED.
- How Far From the Wall Should Track Lighting Be?
The distance of LED track lights from the wall depends on your application. Let’s find the distance by digging into typical LED track lights applications.
Accent Lighting
- Measure the height of the ceiling from the targeted object’s midpoint.
- Multiply the output by a factor of 0.55.
- The final number tells you the optimum distance from the wall.
- The rule changes flexibly according to your application.
Wall Washing
- You must place the LED track lights at least 3-4 feet away from the wall.
- This is recommended only when the ceiling is 8-11 feet high.
Wall Grazing
- You have to place the LED track lights much nearer to the wall.
- The purpose of placing it at some near distance is that it creates shadows.
- It also helps to highlight patterns.
- The ideal and recommended distance is less than 2 feet from the wall.
- Is Track Lighting Bright Enough for a Kitchen?
You get the best directional lighting when placing LED track lights in the kitchen. It contains ideal brightness for kitchen applications. The ease of installation, customization, and adjustability make them perfect for the kitchen.
- How Many Lights Can You Put on Track Lighting?
The length of track lights is 2’, 4’, 6’, and 8’ in most cases. The longer the length, the larger the number of lights you can put on the track. But wattage supply also plays a massive role in choosing the number of lights in your track lighting.
The tracking fixture must have a total wattage of less than 20% of the circuit wattage. It helps to avoid short-circuiting and overloading.
The home and office applications consist of 3 to 6 LED fixtures on the track. The number increases according to the lighting requirements and size of the room.
Conclusion
LED track lights are helpful when you want to enhance the beauty of your space. So you should not miss purchasing this fantastic product. But there is one more thing to it. And that is dealing with the proper manufacturer or supplier. Get A Quote now to buy reliable, quality LED products and lighten up your space.