Track Lighting Question

[Walter Cohen]

I want to install a 2 - 4 foot track light bar in my bathroom specifically because the shower in there is built into the side wall with a closet door sized opening. It gets no direct light from the vanity (which is on the same side) or from the overhead flood lights in the middle of the ceiling.

My thought is that if I place the track on the ceiling outside the shower I can shine its two lights into the shower. My wife wants me to do this because she says she cannot shave her legs well without the lights :)

I should note that there is no glass shower door - only a white vinyl shower curtain suspended from a pole across the opening.

I know I should probably replace the crappy vinyl shower curtain with a glass door but I still feel that it would not allow enough light into the shower. And that's another issue for another time....

Questions:

1 - I was thinking a low-voltage track with lights but it seems that the low voltage lights heads I already have can only take up to an MR16 50W bulbs (I have two WAC SF219 heads). The bulbs are rated at 9150 lumens. I do not know if two 50W bulbs shining into the top of the shower would be sufficient. Also, I'd need to get a step down transformer for the low-voltage lights and it is bad enough I have to try and tap off of the ceiling light conduit. I have no idea where I would place the transformer - I think I'd have to mount it on a ceiling joist and maybe make even more of an opening in the ceiling. Anyone know if 2 x 50W MR16s would be enough light?

2- Would I be better served by line voltage track/lights because I could get higher wattage bulbs and also I wouldn't have to worry about buying/mounting a transformer?

Thanks, Walter

[m Ransley]

9150 LUMENS, an incandesnt bulb outputs 17 Lumen per watt a 100 watt bulb outputs 1700 LPW apx . Mr 16 are bright focused light use a dimmer

[Tom]

Walter wrote:>I want to install a 2 - 4 foot track light bar in my bathroom specifically

Your wife still shaves her legs? You lucky dog. Go with line voltage. Tom Work at your leisure!

[Roger]

transformer -

buying/mounting

First, you might consider a clear vinyl curtain and use existing lighting - they have many styles of clear or slightly foggy curtains at places like bed bath and beyond. I use MR-16's more for mood lighting or wall lighting. You would likely get more usable and cheaper light from standard 110v light bulbs, either reflector style or krypton bulbs in can lights. MR-16's come in many wattages and beam widths, so are very flexible, and might also work. You can use regular track, and mount several mr-16 bulb sockets with integral transformers on each can, so there is no need for a single large transformer, altho they can be installed that way. Downside of MR-16's : transformers sometimes buzz, and the circuit takes a special dimmer when low voltage bulbs w/ transformers are used.

[SQLit]

transformer -

buying/mounting

I have never seen track rated for an wet/damp location. I would be concerned about the water vapor rising up and condensing on the open lamps. Why not get an can light and a gasketed cover and put the light in the shower where it belongs?

[barry martin]

Walter:

WC> I want to install a 2 - 4 foot track light bar in my bathroom specifically WC> because the shower in there is built into the side wall with a closet door WC> sized opening. It gets no direct light from the vanity (which is on the WC> same side) or from the overhead flood lights in the middle of the ceiling. WC> WC> My thought is that if I place the track on the ceiling outside the shower I WC> can shine its two lights into the shower. My wife wants me to do this WC> because she says she cannot shave her legs well without the lights :)

Should work. Keep the lighting just outside the shower to comply with regulations (locally it is illegal to have the fan and/or light inside the shower enclosure), as you plan. Saying this just in case your wife suggests putting the light in the shower.

Halogen bulbs provide a brighter light than incandescent for the same wattage -- look at the lumen figure.

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• You remind me of London...Always in a fog.

[Walter Cohen]

Thanks for responding. I see that there is a version of MR16 (EXT bulb) that has the 9150 lumens but it also says with a 13 degree beam angle.

How do I interpret the beam angle figure? Is it from source of light to final destination of light - meaning that the spread of the light would be 13 degrees when measured at the destination? So I'd have to do some mathematical formula to determine the correct length away from the item I want to illuminate to ensure the width of the beam covers the item area at the end of the light path?

Thanks, Walter

[HA HA Budys Here]

Its 13 degrees starting at the bulb. Look on the bulb package to see what the beam spread translates to at different distances.

I often see the sharpest bulb, 11 degrees on high lobby ceilings and retail stores as "pin spots." 13 degrees is pretty narrow.

[Joe Fabeitz]

Go here:

and download the free design tool. Everything you could possibley want to know.