How many recessed lights can you run on one 15 amp circuit?

Answer 1

Answer for USA, Canada and countries running a 60 Hz supply service.

Remember you can now use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), which take only 1/5 of the power of conventional light bulbs, without having to rewire your light fittings...

See the related question and answer about CFLs.

If you are following the NEC code (most popular in the USA) 14 guage wiring for general purpose lighting can not be protected at 20 amps. 15 amps is the maximum.

Designing for constant loading, a 15 amp circuit would allow for a total of 1440 volt-amperes (roughly equal to wattage)

The amount of fixtures that can be connected to this circuit depends on the MAXIMUM wattage rating of each fixture. For example, if the fixtures you are using are rated max 150 watts (even though you are only putting in 75 watt lamps for now) you must perform the calculation based on 1440 divided by 150 which is 9.6, or 9 fixtures.

If the maximum rating of the fixtures is 75 watts, then the answer would be 1440 divided by 75 = 19.2, or 19 fixtures.

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As always, if you are in doubt about what to do, the best advice anyone should give you is to call a licensed electrician to advise what work is needed.

Before you do any work yourself,

on electrical circuits, equipment or appliances,

always use a test meter to ensure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.

IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOB

SAFELY AND COMPETENTLY

REFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS.

Answer 2

Using basic calculation of amps times volts equals watts you can see that a 15 amp circuit at 120volts has a capability of 1800 watts but a circuit should never be loaded above 80% so you have 1440 watts available. Most recessed light will not allow higher than a 75 watt bulb so assuming this take 1440 watts and divide by 75 watts to get 19.2 bulbs as you cant have a partial bulb go with no more than 19 lights. On a normal height ceiling of about 9 feet I never place recessed lights closer than 24 inches to the wall. As for interconnecting you just run a wire from one recessed light to the next. I would recommend that if you do not feel comfortable with the placement or wiring of these lights that you contact an electrician that specializes in lighting design to help you.

Answer 3

You can typically run around 10-12 LED recessed lights or 6-8 incandescent recessed lights on a 15 amp circuit, factor in the wattage of each light to ensure you do not exceed the circuit's capacity. It is always best to consult with a licensed electrician to determine the exact number based on your specific setup and other connected loads.

Answer 4

Assuming only lights are on the circuit and no outlets you can run 1440 watts on the 120 volt circuit. So if the lights were each pulling 75 watts you can install no more than 19.