Old recessed can lights get dim, yellow, and expensive to run long before most building owners notice. Gideon Electric recently completed an LED recessed trim retrofit at a commercial office building near Camelback Road and 24th Street in Phoenix, swapping outdated fixtures for new LED trim throughout the space. Here is what a retrofit like this actually involves, and how to tell when your own space is due for one.
A Real Job: LED Recessed Trim Retrofit in Phoenix
The building’s existing recessed lighting was original to the space and starting to show its age. Our crew went fixture by fixture, replacing the old trim and lamp with new LED recessed trim that drops into the same housing already in the ceiling. No drywall work, no new holes, no disruption to the ceiling itself. Each fixture was tested in place before we moved to the next one, so the lobby and hallways stayed lit and usable the whole time we worked.
What an LED Recessed Trim Retrofit Actually Changes
A trim retrofit keeps the housing that is already built into your ceiling and replaces everything below it: the trim ring and the light source. That is the part people see and the part that actually determines how a room looks and feels after dark or on a cloudy day.
- Lower energy use. LED fixtures draw a fraction of the power older incandescent or early CFL recessed lights use for the same amount of light.
- Longer fixture life. LED trim is rated to last many times longer than the lamps it replaces, which means fewer ladders, fewer burnt-out bulbs, and fewer maintenance calls.
- Better light quality. Modern LED trim puts out a cleaner, more even light than aging fixtures, which tend to dim and yellow well before they fully fail.
- An updated look without construction. Because the retrofit uses the existing housing, a space can look noticeably newer without the cost or downtime of a real remodel.
Signs a Commercial Space Is Due for a Recessed Lighting Retrofit
- Fixtures look dim or yellow compared to when they were new. Light output drops gradually, so it is easy to miss until you compare it to a freshly installed fixture side by side.
- Bulbs are burning out more often. Frequent replacements in the same fixtures usually mean the lamp, not the housing, has reached the end of its useful life.
- The lighting still looks dated next to updated finishes. If the walls, flooring, or furniture have been refreshed but the ceiling fixtures have not, the lighting is often the thing that gives away a space’s real age.
- Energy bills feel high for the amount of lighting in use. Older recessed fixtures are rarely efficient by today’s standards, even when they are still working fine.
Why the Housing Usually Does Not Need to Be Replaced
Recessed can housings are built to last far longer than the trims and lamps inside them. In most cases, the housing is still in good shape even when the visible fixture is clearly outdated. That is exactly why a trim retrofit works: it targets the part that actually wears out and leaves the rest of the ceiling untouched.
Thinking About a Recessed Lighting Retrofit?
Gideon Electric handles LED recessed trim retrofits for commercial and residential properties across Phoenix and the surrounding Valley. If your fixtures are dim, outdated, or costing more to run than they should, call us 24/7 at (480) 716-3272 or request a quote online to get a real look at your space.