Lighting plays a tremendous role in our first impressions of a space and the magical moments that stick with us. We all can think back to a show-stopping museum installation or that comforting, cozy ambiance of our favorite restaurant. But this sparks the question: what’s the key to making that powerful first impression last? Here are three questions to ask yourself when choosing lighting products that can help lead to beautiful, long-lasting designs:

Can you replace the LEDs?

Most LED luminaires don’t require lamps, instead the LEDs are mounted on a circuit board. For the best long-term maintenance results, we recommend looking for captive screws, quick connectors, and long wire leads to ensure that the if the LEDs were to fail, the individual board could be replaced rather than having to replace the whole luminaire. 

Can you replace the driver?

Some recessed downlight manufacturers mount the driver, a device that regulates your luminaires power source, on the outside of the luminaire (fixture), which makes it difficult to get to and replace. We recommend fixtures where the driver is mounted next to the opening of the luminaire to give yourself easy access if replacement is necessary. Bonus points if you can implement quick connectors to the LED array and long wires to access the driver!

Is the control system proprietary?

Once you commit to a control system, you’re stuck with it, as these proprietary controls only function with technology from the same vendor. This means that you’ll have to replace the entire system if something goes awry. We recommend looking for manufacturers who have a long track record of facilitating easy upgrades when they release new systems, streamlining the upkeep and maintenance of the lighting in the long run!