Track Lighting

There are three different types of standard track lighting: H, J and L. These terms originate from the manufacturers of each track lighting type. Whilst they may all visually look the same, internally, they each operate differently. It is integral to distinguish what type of track lighting pattern you will follow, as not all of these are interchangeable between each other.

• Halo (H) - A track light with 3 contacts.
• Juno (J) - A track light that has contact tips an inch apart.
• Lightolier (L) - A track light with contacts 7-8 inches apart.

Track lighting is used in a wide variety of locations both indoors and outdoors, commercially and domestically. This is due to how customisable track lighting can be, as a result of the spotlights being able to change distance between each other and angle, a major change to a room can still only require minor adjustment to the track lighting.

The most popular places to find track lighting is:

• Kitchens
• Offices
• Living Rooms
• Hallways
• Galleries

You may have noticed the trend of style and practicality in choice of locations. Track lights allow for focus to a particular area, which makes them invaluable for uses in galleries, kitchens and offices due to their ability to hone in on one particular point of interest. When not being used as a point of interest however, they make for great stylish lighting to equally illuminate a living room or bedroom.

If you are considering adding additional lights to your existing track fixture, the two main factors you must take into account is the supported wattage of the track light fixture itself and ensuring you are using the same light fixtures on the track.

Firstly, ensure the light fittings you are hoping to add to the track are the same as the existing fixtures by the same manufacturer. Once you’ve confirmed the fixtures you’re going to add are the same, find out the maximum wattage supported by the track fitting and subtract 20%. The reason you must calculate the 80% is to determine the safe usage range, as going above the safe usage range can risk overloading the circuit. Next, add the wattage of your current light bulbs together as well as the amount of light bulbs you want to add to your track light fitting. You are able to add more lights using LED bulbs over traditional halogen and incandescent lamps due to LED bulbs requiring much less power. Assuming your combined existing and additional lights don’t exceed the (ideally safe) wattage limit of the track fitting and you have purchased light fixtures that are the same as the ones currently fitted on your track, you’re free to begin installation. It is also a general rule of thumb to install the lights on your track fitting at least 1 ft apart from each other, so ensure you have the space.

The interchangeability of track lighting is just another reason why track lighting has remained so popular after 40 years. As a result, there’s nothing stopping you from removing your additional lights if you change your mind as well as removing any original lights. So long as you are careful and abide by the manufacturer’s guidelines and the safe wattage limit, you are able to add and remove as many lights to your track as you please.