Par Can Desk Light?
July 6, 2012 7:40 PM
Where can I find something similar to a mini par can to light the back of my desk?
The ceiling light in my new office is bright and doesn't have a dimmer. Ideally, I'd like to light my desk from behind by bolting two somethings akin to a miniature par can to a shelf behind the desk. I'd like it to be on a dimmer, and be mostly hidden by a pair of monitors. Is there such a product designed for home use?
I've looked over IKEA, Target, Pottery Barn, etc. without success thus far.
The ceiling light in my new office is bright and doesn't have a dimmer. Ideally, I'd like to light my desk from behind by bolting two somethings akin to a miniature par can to a shelf behind the desk. I'd like it to be on a dimmer, and be mostly hidden by a pair of monitors. Is there such a product designed for home use?
I've looked over IKEA, Target, Pottery Barn, etc. without success thus far.
I'm not entirely positive, but I think the one I linked to isn't designed for home use/likely puts off a fair degree of heat/isn't exactly low profile at bright silver...
posted by the artless dodger at 7:55 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by the artless dodger at 7:55 PM on July 6, 2012
The one review for the light you linked to said they used a LED light so no heat issues there.. It seems like this bulb would work (E-27 base) it includes a remote control dimmer and color selector and its only $3.69 + shipping
posted by TeknoKid at 8:02 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by TeknoKid at 8:02 PM on July 6, 2012
A par can will not put out more heat than any other light. The bulbs in most par cans are variations of standard flood lights. So, if that par can uses a 20 watt bulb (or whatever rating it uses), it will give the same amount of heat as a standard 20 watt flood light.
Any of these lights will be fine for home use. You don't get into anything that uses special wiring or anything fancy until you get to the big stuff. Almost all par cans have standard plugs that can go straight into a wall plug. The main issue is going to be mounting it, but if you are planning to bolt it to a wall than you shouldn't have any problems at all.
posted by markblasco at 8:29 PM on July 6, 2012
Any of these lights will be fine for home use. You don't get into anything that uses special wiring or anything fancy until you get to the big stuff. Almost all par cans have standard plugs that can go straight into a wall plug. The main issue is going to be mounting it, but if you are planning to bolt it to a wall than you shouldn't have any problems at all.
posted by markblasco at 8:29 PM on July 6, 2012
Are you thinking of mounting an accent floor can lamp upside down? If so, it should be easy enough to locate one at amazon.
posted by zagyzebra at 8:36 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by zagyzebra at 8:36 PM on July 6, 2012
Par 16s come in flat black. Heat is, as previously stated, a function of what wattage you lamp it at. Thomas is the manufacturer I'm most familiar with, but you can certainly find cheaper fixtures. They are not officially rated for home use, but plenty of lighting folks certainly have them in their houses. They are also known as birdies, which might help your search. I'm at work right now--I'll swing down to the basement during intermission and take a look at who manufactures the ones we have. FWIW, you not only want to consider lamp wattage but beam spread as well. The specific bulb you put in will have a beam spread, most commonly in degrees.
posted by mollymayhem at 8:49 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by mollymayhem at 8:49 PM on July 6, 2012
https://www.stagespot.com/product/TMBPR64/ProCan%20PAR's
posted by mollymayhem at 8:54 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by mollymayhem at 8:54 PM on July 6, 2012
Looks like ours--at least the ones with labels--are from Thomas and American DJ. Make sure you get 120v fixtures and lamps--12v are common and won't work for your purpose.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:28 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by mollymayhem at 9:28 PM on July 6, 2012
The American DJ option you linked to would probably be fine, especially as the light source is an LED, meaning it won't release any heat. It likely won't come with a dimmer built in, but you can probably pass it through something like this for a quick fix.
posted by cvp at 9:41 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by cvp at 9:41 PM on July 6, 2012
Ahh in hindsight scratch what I said - the bulb TeknoKid linked to (and actually I think the one I linked to wouldn't work with an LED).
posted by cvp at 9:43 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by cvp at 9:43 PM on July 6, 2012
Yeah, if you want easy dimmability, go for incandescent rather than LED.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:54 PM on July 6, 2012
posted by mollymayhem at 9:54 PM on July 6, 2012
The light from a PAR-type bulb (parabolic aluminized reflector) is going to be very directional, and cast hard-edged shadows. If the fixture is behind your chair, it's likely that your body will cast problematic shadows across your desk workspace. A fluorescent fixture might be a better choice, though probably more conspicuous.
Heat output does depend on wattage, but LEDs or other higher-efficacy lamps will let you use a lower-wattage (and therefore cooler) bulb to create a given amount of light.
posted by jon1270 at 3:49 AM on July 7, 2012
Heat output does depend on wattage, but LEDs or other higher-efficacy lamps will let you use a lower-wattage (and therefore cooler) bulb to create a given amount of light.
posted by jon1270 at 3:49 AM on July 7, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
This light has an interesting behind the monitor effect..
posted by TeknoKid at 7:49 PM on July 6, 2012