Lighting Calculator

Enso Lighting · Guides · all guides

Three questions we get asked every week, answered with numbers you can act on: how much light a room needs, how low to hang a pendant, and which IP rating a fitting has to carry.

How much light does this room need?

Based on CIBSE-style lux targets for UK homes, adjusted for wall colour. Example figures are pre-filled — change them for your room.

Room

Units

Length

Width

Wall colour

How you use it

This room needs about

—lumens in total

Cite: ensolighting.com/pages/lighting-calculator · A 5W LED filament bulb gives about 470 lm; 8W about 806 lm; a 4W amber spiral filament about 200 lm.

How low should the pendant hang?

Gives the drop from ceiling to the bottom of the shade, and the cable length to order.

Where is it going?

Ceiling height (cm)

Table / worktop height (cm)

Shade height (cm)

Bottom of the shade at

—cm from the floor

Which IP rating do I need?

UK bathroom zones follow BS 7671. Outdoor positions follow how exposed the fitting is.

Where is the fitting?

Minimum rating

—

Rating	Solids	Water
IP20	Fingers	None — indoor only
IP44	1 mm wire	Splashes from any direction
IP54	Dust protected	Splashes
IP65	Dust tight	Low-pressure jets
IP67	Dust tight	Temporary immersion to 1 m