Residential Electrical Services
LED Lighting Retrofit
in Vancouver, WA
An LED lighting retrofit is more than screwing in new bulbs. It means replacing the old recessed can housings, swapping fluorescent fixtures for LED panels, upgrading dimmers that aren't compatible with LED, and getting the color temperature right across the house. Newman Electric does LED lighting retrofits for homes all over Vancouver, WA and Clark County. Ryan has been converting homes from halogen and fluorescent to LED for years.
What's Involved
LED Retrofit Is More Than Changing Bulbs
You can screw an LED bulb into any lamp. That's not a retrofit. A real LED lighting retrofit means upgrading the fixtures, wiring, and controls so your home's entire lighting system is built for LED from the socket to the switch.
Recessed Can Conversions
Old recessed can lights use bulky housings designed for incandescent or halogen bulbs. They put out a lot of heat and waste energy. An LED retrofit replaces the old housing with an LED-rated trim and driver, or swaps it entirely for an LED wafer light that mounts flush to the ceiling. The result is a cleaner look and about 75% less energy per fixture.
Newman Electric does recessed can LED conversions throughout the house. Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and living rooms are the most common requests in Vancouver WA homes.
Dimmer Compatibility
Old dimmers were designed for incandescent bulbs. They work by reducing voltage, which makes an incandescent bulb dimmer. LED drivers don't respond the same way. An incompatible dimmer causes LED lights to flicker, buzz, or only dim to about 40% before turning off completely.
Newman Electric replaces old dimmers with LED-rated dimmers as part of every LED lighting retrofit. The new dimmers dim smoothly from 100% down to 5% or lower without flicker or noise.
Color Temperature Matters
LED bulbs come in a range from warm (2700K, like an incandescent) to cool (5000K, like daylight). Mixing color temperatures across the house looks wrong. Newman Electric helps you pick a consistent color temperature for each area: warm white for living rooms and bedrooms, neutral white for kitchens and bathrooms. We make sure everything matches when the retrofit is done.
The Job
What an LED Lighting Retrofit
Looks Like
The scope depends on what you have and what you want. Some homes just need recessed can conversions and new dimmers. Others need new fixtures, under-cabinet LED strips, or accent lighting added. Newman Electric can do a single room or the whole house.
Walk through and plan
We go room by room and look at what fixtures you have, what dimmers are on the wall, and what you want the lighting to do. Some rooms need more light, some need dimmable accent lighting, and some just need the old cans swapped for LED. Newman Electric gives you a plan and a price for the whole job.
Swap fixtures and dimmers
We replace the old recessed housings with LED wafer lights or retrofit kits, swap out any incompatible dimmers, and install new LED fixtures where needed. If you want under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen or LED strip lighting in other areas, we wire that at the same time.
Test everything on dimmers
We test every fixture on its dimmer to make sure there's no flicker, no buzz, and the dimming range is smooth. If any fixture doesn't play well with the dimmer, we swap it on the spot. You get clean, even LED light in every room before we pack up.
Code & Technical
LED Lighting Code Considerations
in Vancouver, WA
An LED lighting retrofit doesn't always require a permit, but it depends on the scope. Swapping fixtures one-for-one on existing wiring is straightforward. Running new wire for additional fixtures or adding circuits requires a permit under WAC 296-46B. Newman Electric knows which jobs need permits and handles the paperwork when they do.
- Listed LED Fixtures (NEC 410.6)
All LED luminaires must be listed by a recognized testing lab (UL, ETL). Newman Electric only installs listed LED fixtures and retrofit kits. No-name import LEDs from online marketplaces are not worth the risk even if they're cheaper.
- Recessed Luminaire Clearances (NEC 410.116)
Recessed lights must maintain proper clearance from insulation and combustible materials. IC-rated (insulation contact) LED housings can touch insulation. Non-IC housings need 3 inches of clearance. Newman Electric uses IC-rated LED fixtures for all retrofit work so there are no insulation concerns.
- AFCI on Modified Circuits (NEC 210.12)
If the LED lighting retrofit involves modifying or extending a branch circuit in a bedroom, living room, or hallway, that circuit needs AFCI protection. We install AFCI breakers where required.
- WA Energy Code
Washington's energy code encourages high-efficacy lighting. LED lighting meets and exceeds the energy code requirements. If you're doing a remodel that triggers energy code compliance, LED lighting is one of the easiest ways to meet the standard.
Customer Reviews
What Customers Say About Newman Electric Lighting Work
"The best electricians in town! We loved working with Roman and Chris. Their expertise in wiring, solving problems and installing of light fixtures was impressive! Both are very professional and work well with the homeowner (us) and our dog who was always helping them out! We highly recommend Newman Electric!"
"Newman Electric is responsive, efficient and their services are priced well. They moved a dining room light for us quickly and did it less than 48 hours after we contacted them. I'll definitely be saving their number. I highly recommend."
"Excellent work. New ceiling lights. Made sure the areas he worked on were immaculate when he left."
Common Questions
LED Lighting Retrofit FAQs
It depends on how many fixtures you're converting. A single room with 6 recessed cans and a dimmer swap is on the lower end. A whole-house LED retrofit with 30+ fixtures, new dimmers, and under-cabinet lighting costs more. Newman Electric gives free estimates so you get a real number before the work starts.
Your dimmer is probably designed for incandescent bulbs. Incandescent dimmers reduce voltage, and LED drivers respond differently to that. The fix is an LED-rated dimmer. Newman Electric swaps out incompatible dimmers as part of every LED lighting retrofit.
2700K (warm white) is closest to the old incandescent look. It works well in living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms. 3000K (soft white) is popular for kitchens and bathrooms. 4000K and above gets into cool/daylight territory, which most homeowners find too harsh for living spaces. Newman Electric can help you pick based on what you want each room to feel like.
Yes, in most cases. LED retrofit kits fit into existing recessed housings. You remove the old trim and bulb, plug in the LED module, and push it up into the can. It looks like a new light. If the existing housing is damaged or not IC-rated and you need insulation contact, Newman Electric replaces the whole housing.
LED uses about 75% less electricity than incandescent and 50% less than halogen. A home with 30 recessed cans running 65-watt incandescent bulbs draws about 1,950 watts when they're all on. The same 30 cans with 12-watt LED retrofits draw 360 watts. That difference shows up on your Clark County PUD bill every month.
Yes. Under-cabinet LED strips and puck lights are one of the most popular add-ons during a kitchen LED retrofit. Newman Electric wires them to a dedicated switch or dimmer so you can control them separately from the overhead lights.
Related Services
Other Lighting and Electrical Work
Lighting Installation
Chandeliers, pendants, and new fixtures
Outdoor Lighting
LED landscape and patio lights
Kitchen Electrical
Under-cabinet and recessed lighting
Ceiling Fan Installation
Fans with integrated LED light kits
Bathroom Electrical
Vanity and shower lighting
Dedicated Circuits
New circuits for lighting loads
Smart Home Wiring
Smart dimmers and lighting control
Remodel Electrician
Full electrical for renovation projects
Service Area
LED Lighting Retrofit Across
Vancouver & Clark County
Newman Electric does LED lighting retrofits in homes throughout the Vancouver, WA area. Older homes in Hazel Dell and east Vancouver built with incandescent recessed cans see the biggest improvement. Newer homes in Camas and Ridgefield sometimes have builder-grade LED fixtures that homeowners want upgraded to something better quality.
We also handle LED retrofits in Cowlitz County. Longview, Kelso, Woodland, and Kalama.
Ready to Switch
Your Home to LED?
Newman Electric does LED lighting retrofits for homes across Vancouver, WA. New recessed cans, proper dimmers, consistent color temperature, and clean installation. The estimate is free.