Start with what each room is for
Most rooms need more than one kind of light. General light fills the room. Task light goes where you work: the kitchen bench, the stove, a desk, the bathroom mirror. Feature light picks out a wall, a shelf or the garden. Planning in those three layers avoids a ceiling full of lights that's bright everywhere and right nowhere.
Think about switches at the same time. Where will you be standing when you want the light on? Stairs and long hallways suit a switch at each end, bedrooms suit one within reach of the bed, and living areas suit dimmers.
Which kind of light suits where
| Good for | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Downlights | Even general light in living areas, kitchens and hallways | Need space in the ceiling above; old halogen ones run hot |
| Pendant lights | Over benches, dining tables and stairwells | Hanging height and position matter more than the fitting |
| Ceiling and oyster lights | Bedrooms, laundries and rooms with no ceiling space above | Usually the simplest swap on an existing light point |
| Wall lights | Hallways, bedsides, stairs and entries | Need a cable run inside the wall |
| LED strip lighting | Under cabinets, in shelving and along stairs | Needs a driver (its power supply) hidden somewhere close |
| Outdoor and garden lights | Paths, decks, gardens and entries | Fittings and connections must suit wet weather |
| Sensor and security lights | Driveways, side paths and back doors | Placement decides whether passing cars and cats set them off |
Dimmers and smart switches
Not every LED light dims, and not every dimmer suits every LED. A mismatch shows up as flicker, buzzing, or a light that won't dim smoothly, so ask for dimmable fittings and a dimmer the maker lists as compatible with them.
Smart switches let you control lights from your phone or by voice. Clipsal's Wiser system, for example, works with most of Clipsal's existing switches, including the Iconic range, and with Google Home or Amazon Echo. Its micro module dimmer fits in a wall box or near the light and dims LED, halogen, fluorescent or incandescent lights up to 200 W.
Ask which app runs it, too: Schneider Electric says its older Clipsal Wiser Room app is due to be discontinued. Smart switches and home automation and light switches compared go further.
Buying the fittings yourself
Choosing and buying your own lights is fine. Check each one carries the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM), because electrical equipment in its scope must not be sold in Australia without it. That's worth checking on anything from an overseas website.
Send the electrician the make and model before the visit, so they can confirm it suits the ceiling, the switch and any dimmer. It saves a second trip.
What the electrician does, and the paperwork
Swapping a fitting on an existing light point is usually quick. New positions take longer: the electrician runs cable through the roof space or wall to each new light and switch, and may add a circuit if the existing one is already well loaded.
Lighting circuits fall under the safety switch rules too. Victorian rentals have needed safety switches on their lighting circuits since 29 March 2023, and in Western Australia, safety switches must protect every power point and lighting circuit before a sold home's title transfers.
When the work is done you should get your state's certificate. New South Wales needs a CCEW even for like-for-like replacement, and Energy Safe Victoria lists lights as non-prescribed work that still gets a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Western Australia and the Northern Territory exempt some like-for-like swaps, so ask which applies to your job.
Your part, and the licensed part
You can
- Change a globe in an existing fitting, with the light switched off.
- Choose and buy fittings, checking each one has the RCM.
- Plan where you want light and switches, room by room.
- Use plug-in lamps and plug-in LED strips that come with their own plug and power supply.
Leave to a licensed electrician
- Installing, moving or replacing any light fitting or switch.
- Fitting dimmers, smart switches and sensors.
- Running cable for new light positions, inside or out.
- Hardwired LED strip lighting and its driver.
Before you agree to the quote
- Are these fittings and this dimmer compatible?
- Will any new lights need a new circuit?
- Is the lighting circuit protected by a safety switch?
- What happens to the holes and marks left by old fittings?
- Which certificate will I get for this work?
How we'd plan it
We'd walk through each room at night with the lights you've got, and note where it's too dark, too harsh, or the switch is in the wrong spot. Take that list to the electrician before choosing a single fitting. Get the everyday lights right first, and leave the feature lighting for later if you need to.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.
