Lighting Tips for Your Clothes Closet

There’s nothing worse than opening your clothes closet door to look for the perfect outfit only to find you can’t really see what’s inside. It doesn’t matter if you have a regular reach-in closet or a walk-in. Not having enough light can be incredibly annoying.

While many people already have or will consider installing lights in their closets, most electricians urge homeowners to move forward with caution.

The Problem with Lights in the Clothes Closet

The problem with having a any kind of lighting in your clothing closet is very simple. You’re talking about putting a light bulb that can become very hot in close proximity to flammable objects.

No matter how neat and organized your clothing closet is the day you move in, we all know what will eventually happen. It will, over time, become jam-packed with clothing on hangers as well as with boxes and bags stacked on shelves.

The higher you stack your belongings, the closer you come to touching those light bulbs.

NEC Rules for Clothes Closets

The National Electrical Code (NEC) does have guidelines for homes with lights in their closets.

Free hanging lights are inappropriate for closet situations.

Your lights should be mounted to the surface of your wall or ceiling or should be installed in some sort of recessed setting.

You may hang a luminary light if it is at least 6-12 inches away from the wall and ceiling – and, of course, your clothing and belongings.

All lights in closets should be fully enclosed in a glass cover. A glass cover will help to prevent your belongings from coming in contact with the lights themselves, keeping you safe from household fires or even broken light bulb glass.

Not sure what to do with the outdated lighting fixtures in your closets? Talk to Conductive about making an upgrade. Your safety depends on it!