Lighting - HELP?  
Select one of the 11 topics below:

1 - Where Should / Can Lighting Be Located?

2 - New Construction or Remodel housing?

3 - Insulated, Double Wall, and Air Tight housings

4 - Bulbs - Types of Bulbs and Their Usage

5 - Housing Diameters and Bulb Usage

6 - Trims

7 - Low Voltage (12V) or Line Voltage (120V) MR16 Bulbs?

8 - Lighting Controls - Setting the mood of your lighting system

9 - Choosing the Proper Housing and Trim

10 - Sloped Ceiling Housing and Trim Information

11 - Retrofit / Conversion Kits & Tools

12 - Fluorescent Bulbs AKA Lamps

6 - Trims.      

Each housing has a variety of trims that can be used.  Each trim is designed to work with a particular housing and a particular type of bulb.  When you are looking at the trims in our web site, the type of bulb(s) used with a particular trim can be found by selecting the "more info" link to the manufacturers web site.  The important difference is that all MR16 bulbs and some PAR halogen or incandescent bulbs used with adjustable trims attach to the trim and not the housing.

When referring to 4" or 6" trims we are referring to trims designed to be used with a 4" or 6" housing.  The trim itself is actually larger in diameter than the diameter of the housing it is designed to be used with.  The actual diameter of the trim varies greatly depending on the trim series but will always be somewhat greater than the diameter of the housing.  A 4" trim can not be used with a 6" housing and visa versa.  

Any trim that is designed for use with a 12V MR16 bulb will also accommodate a 120V 45 or 50 watt GU8 MR16 bulb or a 120V 50 watt GU10 MR16 bulb.  Why? Because all of these bulbs are the same diameter (2") and attach to the trim.  The only exception is that the 50 watt GU10 120V MR16 bulb will not fit the NL-470 or NL-680 series trim (the copper trim below) because this bulb is about 1/4" longer than the 12V MR16 and 120V GU8 MR16 bulbs and is too long to fit in these trims.

Adjustable Trims - Bulb Attaches to the Trim

There are accessories available to allow use of various configurations.  All other bulbs attach to the housing and not the trim via a standard screw in receptacle.

Non-Adjustable Trims - Bulb Attaches to the Housing

Buying trims for use with other manufacturers housings:

Nora trims are interchangeable with many other manufacturers housings, however, there are a few manufacturers housings that Nora trims are not compatible with.  Our trims are known to fit Nora, Halo, and Rex brand housings with few exceptions.  Nora trims are known to NOT fit Juno and Track brand housings.  To inquire about the compatibility of Nora trims with a particular brand of housing, please give Nora a call at 800 686 6672.  Ask for their technical support department.  Tell them what Nora trims you are interested in using and give them as much information as you can about your housings.  They will advise you about potential compatibility.  If available, a brand name and/or part number of your housing is most helpful in this endeavor.  Nora Lighting is located in California and is open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 4 PM Pacific time.

It is extremely important that a housing is not over-lamped.  Over-lamping occurs when a higher wattage bulb or incorrect type of bulb is used in a housing than the housing has been designed and tested to be used with.  This condition can over heat a housing and create a fire hazard.  Therefore, make sure the housing used has the appropriate UL approval for use with the bulb being used.

Trims too must are designed around the bulb.  The bulb attaches to adjustable trims and therefore must conform to the bulb.  Two trims may look identical but one may be for a MR16 bulb (2" in dia) and the other for a R/PAR20 bulb (2.5" in dia). 

Trim dimensions refer to the inside diameter of the housing.  A 4" trim is designed to be used with a housing where the inside diameter of the housing is 4".  A 4" trim has larger actual diameter than 4".  If your housings look similar to the Nora housings you see on our web site and the inside diameter of the housing is 3", 4", 5", or 6", there is a good possibility Nora trims will work with your non-Nora housings.  Please remember that there is a 25% restocking charge for returned orders when we ship you exactly what you order and you decide for some reason - other than from an error from Best Home Systems or defect - that you do not want the items or inadvertently ordered the wrong items.  We will be happy to assist you in your trim selection and help you determine if Nora trims will work in your particular application.  Feel free to click here to E-Mail us if you require assistance.