The Ceiling Light is the light most Rust bases end up using. It costs 50 metal fragments, hangs from any ceiling, runs on just 2 power and passes the rest of its power on to the next light, so one small battery can light a whole loot room.
This Ceiling Light Rust guide covers the craft cost and research price, how much power it uses, how many lights each power source can run, how to wire it with a switch, how it compares with the other lights in the game, and how easy it is to break.
What Is the Ceiling Light in Rust?
The Ceiling Light is an electrical deployable. Facepunch describes it simply as “a small ceiling mounted light source”. You place it on the underside of a floor or ceiling tile, then wire it to power with the Wire Tool. It gives off a warm, wide glow that lights up a whole room, which is why players put them over their furnaces, boxes, research table and workbenches.
Unlike a Lantern or a Tuna Can Lamp, it never needs fuel. Once it has power it stays on until you cut the power, so it is the standard light for any base that already has a battery or solar panel running.
Since September 2025 there is also a Ceiling Fluorescent Light. It came with the Exhibit Decor Pack and works as a skin for the Ceiling Light: same 2 rW draw, same passthrough, just a long fluorescent tube look.
Ceiling Light Stats
| Stat | Ceiling Light |
|---|---|
| Craft cost | 50 Metal Fragments |
| Crafted at | Workbench Level 1 |
| Craft time | 30 sec (WB1), 15 sec (WB2), 7 sec (WB3) |
| Research | 15 scrap at a Research Table, or a 15 scrap node on the Workbench 1 tech tree |
| Power use | 2 rW |
| Inputs / outputs | Power In / Passthrough (outputs the power left over) |
| Placement | Underside of floors and ceilings |
| Stack size | 10 |
| Recycle | 30 metal fragments (20 at a safe zone recycler) |
| Despawn time | 5 minutes when dropped |
| Shortname / Item ID | ceilinglight / 1142993169 |
Every other shortname and ID is in our full Rust item IDs list.
How to Craft a Ceiling Light
The recipe is just 50 metal fragments, crafted while you stand at a Workbench Level 1 or higher. It takes 30 seconds at a Workbench 1, 15 at a Workbench 2 and 7 at a Workbench 3.
The blueprint is not known by default. You have two ways to learn it:
- Research Table: put a Ceiling Light and 15 scrap in the table. You keep nothing but the blueprint, so you need a light from loot or a teammate first.
- Workbench 1 tech tree: unlock its node for 15 scrap. You also pay for every node on the path before it, so the total depends on what you already own. Our Rust tech tree guide explains how paths are priced.
How Much Power Does a Ceiling Light Use?
A Ceiling Light uses 2 rW. Whatever power is left goes out of its Passthrough port, so a chain of lights uses 2 rW per light until the power runs out. Divide your source’s output by 2 to get the number of lights it can run:
| Power source | Output | Ceiling Lights |
|---|---|---|
| Small Rechargeable Battery | 15 rW | 7 |
| Large Solar Panel | Up to 20 rW in daylight, 0 at night | Up to 10 |
| Water Wheel | 30 rW | 15 |
| Small Generator | 40 rW | 20 |
| Medium Rechargeable Battery | 50 rW | 25 |
| Large Rechargeable Battery | 100 rW | 50 |
Battery capacity decides how long they stay on. A small battery holds 400 rWm, so one light runs for about 200 minutes and a full chain of 7 for roughly half an hour. For lights that stay on all night, charge a medium or large battery from solar panels or a wind turbine. Our solar panel and battery guide has the full numbers.
How to Wire a Ceiling Light
- Craft a Wire Tool at a Workbench 1 and hold it.
- Place your power source, such as a small battery that is charging from a solar panel.
- Place an Electrical Switch near a door so you can turn the lights on and off. Wire the battery’s Power Out to the switch’s Electric Input.
- Hang the Ceiling Light by aiming at the ceiling. Wire the switch’s Output to the light’s Power In.
- Chain more lights by running a wire from the first light’s Passthrough to the next light’s Power In. Repeat until the power runs out.
You can swap the switch for a Timer (Workbench 1) to keep lights on for a set time, or an HBHF Sensor (Workbench 2) so they only switch on when someone moves in the room. Wire the lights after a battery, not straight off a panel, or they go dark at night.
Ceiling Light vs Other Rust Lights
| Light | Cost | Runs on | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling Light | 50 metal fragments, WB1 | 2 rW | Lighting whole rooms |
| Industrial Wall Light | 30 metal fragments, WB1 | 1 rW | Corridors and walls, comes in red, green and blue |
| Lantern | 25 metal fragments + 15 low grade fuel | Low grade fuel | Early wipe before you have power |
| Flasher Light | 120 metal fragments, WB1 | 1 rW | Alarms and signals |
| Search Light | 200 metal fragments + 500 wood, WB2 | Power | Lighting the ground outside your base |
Early in a wipe a Lantern does the job, since it needs no wiring. As soon as you have a battery, switch to Ceiling Lights: they cost almost nothing, light far more of the room and never need refuelling.
How to Destroy a Ceiling Light
Ceiling Lights are fragile. A single satchel charge, rocket or C4 destroys one, as do 3 F1 grenades, 5 beancans or about 60 rounds of 5.56 from an assault rifle. With a hatchet it takes about 21 seconds of swinging. Raiders rarely bother, but it means a light in the open is easy to shoot out, so keep them inside your base. Use our raid calculator for the walls and doors that actually protect them.
Ceiling Light Tips
- Always add a switch. Turn lights off when you log out so the battery is full for the next session.
- Chain through Passthrough. You do not need splitters or branches for lights; each one passes its leftover power on.
- Power them from a battery. A light wired straight to a solar panel turns off at night, right when you need it.
- Keep lights away from windows. A lit room is easy to spot from far away at night and tells raiders someone is home and where the loot is.
- Share the battery. Lights use so little that you can run them off the same battery as an electric furnace or auto turret, as long as the total stays under the battery’s output.
- Try the fluorescent skin. The Ceiling Fluorescent Light works exactly the same if you want a cleaner, industrial look.
Ceiling Light FAQ
How do you craft a Ceiling Light in Rust?
A Ceiling Light costs 50 metal fragments and is crafted at a Workbench Level 1. It takes 30 seconds at a Workbench 1, 15 seconds at a Workbench 2 and 7 seconds at a Workbench 3. You need the blueprint first, from a Research Table or the Workbench 1 tech tree.
How much power does a Ceiling Light use in Rust?
A Ceiling Light uses 2 rW of power. Any leftover power comes out of its Passthrough output, so you can chain several lights together.
How many Ceiling Lights can a small battery power?
A Small Rechargeable Battery puts out 15 rW, enough for 7 Ceiling Lights at 2 rW each. A medium battery runs 25 and a large battery runs 50.
How much scrap does it cost to research a Ceiling Light?
Researching a Ceiling Light costs 15 scrap at a Research Table. Its node on the Workbench 1 tech tree also costs 15 scrap, plus the nodes on the path before it.
How do you wire a Ceiling Light?
Use the Wire Tool to connect your power source to an Electrical Switch, then the switch Output to the Ceiling Light Power In. To add more lights, wire the first light’s Passthrough to the next light’s Power In.
What does a Ceiling Light recycle into?
A Ceiling Light recycles into 30 metal fragments at a monument recycler, or 20 metal fragments at a safe zone recycler.
What is the Ceiling Fluorescent Light?
The Ceiling Fluorescent Light came with the Exhibit Decor Pack in September 2025. It works as a skin for the Ceiling Light, with the same 2 rW power use and Passthrough output.
What is the Ceiling Light item ID?
The Ceiling Light shortname is ceilinglight and its item ID is 1142993169.
Sources and Further Reading
- Recipe, craft time and power use: Facepunch Wiki, Ceiling Light
- Wiring basics and other electrical parts: Corrosion Hour, The Rust Electricity Guide
- Ceiling Fluorescent Light: Corrosion Hour, Ceiling Fluorescent Light
- Research prices: Facepunch, Pivot or Die update