Choosing the Right Light Bulbs For Your Home
When it comes to your home, the types of light bulbs you use can make a big difference in how your rooms look and feel. But with so many choices out there, it can be hard to know where to start.
There are two main things to keep in mind when shopping for light bulbs: brightness, measured in lumens; and light appearance, measured in Kelvins.
How They Work
The light bulb is a simple device that takes electricity and turns it into a form of energy that we can use for illumination. This is an example high frequency motion Sensor of the law of conservation of energy – energy cannot be created or destroyed, it just changes forms.
The bulbs have two metal contacts at the base, which touch an electrical circuit connected to your mains power (or a set of batteries for flashlights). The electricity flows through this circuit and up one of the stiff wires attached to the thin filament held in place on a glass mount in the center of the bulb. The filament is heated by the current until it glows hot enough to emit visible light. The current then travels down the other wire and out of the bulb.
A standard 60 watt bulb uses a filament made of a long, incredibly thin length of tungsten. It is over six feet long, but less than an inch thick. The tungsten is double coiled, which allows it to be so long and so thin. The coiled shape slows the evaporation of the filament and allows more light to be produced. The coiled tungsten is usually housed inside a tube filled with an inert gas like argon to increase efficiency. Some bulbs are made with clear glass, while others have a coating of kaolin clay blown in and electrostatically deposited to diffuse the emitted light. Pigments can be added to the clay to change the color of the light emitted.
The Basics
Light bulbs have a few different parts that work together to produce bright light. They can be used to illuminate a space, show that an electronic device is on, direct traffic, or even provide heat. Billions are in use today. But what exactly are they made of and what kinds of differences are there?
One important thing to know about a light bulb is its color temperature. It’s often called the “warmth” or “tint” of a particular bulb, and it can vary widely. Most lights emit a warm white light, but you can also get cool white or daylight bulbs. The difference in hue is related to the type of gas or filament used in the bulb.
Another factor to consider when selecting a light bulb is its wattage, which is a measure of how much energy it uses to operate. A low wattage bulb is less expensive to run than a high wattage one.
Most light bulbs have a screw-in base that attaches to the socket in a fixture. However, there are other types of bases, including pin, twist-and-lock, bayonet, and bi-pin bases.
Variations
Light bulbs are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors to suit any fixture. They’re also categorized by how they produce light, referred to as their “color temperature” and their brightness (measured in lumens).
Light bulb color temperature is measured in Kelvins (K)—a measurement of a light source’s visual appearance and whiteness that represents the average warmth or coolness of daylight. Warmer light temperatures (2700K – 3000K) have a cozy yellow hue and are perfect for overhead lamps or lamps in bedrooms, living rooms or other areas where light bulbs you want a warm glow. Cooler light temperatures (3000K – 6500K) have a more neutral, crisp hue and are ideal for overhead lights or lamps in kitchens, home offices or garages.
Another defining aspect of light bulbs is their size and base. They’re available with a wide range of bases, including E26 and E27 medium screw, E12 candelabra, E17 intermediate and BA15D bayonet and the G4 or GU10 twist-and-lock base.
Bulbs can also be arranged in series or parallel. When a bulb is wired in a circuit with other bulbs arranged in series, they’re connected to one another by their filaments in such a way that when any of them turns on, the others turn on too. When bulbs are arranged in parallel, they have multiple pathways through which electricity can flow and the bulbs don’t impact each other.
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficient bulbs last longer than traditional bulbs, and that extra lifespan can save you money over time. The energy-saving benefits of these bulbs are even greater when you use them with a smart lighting system, like those that can turn lights on and off automatically and adjust their brightness.
Light bulb efficiency is measured by a number called lumens per watt (lm/W). This measurement indicates how well a light fixture converts electrical energy into visible light. The most efficient bulbs are green LEDs, followed by CFLs and then high-efficiency incandescents.
Other important considerations are color temperature and energy costs. A light’s color is rated by a Kelvin scale, with warm-toned bulbs lower on the scale and cooler-toned bulbs higher on the scale. This scale is useful for creating the right atmosphere in a space, such as choosing warm-toned bulbs (2,700 to 6,500 Kelvin) for living rooms and bedrooms or cool-toned bulbs (10,500 to 11,000 Kelvin) for kitchens and bathrooms.
Finally, be sure to look for a label indicating the bulb’s energy efficiency and safety. Look for Energy Star, UL and CE markings (the latter stands for Conformite Europeenne), which are third-party certifications of a product’s compliance with safety standards. Also, check for a green recycle symbol to find out whether the bulb can be recycled after its life.
