WHICH LIGHT BULB WATTAGE DO I NEED?

Small things can have decisive impact on the level of comfort inside your home. No matter how well you furnished the interiors, that will mean nothing if the lighting is not right. Too bright lights can ruin your peace in the bedroom, while insufficient amount of light can render certain rooms unusable after dark. Excessive wattage can also produce additional heat that could increase fire hazards, particularly from older style light bulbs. That’s why you need to think before you choose your lamps and supply them with light bulbs if you want to achieve the best results.

If you are updating your light bulbs then no matter if you are updating your bulbs to halogen, CFL or LED, the chart below will help you convert your bulbs correctly so you know what wattage you need for your new bulbs. Did you know, for example, that a 100w incandescent (standard) bulb is the equivalent to just 18w in an LED ceiling?

The chart below should help you make the correct choice when you update your light bulbs:

Below, we take a closer look at the things you need to consider when choosing the best light bulb wattage:

1) Marriage of function and comfort

You should never buy your light bulbs in bulk and later use them randomly around the house. Adequate amount of light for each room depends on typical activities taking place there, as well as the size of the room. The living room probably deserves several separate light sources equipped with high wattage bulbs, but a small storage room would be better served with less luminous bulbs. By customizing the wattage for each room, you can define identity of the space and make your home more comfortable to live in.

2) Understanding various types of light bulbs

Choosing the best wattage is not a simple matter of picking a number. In addition to standard general service light bulbs, you can also find a lot of other options in the market. Incandescent light bulbs are available in the 15w-150w range, although these are being phased out. Halogen bulbs top out at 120w and give a different kind of light.

You could also consider using reflectorized bulbs which focus the light in one direction, producing a much stronger beam with the same wattage. Whichever type you decide on, make sure you acquire enough information before purchasing the bulbs.

3) Think green and save money

Of course, there is always the maintenance side to consider. The more lamps and bulb sockets you put into your home, the higher your monthly bills will be and higher wattage bulbs only add to it by spending more energy. However, certain types of light bulbs can help you drive down the costs of keeping your house well-lit.

For example, fluorescent bulbs spend 20-40% less energy and last around 20 times longer than standard bulbs. LED bulbs working at 10W can produce as much light as 60w incandescent bulbs, drastically reducing energy expenditure. There are a lot of “green” ways to approach this issue and you would be smart to take them into account.Tag: LED BULB, LED CEILING