wattage for that outlet, you can do considerable damage to both the bulb and the socket itself. So as not to waste time and money, it can be a good idea for a consumer to educate themselves about light bulbs so as to make a smart choice when it comes to lighting needs. There are numerous lighting products available today for the consumer, and as consumers become more cost-conscious, more energy-efficient alternatives have become available to replace old standbys that people have long been familiar with.What is a Lumen?
Simply put, a lumen is a measure of brightness. Lumens should not be confused with watts, although the terms are at times used interchangeably. This is important to distinguish because LED lights, CFLs, and incandescent light bulbs all have different energy usage but can produce the same lumen for each kind of bulb. Watts are in fact a measure of energy conversion. In the case of incandescent bulbs, watts measure how much electricity is used to heat the filament which in turn produces light. A 60 watt incandescent light bulb will produce 800 lumens of light, and the energy star incandescent light bulb of equivalent wattage will produce 800 lumens of light but only using 13 to 15 watts of power.
What about Color?
Manufacturers will often use the words "soft white light" to describe the light that their products emit. Unfortunately, this is not always literally the case, especially with manufacturers of cheap light bulbs. Incandescent lights, because of the way that they produce their light, emit light in a yellow range. This is an important consideration because the quality of a light in a room and the color of the walls can have a significant impact on how you "feel" when you are in that space. CFLs on the other hand produce light that is much cooler in a bluish range. Anyone who has stood in a bathroom under fluorescent lights and has seen how red and ghoulish their face looks under this light will understand how important it can be to choose the right light color for a room, whether a bathroom or any other room in the house. Light color is measured on a temperature scale called Kelvins. A lower kelvin will indicate a yellowish light, usually between 2700k and 3000k. A whiter light will have a temperature range between 3500k and 4100k and bluish light will be in a range of 5000k and 6500k.
What about LEDs?
LEDs are becoming a more popular and affordable alternative to incandescent and CFL light bulbs. The biggest advantage that these products have over their older competitors is both their longevity and their directionality. Incandescent light bulbs waste over half the light they produce because the light is scattered in all directions from the source. LEDs, on the other hand, produce light that emits in a single direction, making them ideal for recessed spaces directly overhead, like in a bathroom. The costs are coming down for LEDs, and older fixtures can be retrofitted to accommodate the newer LED lights.
It's All in the Package
Manufacturers are now required by the Federal Trade Commission to have "Lighting Labels" which lists all of this information. These labels have information on the brightness, its estimated yearly energy cost, the life of the bulb, its light appearance, and the energy used. This makes it easier for consumers to determine the lighting needs of their home and not waste a lot of money.
