Choosing the best light bulbs for your electrical service in West Virginia can be confusing and frustrating. Let’s break down the options to simplify your selection.
Learn Your Lighting Vocab
As you search for the best bulb for your fixtures, keep these terms in mind:
Lumens: This represents how much light the bulb emits. The higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb. A 60-watt incandescent bulb is about 800 lumens.
Watts: A bulb’s wattage tells you how much energy the bulb uses. Lower watts equal a lower electric bill.
Color temperature: This indicates the light color or appearance. It is measured in Kelvin (temperature). Whiter or bluer light has a higher Kelvin number, while lower Kelvin numbers mean more yellow light. 2500-3000K is warm white (good for bedrooms and living rooms). 3500-4100K is bright white or cool white (good for kitchens and bathrooms). 5000K-6500K is daylight (good for reading).
The Big Five
Consumers typically choose from five major types of bulbs.
Incandescent: This is your old-school, typical bulb. It’s what used to come in 100, 75, 60 and 40 watt styles. These bulbs typically last one year. With the enactment of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, new energy-efficient standards for light bulbs were put in place. Now, manufacturers have been changing incandescent bulbs to be more efficient, or are focusing more on LED and CFL.
CFL: Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs use roughly 75 percent less energy and last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. Their light is warm yellow to cool blue. They take time to fully brighten and typically aren’t dimmable.
LED: Light Emitting Diode bulbs use less energy than incandescent and CFLs. They also absorb the heat they produce, keeping them cool to the touch and reducing heat build-up, which can save on air conditioning. Their color ranges from warm yellow to cool bluer white. Most last 20,000-50,000 hours.
Halogen: This is a type of incandescent bulb, but it uses about 25 percent less energy than a standard incandescent. Their light color is cooler white or blue, and they usually last about a year.
Just the facts
As you are shopping for the best lighting for your electrical service in West Virginia, look for the quick facts that should be listed on the packaging. Manufacturers are required to tell you the brightness, estimated yearly cost, life expectancy, light appearance and energy used. With your new knowledge of lighting vocab and types, these basic facts will help you choose the best bulb for the right light.
To discuss lighting and electrical services for your home, schedule a free consultation with Pro1 Electric by calling 304-482-8487 or filling out our web form.