You wouldn’t put the same towels in the bathroom as you do in the kitchen, right? The dining room has a different carpet than your office, for sure. Each room in your home has a special function and is decorated accordingly.
The lighting featured in each space also requires attention so that the ambiance created matches the desired design and best serves the purpose of the room. Picking the right light bulb for each room of your house will help create the best atmosphere for your family and guests.
So, what are the various types of light bulbs to be used throughout your home?
There is a wide range of lighting options, but the main types are LED, incandescent, halogen, fluorescent tubes, and CFL. They vary in wattage, color, shape, and lumens, or brightness. All these factors play into which light bulb best serves the purpose of a particular room or function.
Laws that help control and conserve energy have all but phased out the traditional incandescent light bulb. LEDs, which use considerably less wattage, are the more common replacement.
So, What are the Benefits of Each Type?
The LED light bulb uses a comparably small wattage to reach a strong brightness. It doesn’t get hot to the touch and can last for many years. It tends to be on the cooler white spectrum of color and can be found in both indoor and outdoor varieties. Incandescent bulbs more commonly have a soft, warm color but can also be found in cool. It can use up to five times more watts to achieve the same brightness as an LED.
Florescent bulbs can be in Compact Florescent Lights (CFL) or tubes. They also use less wattage than their incandescent counterparts and do not get as hot to the touch. One unique trait is that CFLs take a few minutes to reach full brightness when turned on. Halogen bulbs are similar to incandescent bulbs because they usually use more energy than CFLs or LEDs and do not last more than a year. Halogen and incandescent light bulbs are the most affordable but do not last as long as others and use more wattage.
So, How do You Choose the Best Light Bulb for Each Area of the House?
Certain types of bulbs go better in some rooms than others. Florescent bulbs, for example, are a great fit for a workspace because they offer bright light in an extended line. They can also be found in a variety of colors or black light options, and warm and cool tones for decorating purposes. Plus, they use low wattage.
Yellow incandescent bulbs can be the perfect choice for creating a warm atmosphere in a bedroom, dining room, or den. Warm-toned bulbs can be used anywhere you don’t want a bright light, but want to create a more relaxed, intimate mood.
LEDs can be used in any situation. You can choose a bright white or daylight option to use in the kitchen or bathroom. You can use colored ones in your teen’s bedrooms. You can even use them in the living room on a dimmer switch when you need mood lighting for movie night. LEDs cost more than incandescent bulbs, but instead of lasting one year, they can last up to 20, and use a fraction of the energy.
Related Questions
So, How do You Know if a Light Bulb Will be Bright?
The brightness of a light bulb is measured in lumens. The more lumens, the brighter the bulb. A standard 60-watt incandescent bulb or 12-watt LED bulb emits about 800 lumens.
So, What is the Difference Between the Colors of Light?
A yellow, or warm, light is low on the Kelvin temperature scale, which is how light is measured. As the numbers increase, so does the white appearance of the light, until it appears almost blue and is described as cool.
Lightbulb Recap
Picking the right light bulb for each room of your home can be a fun part of home design. You can choose fluorescents for your garage workshop and in the basement, and incandescent bulbs can give a nice warm glow to your chandelier. LEDs can go in your kitchen, bathroom, living room, or any other space you need a bright, energy-efficient light source.
Bratcher Electric is a full service electrical contracting firm that can help you organize, implement, and install a lighting system throughout your home and office. Our services include electrical upgrades, new home wiring, surge protection and more. We have been keeping homes and businesses current with electrical codes, services and electrical maintenance for decades! Call today for a Free Estimate on your lighting project.