Lumens and wattage: When deciding the kind of light to put in your house, you have to understand the correlation between the two units. The 60 watt light bulb is one of the ordinary light bulbs most users use. But as energy-efficient lighting technologies improve, the questions on the number of lumens a 60-watt light bulb gives off and what is the best bulb everybody needs are becoming top topics of discussion. In this article, we will learn the concept of lumens, how a 60-watt light bulb can be compared with other sources of light, and how an individual can make the best out of such knowledge to light up a room in the best possible way.
What are Lumens and Why are they important?
Before we can get into the details of the lumens of a 60 watt light bulb, it is best to know what lumens really are. The intensity of a light source is measured in lumens which is used to measure visible light. Lumen measures the amount of light which is produced unlike wattage where energy consumption of a bulb is calculated.
A brighter light comes with more lumens in a light bulb. This especially matters since in buying bulbs, the last thing you want is buying bulbs of the wrong brightness when you can easily save on energy. Simply stated therefore, it is thanks to lumens that you will succeed in obtaining the appropriate lighting levels in different sections of your house be it the living room, kitchen, or the working place.
Lumens of 60-Watt Light Bulb
A regular 60 watt incandescent bulb boasts about 800 lumens. Nevertheless, this may be a bit different with respect to the brand and design of the bulb. The number of lumens that a bulb gives can be affected by the efficiency and the kind of technology that is employed in manufacturing the light. To give an example, LED bulbs consume significantly less energy to replace the same quantity of light of an incandescent bulb. Such a small LED bulb containing only 8 to 10 watts of power is able to generate 800 lumens just like the 60 watt incandescent bulb.
What is 800 Lumens Bright?
A comparative reference herein involves the 800 lumens that will typically serve the purpose of general lighting in a room. It is very bright that can comfortably illuminate an average-size room. As an example, even a 60-watt philips incandescent lamp with 800 lumens is sufficient to light up living room, bedrooms or even small offices to provide reasonable quantity of lighting to perform activities such as reading, cooking or even work.
But when you require brighter lighting in a given activity or wider exposure, you may need to take into consideration the bulbs that provide greater lumens like 100-watt equal power or greater.
A Comparison of 60-Watt Bulbs to Other Light Sources
With the lumens of 60-watt incandescent bulb installed, it is time to compare it with other most popular sources of light, such as an energy-saving LED bulb, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), as well as a halogen bulb.
The premise is that LED Bulbs are preferable or better in comparison to Incandescent Bulbs.
LED light bulbs actually consume less power in comparison to the conventional incandescent ones. Incandescent bulbs of 60 W usually provide about 800 lumens, whereas a modern LED bulb can produce the same lighting power, using only 8 or 10 watts of power. Such a tremendous saving in energy consumption means that LED bulbs will turn out to be the most ideal bulbs to use when it comes to saving on electricity bills.
CFL Bulbs
Another trendy option of energy efficient lighting is compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). A 13-watt CFL is capable of 800 lumens identical with a 60 watt incandescent bulb. CFLs are not as efficient as LEDs but are far much better relative to the traditional incandescent bulb in energy savings.
Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs are slightly more efficient bulbs that fall under the incandescent bulbs. A 60 watt halogen creates about the same number of lumens, somewhere around 800 but is more economical to use compared to a normal incandescent bulb. Halogen bulbs also produce a brighter, whiter light which in some environments might prove more preferable.
The Effect of Color Temperature on the Brightness Perceived
Although the number of lumens a bulb emits is relevant to brightness, the color temperature is also substantial in relation to the illumination of a room. Color temperature is a degree in Kelvin (K) and describes the amount of warmness or coolness of the light.
Light Warm vs. Cool
Warm Light ( Less than 3000K): A warm brightening effect, which creates the feeling of comfort and friendliness, perfect in living rooms or bedrooms.
Cool Light (Above 5000K):The cool light is similar to the daylight and is ideal in the workplaces and kitchens and the bathrooms where one needs to see clearly and focus.
Although two bulbs may have the exact amount of lumens, they may still differ when it comes to brightness depending on the color temperature. As an example, a cool white light with 5000K color temperature can look brighter, and more energizing than a warm white light having the same temperature of 2700K when the same lumens are emitted by both.
The Dos and Don ts of the Right Light Bulb
In order to clarify this more deeply, we consulted lighting expert, Sarah Lawson, who stressed that it is key to look at both lumens and wattage in order to choose the right bulb. She explains:
Whereas wattage will inform you about how much energy a bulb is using, lumens are the concerns when one wants to brighten a place. A 60 watt bulb rating approximately 800 lumens would be fine as an all purpose bulb, but where a more specified light source such as reading or cooking may be desired, you may want to use something with a greater lumens such as 1000 lumens or greater.”
As she advises, it is always important to make the right selection of bulbs according to your kind of lighting requirements instead of making them solely in terms of wattage consumption.
Useful Hints on How to Select the most appropriate Light Bulb in your House
Pay attention to the Purpose of the Room: Consider what the room will be used to do. A 60 watt bulb that produces about 800 lumens should be enough in the living rooms or bedroom as supplementary lighting. Nonetheless, when it comes to task lighting (in kitchen, offices etc), you might require bulbs that have higher lumens.
Consider Energy Efficiency: In case cost cutting on your energy consumption is your priority, LED light bulbs are the most energy efficient solutions. They generate as many lumens as an incandescent light bulb at a tenth of the cost in energy.
Play With Various Color Temps: You can also play with varying color temps of your bulbs depending on how you want to tailor your bulbs to the mood and utilization of the space. Compared to cool lights used in working environments, warm lights to relax can save you a lot of stress and strain in terms of being comfortable and effective.
Install Dimmer Switches: In case you are looking to have some flexibility on lightings; what you can do is to have a dimmer switch which would enable you to set the light to a brighter (or darker) depending on what you need. You can easily change the bright and energizing light to calm soft light with dimmable LED light bulbs.
Conclusion: Improve The Light By Using The Correct Light Bulb
It is vital to know how the watts and the lumens are associated in determining the right lighting in your house. A light bulb with 60 watts and about 800 lumens has a medium intensity of brightness that can be utilised in general lighting. It is worth bearing in mind however about the energy efficiency of LED bulbs, which can provide the same amount of lumens on a far smaller energy consumption.
Knowledge of your particular needs and the ability to experiment with color temperatures and selection of the correct bulbs will allow you to turn the home into a well-lit and comfortable place. Does it matter whether you want ambient warmth or task-focused illumination? Either way, you will find an excellent light bulb out there.
you may also like
How SecureLink is Transforming the Game Security in the future of Video games
