The Guide for choosing the right LED bulb for home

And God said “Let there be light”, we have taken this forward with our innovations and new technology for various types of light. LEDs are here to shed some light on the future. They have become more and more popular due to their efficiency and long-lasting ability. It is believed to be the latest technology and has been lighting the way for around 50 years. The introduction of white light is what has made it appeal to the masses and brought it in the public eye lately. It could be seen as a replacement for the regular white light. Let nothing dim that light now LEDs are here to make it shine brighter. A brief introduction and a few “must-knows” will help you understand LEDs and help you choose the right light for your home.

WHAT IS AN LED?

Light fixtures that use one or more Light-emitting diodes are more commonly known as LED bulbs or lamps. Their lifespan extends longer than normal bulbs. LEDs emit full brightness instantly without a lag, unlike an incandescent light. Switching on and off doesn’t reduce its efficiency and hence is comparatively long-lasting. The ingenious incandescent light bulbs were the popular ones to date and its brightness was measured in watts. LEDs are measured in Lumens.

WHAT IS A LUMEN?

A watt determines the brightness of an incandescent bulb, so more watts means higher brightness. In LED’s we can’t possibly apply the same theory as it uses far fewer watts of energy than a regular incandescent bulb for the same amount of brightness. So, a 30 watts LED if compared to a 30 watts incandescent bulb will give you far more light or brightness, in fact, a 60-watt LED may just blind you with its light. Hence, we use lumens as an indicator of brightness in LEDs.

Lumens wasn’t designed just for LEDs, it has been used for nearly a decade now to measure light in a bulb, but it started appearing on packaging only recently. In 2011, the US federal trade made it mandatory for all bulb manufacturing companies (fluorescent, incandescent and LED) to use lumens as an indicator of the illumination of a bulb. Even though the original consumer is accustomed to watts which is a measurement of energy use, not brightness. Hence the dependency on watts alone for measurement was inconceivable, especially if the comparison is between different types of bulbs like traditional incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescents or LED. In simple terms, lumen is nothing but the extent of light evident to the human eye from any particular light source. Lumen is the new term of measurement for light. On bulb packets, the “lm” (number) indicates the lumen and higher the lumen brighter the bulb illumination.

LUMEN v/s. WATTS

An LED will help you save power by giving you even more light. Using the conversion chart of Lumens to incandescent and LED is the best way to determine what bulb to use. So, for example, at an 8 or 12 watt, a lumen of 800 will give you the same illumination as a 60-watt incandescent bulb. This table from CNET.com will help you understand better.

As you can see, for each lumen rating, the amount of wattage you will need varies with LEDs. This is because some LED brands have created bulbs for fewer wattage offerings and more lumens. Energy Star recommends finding a selection of bulbs with the most lumens and choosing one with the lowest wattage for best energy savings.

HOW TO CHOOSE AN LED FOR YOUR HOME?

Have you decided to go with an LED? Well, a few tips here will help you select the right bulb for various rooms in your home. As you are aware sunlight gives us energy similarly our light bulbs too have their advantages in the same way. Blue light waves produced by the bulbs help our brain produce serotonin which helps us focus, be alert and awake. On the other hand, bulbs that don’t emit blue light waves help our brain produce melatonin which helps us relax makes us drowsy and aids a good night’s sleep. Warm whites are due to the lower temperature of the bulbs, neutral whites are when the bulb has medium temperature and cool whites and mimic daylight are produced due to higher temperatures of the bulbs. The mood, the time of the day, the room you are in and the activity everything determines the lighting of any particular room.

LED LIGHT FOR YOUR BEDROOM

When sleep is sound, health and happiness are around. A bedroom is a place of serenity, a place to relax unwind from your hard day’s work and just let it go. It is best to avoid bright blue light waves here it will help your circadian rhythm differentiate between the natural light outside and the light in the bedroom. It helps your brain produce melatonin to help you sleep better. For bedside lamps its best to use soft blue or neutral tone especially if you like to read in the bedroom, the cool-white color creates a contrast with the pages.

LED FOR THE LIVING ROOM

The showcase of your home, where it all comes alive. A place to rewind and relax. A room to chat with friends or just relax with a movie, watch some television or read a book. Since the living room has activities of various kinds it will require lighting which can adapt to the mood and activity of the time. The bright blue light-emitting lamp is best avoided as it releases serotonin which gives us energy. Artwork, paintings should be highlighted with spotlights pointing to the walls. Table lamps with the new LED 3-way lamps can be used to give the living room a more exquisite look.

LED FOR THE DINING ROOM

Good food, good mood. The best memories are made when the family gathers around the dining table. The dining room is a place for family stories to build memories. The right kind of lighting is very important to set the mood for eating right and to release the appropriate digestive enzymes. An overhead chandelier with bright LED light is the perfect option for the dining area. Various colors of LEDs can be experimented with to add allure to the ambiance and the mood of your dining room.

LED FOR THE KITCHEN

The kitchen brings the family together, a workspace for the entire family. The bright blue light-emitting light bulbs play an important role here, it will help keep you alert and wide awake for your breakfast, dinners and all those in-between snacks. Overhead lighting from LED BR bulbs can give it a cool ambiance for the non-cooking times. A dimmer can add the oomph to the otherwise mundane look especially when there is no activity in the kitchen.

LED FOR THE BATHROOMS

When everything fails, take a bath. The most important place for the “you” time. Before rushing to work or school, this is the place where you wake up. It has to be illuminated well and bright so that you don’t miss that shaving spot or mess up the makeup or just for that neat tie look before going to school. The light coming from behind the mirror rather than the ceiling looks more elegant. A globe light bulb around the mirror or atop the fixtures helps light up the bathroom on the whole.
The type of room, your mood, the activity, everything determines the lighting of your home. We have explained some important details to guide homeowners to choose the right LED and avoid pitfalls. These introductions will help LED lighting be a success for your home.