In our article we will tell you how to choose a light bulb. Here are some tips to help you in this matter. Depending on the technology of the light emitting elements used, light bulbs come in the following basic types:
- classic incandescent bulbs;
- luminescent devices;
- halogen type appliances;
- LED bulbs.
All these lighting fixtures have their own specific specifications. Each of them has its own level of efficiency. Before choosing a light bulb for your home, apartment or office, you need to pay attention to several important points. For example, you can ask yourself questions about how much light you expect in a room and how often the lights will be switched on and off. More on this later. It is important to consider each type of light bulb, their pros and cons.
Incandescent lamp
Is a vacuum or special gas glass bottle with an incandescent filament (usually tungsten) inside and withmetal plinth. The advantage of this simple device is that even with a long glow, it does not irritate the eye. A lamp of this type emits a pleasant light of a warm range of tones, is not afraid of high and low temperatures and condensation. The device does not flicker harmful to the eyes. The incandescent lamp is in demand because of the relatively low price. A serious drawback of the Edison light bulb, unfortunately, is that it is very wasteful of electricity. The lamp becomes very hot, and a huge part of the energy is released not in the form of light, but in the form of heat. Incorrectly selected mains voltage also adversely affects the operation of this product. The incandescent lamp does not tolerate voltage drops. All this greatly reduces the efficiency level of this lighting fixture.
Fluorescent lamps
This lamp is a gas-discharge radiation source. The device consists, if simplified, of a glass tube closed at the ends, filled with mercury vapor. The level of light output of the device is much higher than that of classic incandescent lamps. Spiral-shaped energy-saving lamps are now popular.
How to choose the right type of light bulbs for the home? It is important to remember that only low pressure modules can be used here. The advantages of fluorescent lamps include:
- high level of efficiency;
- wide range of glow from the warmest to the coldest tones;
- a small amount of energy consumed;
- service life up to 5 years withreasonable switching mode (no more than 5 times a day).
The disadvantages are the noise of the lamp and the pulsing of light that is harmful to the eyes. The content of mercury in the cylinders of devices complicates their disposal. For those who use Wi-Fi, it will not be superfluous to know that the included fluorescent devices reduce the signal throughput. Another big disadvantage of devices of this type is that some of these lamps work only in tandem with electromagnetic starting equipment. Because of this, energy is consumed 10-15% more than indicated in the rating.
Halogen bulbs
In fact, a halogen is a modernized incandescent lamp with a cylinder pumped with a special buffer gas (iodine or bromine). This increases the temperature level of the filament and increases the life of the device. A record level of up to 100% color rendering puts halogens on a high level of competitiveness among lighting products.
How to choose a bright light bulb for your home or office? Halogen lamps, due to their small size and bright glow, are perfect for compact table lamps and fixtures. The disadvantage of halogen devices is their high sensitivity to frequent turning on and off of the lamp. This significantly reduces the lifespan of this type of device.
LED bulbs
The most progressive type of electric lamps, perhaps, are light-emitting diode lamps (LED). The device has one or more LEDs that producefull and rich light. Such lamps are made from completely safe and harmless materials. The efficiency of LED lamps exceeds 90%. Small lamps are able to emit a fairly bright light. How to choose light bulbs for a lamp or table lamp for an office? It is not recommended to use LED-devices in closed-type luminaires. For the home, it is better to use lamps with a warm yellow glow. The only thing that is reproached for LED devices is the high initial cost of such lamps. But it pays off during the operation of the devices. A small disadvantage of the LED lamp is the insufficient beam angle.
LED bulbs made with Filament technology
How to choose light bulbs with a high dispersion angle and low power consumption? Filament LED lamps meet these requirements perfectly thanks to the LED filament embedded in a spherical glass bulb. For office premises, it is better to choose LEDs with a neutral glow temperature (corresponds to the light of the moon and daylight) in the range of 3200-5400 degrees Kelvin. It is noticed that such light contributes to greater efficiency and less fatigue of the staff. You can adjust the brightness of 12 V LED bulbs using a dimmer with a remote control.
Types of plinths
In addition, regardless of type, lamps can have a different type of base:
- screw (E);
- pin (G).
The number after the letter in the markingmeans the diameter of the base (for screw) and the distance between the contacts (for pin). Socle E27 - ordinary, standard, used in lamps, chandeliers and sconces. The miniature lamps are equipped with E14 (minion) lamps.
Devices with G base have many more modifications, so in order to accurately select a replacement, you should take an old light bulb with you to the store. Much less often, if necessary, such types of bases as pin (B), focusing (P) and soffit (S) are used.
Selection of lamps by brightness and power
How to choose a light bulb for brightness? Halogen lamps for 12 V, which are used with an additional transformer, will not work here. They emit a soft light similar to daylight. A better solution is 220 V halogens. They will provide a rather bright, although not so natural, glow. If you choose from among LED lighting fixtures, then the light from lamps with transparent bulbs will be brighter. They are perfect for office space. Frosted flasks will contribute to a more diffuse and soft glow. This option is most applicable for lighting bathrooms. Where a classic 60W incandescent lamp was previously used, a 7.5W LED module can be successfully used. The result is a bright glow while reducing energy consumption by about 8 times.
The lower the power of the lamp, the less it consumes electricity. Also the power of the lighting fixture directlyproportional to its brightness. In this regard, in order to choose the right light bulb power for a room, you need to take into account its size. A small room can be illuminated with a lamp up to 100 watts. For medium-sized rooms, a lamp with a power of 120-150 watts is needed. A lamp of 150 W or more will be required to illuminate a larger room. Note: For night lights, the maximum lamp power will be 25W.
Before choosing light bulbs by power, you should look at the special markings. For example, the marking on a 25 W fluorescent lamp, "Analogue LON 100 W", means that this lamp corresponds to the brightness of a general purpose lamp (incandescent lamp) with a power of 100 W. But such a lamp will consume 25 W.
However, now when choosing lamps for lighting various types of premises, it is not enough to take into account only power. The illumination of the surface is of great importance. It depends on the amount of light flux falling on a unit area, and is measured in lux (Lx). To put it simply, the more light falls on a given area, the greater the illumination of the surface.
Light bulbs for different rooms
Based on this, how to choose light bulbs for home or office? According to sanitary norms and rules (SNiP), for different premises this value differs significantly. For example, for conventional offices, the illumination rate should be 300 Lx. In offices where drawing work is carried out, this rate is increased to 500 lx. For living room and kitchencorresponds to a value of 150 lx. The children's room should be illuminated at 200 lux, and the bathroom and corridor - at 50. This calculation allows you to choose lighting devices of such power and brightness that a person can feel comfortable in any of the rooms.
