Choosing the Right Light Bulb

Aug 19th 2021 Staff

We’ve all been there – a bulb burns out in a lamp or a ceiling fixture, and when we go to change it, we find that we don’t have the appropriate replacement. We have other light bulbs in the house, but we’re not sure if they can be used in the fixture. At Accent Lighting, we want to help people get the most of out of their lighting, and using the wrong bulb can compromise light output, energy efficiency, and even perhaps increase the risk of an electrical fire. In this blog, we’ll cover some of the basic points of choosing the right bulb for your home lighting fixtures.

What is Wattage?

Wattage is the amount of energy used by a light bulb. Every box of bulbs will have a wattage stamped on the outside, and this is as an easy way to tell which bulbs are the right ones to use. If you take a 60-watt bulb out of a lamp, you’ll want to replace it with another 60-watt bulb. You can use a lower-wattage bulb, but with incandescent and halogen bulbs, you’ll be compromising on light output. It’s important to never, EVER, use a higher-wattage bulb, as this can damage the bulb, the fixture, and potentially your home.

Learning About Lumens

Lumens describe the amount of light a bulb produces. With incandescent and halogen bulbs, the higher the wattage, the higher the lumens. However, with LED technology, you can have a 7-watt bulb that produces the same lumens as a 60-watt incandescent. This improves the bulb’s life and efficiency, which gives your brighter light for a longer period of time.

Concerning Color Temperature

Color temperature is another important aspect of choosing a new light bulb. With the advances in compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED bulbs, the range of color temperatures has grown. The most common bulbs fall between the 2700K to 3000K range, which produce warm, yellow light, while the higher temperatures (5000K and above) produce cool, white light. Depending on where the bulb is, you’ll want to be sure to choose the right color temperature, i.e. a bright white light is better for the kitchen or the bathroom than the master bedroom.

When replacing the light bulbs in your home, there are many factors to consider. Whether you have questions about wattage, lumens, color temperature, or whether or not your bulbs have the right base, our experts can help. Call or visit our Wichita showroom today!


Never Miss A Promotion

about-us-cta-inner.jpg startnow-cta-inner.jpg shop-all-cta-inner.jpg

Back to top