Light Bulbs

Matching up wattage used to be simpler than it is now, but here’s how to make it a snap. The bulb you are replacing will list the wattage on the glass or the base. This is a good base line, but it should not limit you, either. Check the light fixture for a label or printing that shows the maximum wattage allowed for the socket. Now that you have a maximum, consider the old bulb; do you want to have the same amount of light, or more, or even less? Adjust the wattage accordingly in your search for new light bulbs. If you are looking into a Compact Fluorescent light bulb (CFL), you should not get one with the same wattage as your old style bulb. Try to choose a CFL with about one-fourth of the wattage used. You’ll get the same amount of light, while using less electricity.

Color temperature measures the color of the light that the bulb emits. This is measured in degrees Kelvin; the lower the Kelvin temperature, the warmer the light. 2,700K is the normal temperature for orange or yellow light. This is the color of light we are all used to from using standard light bulbs. If you want pure white light, consider looking for a light bulb with a high color temperature, such as 4,000K or higher. Using this important number, you can customize your lights to give off the color you wish to have. CFL light bulbs will tend to give you more color options than normal ones do, so keep that in mind.

Lumens shows you how much light your light bulb will provide. For obvious reasons, this is a really important factor in choosing the perfect one. With more and more types of bulbs being offered recently, wattage alone simply cannot be used to judge whether one bulb is brighter than another. The technology level of the bulb has a greater impact than wattage does. That’s why you need to pay close attention to the lumen output of your bulb, and compare the lumen rating for your old bulb against some of the options you are looking at for your new one.

In general, most light bulbs will operate fine out of the box and will last about as long as the rated average lifetime. However, not all brands are manufactured equally. Be careful if you choose a bulb without a brand, or with a brand that is not trustworthy. In many cases, bulbs will not show a brand name because they are not built with quality in mind. As an example, one person opened a new 6 pack of light bulbs from a wholesale club, only to find that 4 of them don’t even work straight out of the box, and one more burned out within a week. Brands like Sylvania, Westinghouse, Litetronics, Philips, EiKO, and Halco are all good choices, based on experience working with the products for years and years.