In our article we will tell you how to choose a light bulb. Next, we will give tips to help you in this matter. Depending on the technology of light-emitting elements used, bulbs come in the following basic types:
- classic incandescent bulbs;
- luminescent devices;
- halogen type devices;
- LED lamp.
All these lighting fixtures have their own specific technical characteristics. Each of them has its own level of effectiveness. Before choosing a light bulb for a house, apartment or office, you need to pay attention to several important points. For example, you can ask yourself questions about what degree of illumination of the room is expected, and how often the lighting will turn on and off. About it further. It is important to consider each of the types of bulbs, their pros and cons.
Incandescent lamp
It is a vacuum glass or with a special gas glass cylinder with an incandescent filament (usually from tungsten) inside and with a metal base. 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 gamut of tones, is not afraid of high and low temperatures and condensation. The device does not have flicker harmful to the eyes. Incandescent lamp is in demand due to the relatively low price. A serious drawback of the Edison bulb, unfortunately, is that it is very uneconomical in consuming electricity. The lamp is 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 negatively affects the operation of this product. Poor incandescent bulbs tolerate power surges. All this greatly reduces the level of effectiveness of this lighting device.
Fluorescent lamps
This lamp is a gas discharge source of radiation. The device consists, if simplified, of a glass tube closed at the ends, filled with mercury vapor. The light output level of the device is much higher than that of classic incandescent lamps. Energy-saving spiral-shaped lamps are now popular.
How to choose the right bulbs of this type 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;
- a wide range of glow from the warmest to coldest tones;
- small amount of energy consumed;
- service life up to 5 years with a reasonable mode of switching on (no more than 5 times a day).
The disadvantages are the noise of the lamp and the pulsating light harmful to the eyes. The mercury content in the cylinders of the 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 minus 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 nominal.
Halogen lamps
In fact, a halogen is a modernized incandescent lamp with a cylinder pumped with special buffer gas (iodine or bromine). This increases the temperature level of the filament and increases the life of the device. A record, up to 100%, color rendering level, elevates halogens to a high level of competitiveness among lighting devices.
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 light fixtures. The disadvantage of halogen devices is their high sensitivity to turning the lamp on and off frequently. This significantly reduces the lifespan of this type of device.
LED lamp
Perhaps the most progressive type of electric lamps are LED lamps (LED). The device has one or more LEDs that produce full and saturated light. Such lamps are made of completely safe and harmless materials. The efficiency of LED lamps exceeds 90%. Small-sized fixtures are able to emit quite bright light. How to choose bulbs for the lamp or a table lamp for office? It is not recommended to use LED devices in closed fixtures. For the home, it is better to use lamps with a warm yellow glow. The only thing that LED devices are reproached with is the high initial cost of such lamps. But it pays off during the operation of the devices. A small drawback of the LED lamp is the insufficient angle of dispersion.
Filament LED bulbs
How to choose bulbs with a high diffusion angle and low power consumption? Filament LED lamps are perfectly suited to these requirements thanks to their LED filament embedded in a spherical glass bulb. For office premises, it is better to choose LEDs with a neutral glow temperature (corresponding to the light of the moon and daylight) in the range of 3200–5400 degrees Kelvin. It is noticed that such a light contributes to greater efficiency and less fatigue of staff. You can adjust the brightness of LED bulbs at 12 V using a dimmer with a remote control.
Types of socles
In addition, regardless of type, lamps can have a different type of cap:
The number after the letter in the marking means the diameter of the cap (for screw) and the distance between the contacts (for pin). Socket E27 - ordinary, standard, used in lamps, chandeliers and sconces. In miniature fixtures there are lamps with a socle E14 (minion).
Devices with a G cap have much more modifications, so to correctly select a replacement, you should bring an old light bulb with you to the store. If necessary, such types of socle as pin (B), focusing (P) and spotlight (S) are much less commonly used.
The choice of lamps for brightness and power
How to choose a bulb by brightness? The 12 V halogen lamps that are used with the optional transformer are not suitable here. They emit a soft light, similar to daylight. A more successful solution is halogens at 220 V. Just they will provide a rather bright, although not so natural glow. If you choose from a number of LED lighting devices, then the light from the lamps with transparent bulbs will be brighter. They are perfect for office space. Frosted flasks will contribute to a more diffuse and softer glow. This option is most suitable for lighting bathrooms. Where a classic 60 W incandescent lamp was used before, a 7.5 W LED module can be used successfully. The result is a bright glow with a decrease in energy consumption of about 8 times.
The lower the lamp power, the less it consumes electricity. Also, the power of the lighting device is directly proportional to the brightness of its glow. In this regard, in order to correctly choose the power of the bulb for the room, it is necessary to take into account its size. A small room can be lit with a lamp up to 100 watts. For rooms with medium sizes you need a lamp with a power of 120-150 watts. A lamp of 150 watts and above will be required to illuminate a more spacious room. Note: for nightlights, the maximum lamp power is 25 watts.
Before choosing light bulbs by power, you should look at the special markings. For example, marking on a 25 W fluorescent lamp, “LON Analog 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 watts.
However, now when choosing lamps for lighting various types of premises it is not enough to take into account only power. Of great importance is the illumination of the surface. It depends on the amount of luminous flux incident 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.
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 rooms this value is significantly different. For example, for offices of general purpose, the norm of illumination should be 300 Lux. In offices where drawing work is carried out, this rate has been increased to 500 Lux. For a living room and kitchen, it corresponds to a value of 150 Lx. The children's room should be lit 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 room.