This episode discusses the different types of light bulbs and how to emulate the look of incandescent bulbs.
The four light-bulb types for typical indoor residential fixtures are traditional incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, LED bulbs, and compact Fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs.
LUMENS measure the amount of light produced by the bulb, or its brightness.
For a typical room light, you’re looking for 700 to 800 lumens light bulbs.
The TEMPERATURE of the bulb measures the quality of the light (light appearance) and whether your light is a warm glow or a cold, sterile spotlight. A warm glow is a lower temperature light, and a cold spotlight is a hotter temperature. The color temperature is presented on light bulb packaging using degrees Kelvin. Incandescent 60 watt soft white bulbs are about 2,700 Kelvin.
A brighter light in your home might be 900 lumens. For accent lights, about 400 lumens should be fine. Still keeping 2,700 to 2,800 Kelvin for each.
Some people want a more white and less golden glow for their lights. I doubt most people would like much higher than 3,800 K.
If you plan to use dimmers for your fixtures, you need to check the compatibility of your dimmer to your bulbs. If you are confused regarding dimmer installation, operation, or compatibility, consult a licensed electrician.
