Bulbs come in any number of shapes and sizes. When shopping, the most common lightbulb shape and size is described as an \u201cA19 Medium Base.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read bulb labels to find the lighting facts you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brightness:<\/strong> Light output is measured in lumens, not watts as we previously used for brightness. In context, a 60-watt incandescent bulb provides roughly 800 lumens: 40W, 450 lumens; 75W, 1100 lumens; 100W, 1600 lumens; 150W, 2600 lumens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Energy Used:<\/strong> The amount of electricity that a lightbulb consumes is measured in watts. A 60W tungsten bulb consumes 60W. An 800-lumen LED bulb (equivalent to the 60-watt tungsten) uses approximately 14W of electricity, a 75% reduction in energy consumption. Efficiency is often expressed as lumens per watt; the higher the LPM ratio, the more energy-efficient the bulb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light Appearance:<\/strong> We understand lightbulbs described as \u201cwarm white\u201d or \u201cbright white,\u201d but these are subjective terms, meaning different things to different manufacturers. Light appearance refers to the \u201ccolor\u201d of the white light. Light color is represented in Kelvin, a temperature measurement. 2700K is roughly the equivalent of a tungsten bulb; 3000K roughly the equivalent of a halogen bulb; 4500K considered equivalent to daylight, and appears blueish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2700K lighting is warm and cozy, great for living rooms and bedrooms. 3000K lighting is crisper and best used where functional light is important, as in a kitchen or bathroom. 4000K is great for the garage or laundry room. Make sure that the lamps and ceiling lights in a room have matching Kelvin ratings. Nothing\u2019s worse for a room\u2019s appearance than mismatched light color. A bedroom with 2700K lighting at the ceiling and 4000K in the nightstand lamp looks awkward and will create an imbalance in paint and fabric colors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dimming:<\/strong> Ever say, \u201clet\u2019s dim the lights\u201d to create a little romance or watch a movie? When incandescent bulbs are dimmed, their color warms, meaning that it changes to look more like candlelight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look for the word \u201cdimmable\u201d as a feature on the lightbulb package or integrated LED fixture. Unlike incandescent lighting, not all LED or CFL lights can be dimmed. This is not a huge consideration for bulbs used in table or floor lamps, but ceiling lights, especially chandeliers, are often controlled by wall dimmer switches. Nondimmable LEDs may not react and CFLs may turn a greenish-blue color. So much for atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, LEDs and CFLs rated as dimmable will not warm to look like candlelight. They will simply get less bright while giving off the same color. LEDs offer a technology called \u201cwarm dim\u201d that mimics the dimming of incandescent bulbs. Search for warm dim LEDs that offer a color range of 3000K to 2200K or wider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/_next\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.nar.realtor%2F%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fassets%2Fimages%2F03_18_21_BulbLabel.jpg%3Fitok%3DyHboiR0v&w=640&q=75&dpl=dpl_7w4rBgguj9z7cW3HdrsAmzi3LGc4\")
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