When purchasing a chandelier, remember that the quality of the fixture will outweigh the number of bulbs. If a design is well-made, it can make up for fewer bulbs. In order to maximize brightness and light output, choose LED bulbs over halogen ones. While LED lights are more expensive up front, they last much longer and are more cost-effective in the long run. Additionally, LED lights also have a longer lifespan than fluorescent lights. Below are some things to consider before you begin your search for LED lighting for your home. These questions will help you pick the right lights for your needs, whether you’re thinking about installing LED or already have them in place.
Led Downlights vs Halogen – Wattage
Lighting is a crucial part of interior design, and it’s important that you choose the best option for your needs. We want to share a few tips to help you make an informed decision. First, get downlights that are energy efficient but not so much that they block out all light. Second, go with LED lights, which typically use less energy than other alternatives.
Colour Temperature
Cool white LED downlights are ideal for kitchens and laundry rooms, which tend to get warm, as they emit a cool light. These lights are best for when you want lots of light, but not heat. On the other hand, soft white LED downlights are better suited for living rooms. Soft white lights provide a more intimate atmosphere than cool white ones.
At AGM Electrical Supplies, we recommend a 4000k white light for general use. It is the perfect balance of color temperature and output that will look good in most rooms. Not only does it provide a cool, clean light but it also feels warm and subtle – like natural daylight shining through the ceiling – without being too bright.
What are Lumens?
As LED light bulbs have become more and more popular, consumers have been left to make sense of the new packaging. For example, when shopping for a new bulb, you’ll notice that the packaging will state something like MR16 5W, but what does that mean? For starters, MR16 is a type of light bulb, and 5W means that the bulb requires five watts of power to operate.
Energy Efficiency – Lumens Per Watts
When choosing a downlight, consider efficiency (watts) as well as brightness (lumens). For example, if you’re used to a 60-watt incandescent bulb, consider an LED downlight that uses 8 to 12 watts and has a lumen rating of 800 for the same amount The importance of light output is not the same as energy use. The light output should be determined by how the room will be used.
Downlight Beam Angle
Beam angle refers to the spread of light emitted from the bulb. Most LED bulbs have a 45° beam angle for recessed fixtures because the light needs to be shielded to prevent light pollution. Conversely, a standard incandescent bulb has a 360° angle of coverage.
Downlights come in different beam angles to allow for particular light distributions. If you need wide and soft light, choose a downlight with a 60° beam angle. But if you need concentrated lighting that can be used to target smaller details (as in the kitchen), choose a downlight with a narrower 25° beam angle.
There are many factors when it comes to lighting your home. The room size is one, but the type of light, as well as the design of your house, will also dictate the brightness and hue of your lights. If you’re choosing LED lights, make sure to check their lumen output in order to determine if they’ll work in your home or not. There are many factors when it comes to lighting your home.
Downlight Spacing for Beam Angles
The beam angle is a factor to consider. A wider beam angle light can be spaced farther apart than a concentrated beam. Generally, you should space wide beam lights 1.2 – 1.5 meters apart and concentrate beam lights 1 meter apart. Be sure to calculate the total necessary before spacing lights and start from the same spot when installing throughout your room.
Colour Rendering Index (CRI)
Color rendering index (CRI) measures how accurately a light source renders color when compared with sunlight. Any value over 90 indicates that the objects under the light will be true to color, while values below 80 may cause color discrepancies across a variety of colors. Tech savvy consumers will look for high CRI ratings when they purchase commercial lighting.
Having a high CRI light is important to get true, vibrant color from your LEDs. However, most manufacturers of LED lights have low CRI values and they are not even listed in their technical specifications. To get an idea of the quality of light produced by any given LED light. You need to look at its CRI (color rendering index). The higher the CRI number, the better the light is at rendering color accurately.
Downlight Lifespans
This depends on the type of bulb you invest in. Halogen lamps burn for an average of 2,000 hours, many find that they replace the majority of their halogen bulbs within a month to six months. For LED Downlights, their lifetime is 50000 hours, which is longer than 20 years if it’s used for an average of 5 hours a day. As you can see, these are far more cost-effective in the long run.
Changing Downlights
If you have an old downlight bulb, it’s not too late to upgrade to a more energy-efficient LED Downlights bulb. This guide will show you how to change your current fluorescent bulbs with new LED bulbs. No need for rewording, but the original is really long, so I made it shorter.
Insulation Contact (IC) Rating
A recessed downlight’s IC (Insulation Contact) rating determines whether or not it can come in direct contact with your ceiling structure. Lights with an IC rating are safe to use around insulation and ceiling timbers. As they have been tested to ensure that they do not cause a fire hazard.
