You may have seen lighting terms like watts or lumens on packaging or when browsing for lighting or light bulbs. But what do they mean and what is the difference between them?
In this post, we will explore the basics of watts (short for wattage) and lumens and their significance in lighting.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about these two important measurements when selecting your lighting.
What are they and how do they affect my choice of lighting?
These play a fairly important factor when you are looking to brighten up the office space or when you want to provide a dimly lit atmosphere in your café or restaurant.
The best way to describe these measurements – Lumens are a measure of the amount of light emitted from an LED light source to provide brightness, while watts are a measure of how much power is being used to generate that light.
When looking for brightness, look for a larger number of lumens. If you want to save energy over brightness, look for the least number of watts. Further down we will explain how to calculate these two together so you can get more bang for your buck and how to choose the right lightbulb for your light fittings.
How do I save on energy while receiving the maximum brightness?
Technically speaking, brightness vs power is measured in lumens per watt. The more lumens per watt, the brighter your lighting will be while saving you more on your energy bills than a light source that emits less while trying to achieve the same amount of brightness.
We generally recommend LED lighting, as they produce more light per watt than other lights. When looking for lightbulbs, these are also a little more suitable for a wider range of light fittings due to the lower wattage.
Read below for further details on picking a suitable light or lightbulb and on the dangers of using the wrong wattage.
What to look for on the packaging
When lumens are mentioned on packaging, they are written with a number and ending in lm and watts are written as a number and ending in w.
Using example image, to calculate the amount of lumens per watt, divide 6000lm by 46w. This particular globe outputs just over 130 lumens per watt.
Lightbulb safety
One thing to keep in mind, prior to going out and purchasing lightbulbs, is the maximum wattage your light fittings can handle.
Also, if you are looking to install new light fittings, you want to ensure you purchase the right light fittings for the right environment. We highly recommend reading up on IP Ratings prior to purchasing your light fittings.
What to look for on your light fittings
Normally your light fittings will have a sticker with writing such as “Max. 60w” or “Maximum 60w” (can be 40w, 80w, etc.). This may also be be imprinted on the fitting itself in small writing.
Installing a higher wattage lightbulb can cause serious damage. If you want higher wattage, you will need to replace your light fittings to a suitable one that can accommodate the higher wattage.
Who can I talk to for the best advice on lighting?
While we know about lighting and we can supply light bulbs, it isn’t worth it for you call an electrician just for the sole purpose of purchasing lightbulbs, unless you require installation of a large number of lightbulbs or you are legally required to do so (such as when leasing a property).
If you only need to purchase lightbulbs, we suggest you visit your local lighting store or hardware store.
If you need installation of lighting fixtures, such as downlights, pendant lights, oyster lights and others, contact Ecotec Energy today.
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