If you have begun putting up your holiday decorations, you may have switched over your holiday decor lighting to an LED option, to prevent having to re-string your garland so often. Over the past couple of years, LED bulbs have been the all of the rage when it comes to home lighting. Known for their versatility, long life and cost effectiveness, it is easy to see why they would be an attractive option to switch to in your home. However, all LED lights are not created equal. Parry Custom Homes, a premier Pittsburgh on your lot builder, has what you need to know before you head out to the store to buy new lights for your entire house.
A common misconception when it comes to wattage is that the number of watts will determine how bright the bulb is. This is actually false. The number of watts refers to how much energy the bulb draws. For incandescent lights, this is an accepted correlation between watts and the brightness of the bulbs. However, LED lights are much different. A 60-watt incandescent light would be comparable to an LED light that is just 8 to 12 watts.
Because there are so many varieties of LED lights, it will not be the same as going to the store and picking up an incandescent light like you have been use to in the past. When shopping for new LED bulbs, you will no longer be looking at the watts of the bulb, like you are accustomed too.
However, don’t worry about having to go into a light store and do the math. There is a uniform way to convert incandescent watts to LED watts. Lumens is the new form of measurement for LED lights.
The Lumen (lm) is the true measurement of brightness provided by a light bulb and this is the number you will want to look for when you go out shopping for your LED lights. An incandescent light can draw up to five times as many watts for the same number of lumens.
LED lights also come in a wide variety of colors. A traditional iridescent light has a warm, yellowish hue. However, when you switch over to LED bulbs, you will have a choice in what color you prefer. The most popular colors of LED bulbs are warm white, soft white or bright white.
The warm white and soft white LED bulbs will be the most comparable in color to your traditional incandescent bulbs, while the bright white color option will produce a brighter light that will be similar to daytime light or the light you see in retail stores.
If you want to get really specific with the color, the color of an LED light (which is actually the temperature) is measured in kelvins. The lower the number, the more yellow the light will be. A typical incandescent light is between 2,700 and 3,500k in comparison.
These simple tips will make selecting the new LED lights in your home a breeze!
Parry Custom Homes is an established homebuilder in the Pittsburgh area. Call or contact us today for more information about this floor plan option, or to view other homes in our portfolio that may suit your new home needs.