Lumens, watts, sockets, colors... what light bulb do I need in my house?
There are many times when a light bulb burns out at home and we don't know how to change it. We hesitate about what type of light bulb we should buy and replace, since we totally do not know which one was there previously. Neither size, nor lumens, nor watts . We are lost in a wide, dark world, above all, dark.
But there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We tell you how to choose your bulb if the one you had has burned out or if you need another one for a new lamp. To do this you must know the basic aspects of a light bulb . Go for it.
First of all, you should know that not all light bulbs have the same power . The power of light was measured in watts (W) to know how much energy it consumed , but things have changed. Now what really interests us about a light bulb is the amount of light it emits and this is much better detected taking into account the lumens (lm) , not the power. Each bulb has a number of lumens without taking into account external factors such as the size of the room or space they illuminate, which makes it possible to make a real comparison between any type of bulb and know which one has the greatest illumination. In fact, there is a possibility of knowing the lumens of a light bulb using the following formula :
On the other hand, there are different colors. The most common are white , warm or neutral . White light is that which offers us strength and invites us to concentration and activity. For this reason it is common to use it in the kitchen, to correctly illuminate our food or in work spaces such as offices . While the warm light offers an optimal soft tone to convey relaxation and tranquility. For this reason, it is common to choose to place it in living rooms , to invite us to relax with a book or rest on the sofa. or rooms , to accompany us in the last moments before going to sleep . For its part, neutral light is the color closest to natural light.
It is the most suitable type of light for spaces where colors are They are important and should not be altered , such as a dressing room .
Another question that usually arises when changing our light bulbs is the size of the socket , that is, which one fits correctly in our lamp. To do this, we use a specific nomenclature to know which bulb we are looking for :
For example: E 14S , which means “E” for Edison type thread, 14
In this way, Leroy Merlín explains to us that the first letter refers to the type of lamp holder, which can be:
- E: Edison type thread
- B or BA: Ballonet cap (mostly used in the United Kingdom)
- C: Circular tube pressure contact
- G: Contact by simple pressure clamps
- GX: Contact through reinforced pressure clamps
- GU: Contact by clamps for bulbs with rear heat emission protection
- GZ: Contact by terminals for bulbs with high rear heat emission
- R: Cap for rectilinear lamps with simple terminals
- RX: Cap for rectilinear lamps with reinforced terminals
- Fa: Cap for rectilinear lamps with male terminal
and establishes the bushing diameter It can be 7mm, 10mm, 11mm, 12mm, 13mm, 14mm, 15mm, 27mm or 40mm.
And the second letter refers to contacts , so it can be :
- S - simple contact
- D - double contact
- Q - quadruple contact
The most common bushings are:
- E 14. A fine size Edison type screw cap . Low consumption, halogen and LED bulbs can be connected . Bulbs with an E27 socket can be tube, spiral, standard, globe or spherical .
- E27. It is the most common socket, used for compact fluorescent bulbs, halogens or incandescent bulbs.
- E40. Same characteristics as the previous ones , but with the capacity to support higher powers.
- GU5. This socket model has a transformer (12v DC) to be compatible with LED technology.
Do not forget that, although the world of lighting is very wide, it is advisable to be informed about its main characteristics to know which bulbs illuminate us and how we should change them when they decide to stop working.