Dear Jane-Marie,
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 Happy Spring! As the weather turns warmer and you start your spring cleaning, this would be a good time to look at the way you used electricity over the winter. Implement energy-saving changes while you are dusting away the cobwebs on those light fixtures. Read on to learn about the four types of light and to see some before and afters of a recent project from Embellishments . . .
Jane-Marie |
4 Kinds of Light
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With the green movement changing every day, you may be as confused as the next person about what to look for when it comes to lighting and light bulbs. I spoke with my colleague, Tammy Jacobson, a senior lighting designer at Light'n Up in Eden Prairie, to get the skinny on what is happening in lighting today. Here are the key things to remember and the best use for each kind of bulb:
- Incandescent (your typical bulb before the others came on the market): Dimmable, gives off a warm, inviting light but radiates a lot of heat and lasts only about 750 - 1500 hours; use in rarely used spaces like closets, attics, basements (unfinished) and garages
- Halogen: Dimmable, lasts longer than an incandescent, but gives off a LOT of heat - so much so that you want to make sure you put them in ceiling lights and lights that don't typically get knocked over (Zenon-Halogen bulbs are a bit cooler) - believe me, I have a lamp in my living room that the kids knock over about 2 times a week - NOT a good place for this kind of bulb
- Compact Flourescents (CFL): These used to give off a greenish light, but the quality has improved recently - look for 2700 - 3000K for the most flattering light; they are still hard to dim & they take a while to get to full light; they also contain mercury & must be recycled; approximately 10,000 hours of use; use them in table lamps, recessed lighting
- LED: Wow - here is where we jump up to 60,000 hours of use, and although more expensive than all the other types of bulbs, if you spread that expense over the 60,000 hours, the bulbs are cheaper per use than the others. Look for bulbs that have 2700 - 3000K - otherwise, the light will be very white and not very inviting. One drawback is that they give off very direct light (great for exterior spot lights, recessed lights and under cabinet lighting), but are not good for indirect light (such as a table lamp by the sofa)
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