Lighting Buyers Guide
Helpful suggestions about shopping for lighting.
Shop For Lighting: Lighting Homepage
Helpful information about lighting for indoor residential applications including definitions of commonly used lighting terminology.
Lighting can make a big difference in how you feel about your home. It helps you perform tasks more easily, makes you feel safer and more comfortable, and allows you to enjoy your home to its full potential. Lighting adds beauty and drama to a room. It can make a small room look open and airy, and a large room appear cozy and inviting. It can create a stimulating atmosphere for a night of entertaining, or a quiet feeling of relaxation after a long, tiring day. In so many ways, lighting can make a difference. And, it does so inexpensively compared to other home decorating or remodeling options.
Determining your needs.
Lighting should be planned to complement your lifestyle. So, first you need to develop a home lighting plan that suits your individual needs and those of your family. When planning your lighting, look at the activities that occur in each room, the atmosphere you want to create and the decorative elements you wish to emphasize. Keep in mind that light can be absorbed and even wasted in dark-colored rooms, or reflected and used as additional illumination in light-colored rooms. Also, take note of those areas serving more than a single purpose and those that will require more than one type of lighting. If you need assistance with your plan, a Certified Lighting Consultant at your local ALA showroom will be happy to help.
The fundamentals.
There are three basic types of lighting that work together to light your home: General, Task and Accent. A good lighting plan combines all three types to light an area, according to function and style.
Basic Types Of Lighting
This is very general information that defines some basic lighting industry terms.
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The Shapes & Forms Of Lighting
Once you've selected what you want to light, you'll have to decide how you're going to light it. Your local ALA showroom is the best place to view the many different styles, sizes and shapes of lighting fixtures that are available to deliver the general, task, and accent light you need.
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Lighting Controls
Lighting controls give you the flexibility to design a lighting plan with multiple uses and decorative effects. With the touch of a button, today's sophisticated dimming systems enable you to:
- Lower light level to conserve energy and increase bulb life.
- Vary the mood of a room.
- Alter the intensity of the light to suit the activity.
- Create and save a number of different lighting scenes in each room.
Lighting controls should be an integral part of the lighting design of each room.
Types Of Controls
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Light Sources
The performance of any light fixture depends very much on the light source (bulb) used. Different sources produce different effects. Light is measured in terms of:
Wattage
The amount of electricity consumed by a bulb.
Lumens
The amount of light that a bulb produces.
Footcandles
The amount of light reaching a subject.
Incandescent
General Service
General service bulbs are inexpensive and readily available in a variety of
wattages and shapes. They produce a yellowish-white light that is emitted in all
directions. Available in either clear or frosted.
Types:
General
(A)
Globe (G)
Decorative (D)
(flame, teardrop, and other shapes)
REFLECTORIZED
Reflective coating inside the bulb directs light forward, giving you better beam
control than general service bulbs. Flood types (FL) spread light. Spot types
(SP) concentrate the light.
Reflector (R) bulbs put approximately double the amount of light (footcandles) on the subject as General Service (A) of same wattage.
Parabolic Reflector (PAR) bulbs control light more precisely. They produce about four times the light of General Service (A) and are used in recessed and track lighting. Weatherproof casing makes them suitable for outdoor spot and flood fixtures.
Tungsten-Halogen
Produces a bright, white light. Has longer life and provides more light (lumens) per watt than regular incandescent bulbs. Maintains maximum efficiency throughout life of bulb. Available in both line- (120 volts) and low-voltage (12 volts). Low-voltage types require a transformer to step down the voltage. Among the most popular tungsten-halogen bulbs are:
LINE VOLTAGE
PAR 16, 20, 30 and 38 reflectorized bulbs provide better beam control
than regular incandescent PAR bulbs. Available in numerous spot and flood beam
spreads. Used in track, recessed, and outdoor spot, and floodlights.
T-3 Double-Ended bulbs are available in a variety of base types and are used in wall sconces, torchiers, and outdoor flood lights. The direction of the light is controlled by the fixture.
T-4 Single-Ended bulbs come in both "mini-can" and "bayonet" base types and are used in wall sconces, bath brackets, torchiers, and pendants. The direction of the light is controlled by the fixture.
Low-Voltage
MR-11, MR-16 (Mini-Reflectors) provide excellent beam control. Available
in numerous spot and flood beam spread. Miniature size permits use in smaller
track and recessed fixtures. Also used in outdoor spotlights.
PAR-36 provides superior beam control, especially over longer distances. Available in a broad selection of spot and flood beam spread. Used in track, recessed, and outdoor fixtures.
T-4 Bipin, also known as a "peanut" bulb, is a miniature lamp used in pendants, halogen desk lamps, and some track fixtures. The direction of the light is controlled by the fixture.
Fluorescent
Use 1/5
to 1/3 as much electricity as incandescents with comparable lumen ratings and
last up to 20 times longer. Compact types are used in smaller, trimmer fixtures
such as recessed downlights, wall sconces, close-to-ceiling fixtures, and track
lights. Screw-in types can be used in place of incandescents in standard lamp
sockets. Available in a wide spectrum of colors. Warm white tones best duplicate
the color of incandescents.
High-Intensity Discharge
High-intensity
discharge (hid) bulbs have a longer life and provide more light (lumens) per
watt than any other light source. Available in mercury vapor, metal halide,
high- and low-pressure sodium types. Used residentially for outdoor security and
landscape lighting.
This is just an overview of the wide variety of light sources that are on the market. For help in determining what bulbs to use in specific applications, talk to the Certified Lighting Consultants at your local ALA showroom. They can help you choose the best available light sources to suit your needs.
Energy Savings & Efficiency
Lighting uses 12 to 15 percent of the electricity consumed in a home. Suggested ways to economize on electricity bills with lighting are:
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Turn lights off when you don't need them.
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Use dimmers to save energy.
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Use photoelectric cells or timers to turn outdoor lighting on and off automatically.
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Use the more efficient reflector bulbs, especially for task and accent lighting. (Example: a 50W "R" bulb can put as much light on an object as a 100W "A" bulb.)
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Use energy-saving fluorescents wherever possible. They give more lumens-per-watt (more light from the electricity consumed) than incandescents. New compact fluorescents produce light that is similar in color to that of incandescents, making them an excellent choice for residential use. They are now available in styles that can accommodate a wide variety of decorative and functional fixtures.
Here are some energy-saving examples:
Incadescent Wattage |
Fluorescent Replacement(1) |
Rated Fluorescent Life |
Yearly Savings(2) |
2-60W |
1-20W Straight Tubes |
9,000 Hours |
$21.17 |
1-100W |
2-20W Straight Tubes |
9,000 Hours |
$11.96 |
2-75W |
1-40W Straight Tubes |
20,000 Hours |
$23.21 |
2-60W |
1-32W Circle Tube |
12,000 Hours |
$18.57 |
3-60W |
1-32W+1-40W Circle Tubes |
12,000 Hours |
$22.08 |
2-100W |
2-40W U-Tubes |
12,000 Hours |
$24.53 |
1-60W |
1-13W Compact Twins |
10,000 Hours |
$10.01 |
1-100W |
2-13W Compact Twins |
10,000 Hours |
$15.34 |
1-75W |
1-18W Compact Quad |
10,000 Hours |
$12.09 |
1-60W |
1-15W Compact Screw-In |
9,000 Hours |
$9.53 |
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(1) Includes allowance for ballast wattage.
(2) Calculated @ .10 per KWH based on use of 6 hours perday, 365 days per year.