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tinkbabygirl

light differences

12 years ago
can you tell me what the wattage for a LED, FLOURESCENT, HALOGEN ,,XENON IN COMPARISON TO INCANDESCENT 40W, 60W, 75W AND 100 W. I AM WONDERING THIS FOR BATHROOM AND KITCHEN LIGHTS I KNOW A 300 WATT OR 400 WATT ABOVE MY KITCHEN TABLE IS BRIGHT I DON'T KNOW HOW WATTAGES COMPARE WITH OTHER LIGHTS,

Comments (5)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    The watts tell you how much power a bulb uses, not necessarily how bright they will be. A 60w incandescent bulb will obviously be brighter than a 40w incandescent bulb but could be dimmer than a 13w CFL bulb. What you will be able to compare across bulb types is brightness, measured in lumens, which should be on any bulb packaging.
    For incandescent bulbs the output is typically as follows:
    40w = 450 lumens
    60w = 800 lumens
    100w = 1600 lumens
    400w = 5000 lumens
    LED is the most efficient light source of the ones you listed, meaning that it will require the least amount of watts for the same amount of lumens. The other thing to consider is what type of light you want. Many people love incandescent lights for the yellower, "warmer" light that they cast while the white light of a fluorescent is considered by some to be more "cold". All of the lights you listed should have comparable lumens to what you want of 4-5000 lumens but the light will have different tints and each bulb type will require different energy.
  • 12 years ago
    ok thank you so would you say about how many lumens would be bright enough over a bathroom mirror for make-up purposes to see well.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Many bathrooms are set up with several bulbs above the mirror in order to cast more even light. Typically I see 3-5 bulbs spaced out above the mirror that provide 800-1000 lumens each, though I have seen some special make up mirrors with 5-8 lower lumen bulbs on each side.
    4000 lumens should be plenty but you will want that spread between several bulbs and you may want to spurge on "daylight" bulbs (or something similar) so that you will be able to see how your makeup will look outside.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Light sources OVER a mirror are not advisable. Let’s start with the shape of a human head itself. Our heads are tapered downward from our cheekbones. Fixtures that just deliver light from the top of a mirror; only illuminate the top of your head. They produce a distinct shadow below your cheekbones and nose. This creates a less-than ideal reflection of the lower cheek, jaw line and mouth. The image below shows optimal light fixture selection and placement. Compare it to your makeup area. Is there a difference? Talk about “seeing the light.” Enjoy Your Project ~ ClearLED.biz
  • 12 years ago
    Around 2500 lumens is good for a small mirror (up to 36" wide) unless the walls in the room are a dark color. Two sconces will typically be about 1700 lumens, so I often add a recessed can in the ceiling. The older you get or the bigger the mirror, the more light (spread out) you will need. 4000 lumens would need a dimmer on a small mirror, which is not good in a bathroom. When you dim most lights, the color of the light changes and is not ideal for applying makeup.