For the average consumer there are a lot of terms that get thrown around when it comes to lighting. These are undoubtedly terms that consumers are familiar with but they may not understand just what exactly it is. One of those terms is lumens. Do you know what a lumen is? Today we will tell you so that when you contact Resort Lighting and we explain what we can do for you, you will know what it means.
The Definition Of Lumens
According to Dictionary.com the definition of lumens (as it relates to lighting) is: the unit of luminous flux, equal to the luminous flux emitted in a unit solid angle by a point source of one candle intensity. It is abbreviated as lm.
That sounds like a bunch of technobabble. In layman’s terms, it means the brightness of an object, in this case a light bulb. The higher the number of lumens the brighter the bulb is.
So What’s The Difference With Watts?
When it comes to lighting the most popular standard of measurement has been watts. In the past you could buy a 60 watt bulb or a 100 watt bulb and plenty of others. Watts measure energy use. For older bulbs this was how the brightness of the bulb was measured since the more power that was used the brighter the bulb would be.
LED bulbs have changed that. Power was needed to radiate the filament inside the old incandescent bulbs but if you know about LED bulbs that filament is no longer there. These bulbs work completely differently, so thus a new method of determining brightness was needed as the power consumption would no longer be the driving factor.
Enter Lumens
Since incandescent bulbs have mostly gone the way of the dinosaur as a measure to reduce power consumption LED bulbs are what can be found in the stores. Lumen, the Latin word for light, seemed to be a natural term to use. Its use with lighting was first used by a French physicist in 1894 and the term luminosity is derived from it.
With a term in hand LED bulbs have been measured in lumens rather than watts. Standard packaging will list the number of lumens, the color temperature, its potential lifespan as well as the amount of energy used (this is still measured in watts) along with the estimated cost per year to use the bulb.
Lighting can go up to 5,000 lumens though your typical commercial bulb will not exceed 1,600 lumens or the equivalent brightness of an old 100 watt incandescent bulb. As a comparison the most powerful tactical flashlights in the world come in at about 4,800 lumens. Brighter though is not always better.
Does The Number Of Lumens Matter?
Yes, the number of lumens matter. Not all light fixtures are created equally. A 1600 lumen bulb may not work the same with all light fixtures. This is where a professional service like Resort Lighting be valuable. Different light fixtures work best with different bulbs and may work optimally with different lumen levels. That could be a big difference for a customer. That light fixture that looks oh so good may not provide the optimal level of light and unless you know that you might be wasting your money. That is why working with a professional is the best way to go.
With lumens you get to choose the amount of brightness you get out of your bulb. That is the way light was always meant to be don’t you think?
