BULB MANIA

In my last two newsletters I have been writing about CRI, Kelvin, Lumen, light layering and what colors of bulbs to choose for different rooms of the home. If you have not had the opportunity to read up, go to my website for the link at the bottom of the home page www.embraceyourinnersnob.com. Over the next five blogs I will be offering more tips, suggestions and my favorites in lighting.

Today is about choosing bulbs. Walking down the isles at the store there are so many choices... color, size, shapes, what does it all mean? Hopefully this will light the way on your journey.

Traditional Incandescent

Color: Standard incandescents cast a glow known as war or soft white. The light created by these bulbs is also closest to daylight, this makes them a popular choice for the home.

Description: Up to 90% of the energy generated by incandescent bulbs is output as heat, making it a big energy waster. The higher the wattage, the more energy the bulb uses. At 50-75 cents apiece, they are the least expensive on the market, but they also have the shortest life span (750-1,000 hours).

Halogen, Krypton, Xenon

Color: The light most closely resembles that of daylight.
Description: More efficient than traditional incandescent but less than a CFL, halogen bulb last 2,00004,000 hours. Krypton and xenon last up to 10,000 hours. None of the three currently qualifies for the Energy Star program, and at about $4 per bulb, all are more expensive than a traditional incandescent bulb.

Compact Fluorescent(CFL)

Color: CFLs have a yellowish glow that consumers have generally shunned. However, warm-white CFLs as well as those in the daylight range are now more widely available.
Description: The bulbs are more expensive, about $2.50 each and last 6,000-10,000 hours, cutting replacement costs significantly. When retrofitting an incandescent fixture with a CFL bulb, go for a wattage that’s about 25% of the original.

I would love to hear from you, please leave comments or questions.