We’ve all struggled with a room that’s too dark to see what we’re doing. Adequate light is crucial for any job, whether we’re reading in the living room or chopping vegetables in the kitchen.
In the past, you could simply increase the wattage of the bulb to get more light. You would get more light from a 100-watt bulb than from a 40-watt bulb.
With watts no longer a reliable unit of measurement, you now need to know how many lumens will provide the amount of light you need.
A 12-watt LED bulb can provide 1,200 lumens , while a CFL may require 18 watts to produce the same amount of light.
But what exactly is a lumen and how do you use it to choose a light bulb? Understanding lumens is the first step in ensuring your room is bright enough when you want to create a well-lit space.
Let’s take a look at lumens and how they factor into your lighting calculations.
Clarification of lighting terms
There are some lighting jargon terms you need to know and understand before you can determine how many LED lumens you need. They will make it easier to understand the information on the box of bulbs you are purchasing.
Lumens
Lumens are used to measure the brightness of a lamp . Based on how people perceive light, they are a measure of the amount of visible light the bulb emits . Therefore, they are a good benchmark for assessing practical and pleasant lighting.
The lumen output of a typical 100-watt incandescent light bulb is about 1500. Lumens are the basis for all other lighting measurements. The best way to determine the power of the light is to look for this number on a package of light bulbs.
Lux
This measurement, which is equivalent to one lumen per square meter, is closely linked to the perception of the brightness of a light.
We use it to help us assess the right amount of light for a certain location because it is related to surface measurements. It can be compared to the amount of light present in a specific space.
Light scatters in a space as it moves. The more it moves, the more it scatters.
Therefore, the light will appear brighter when the lumens are concentrated in a smaller area since the lux are more concentrated.
Watts
Although the brightness of our old incandescent bulbs is measured in watts, brightness is actually measured in lumens . Watts, on the other hand, tell us how much energy it takes to produce a specific amount of light.
The lumen-to-watt ratios of different types of bulbs vary, which is why LED bulbs can use much less energy while providing the same amount of light.
Efficiency
Since LED and CFL bulbs were developed, we can use fewer resources to produce more light from a given bulb.
The number of lumens generated for each watt expended is how this efficiency is calculated. The best combination for lighting is higher lumens at lower wattages.
Calculate how many lumens you need
Now that you know the relationship between lumens and brightness, you can calculate the number of lumens and, therefore, bulbs needed to achieve the desired brightness in a given space.
To do this calculation, you need to gather and understand the numbers shown below.
Room size
Since area and lux are related, you must first calculate the area of the space you want to illuminate. It is easy to determine the area of your room. Simply double the length of the room by its width.
If the geometry of your space is unusual, you can calculate its area by dividing it into more regular squares and rectangles.
Room type and use
Each room requires a different amount of light . In the kitchen and bathroom, you perform many fine tasks that require additional lighting.
On the other hand, you don't need as much light to watch your favorite show in the living room or to watch your meal in the dining room.
Here are some recommended average lux ranges for some rooms in your home.
- Corridor: 100 to 300
- Living room: 700 to 1000
- Bedroom: 400 to 600
- Dining room: 500 to 700
- General cuisine: 1000 to 1500
- Kitchen task: 1500
- Bathroom: 1000 to 1500
Your lumens calculation
We can determine the number of lumens needed to achieve the desired light level now that we know the size of the room and the estimated number of lux you need.
The basic calculation is to multiply the area of the room by the number of lux required . For example, 1,000 to 2,000 lumens are needed for a 10 square meter living room that requires 100 to 200 lux.
A 10 square meter kitchen, on the other hand, will require 3,000 to 4,000 lumens to achieve the required 300 to 400 lux.
Ready to light up your interior?
The wattage gave us an idea of the intensity of light with incandescent lamps .
Lumens are a more accurate approach to estimating the number of bulbs needed in a room than newer light sources like CFLs, LEDs, and halogens because they produce varying amounts of light per watt.
You can calculate this if you know the size of the room and the amount of light you want. Check out our selection of LED fixtures to find the perfect mix for you now that you know how many lumens you need.
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