Lighting Tips from Pros

A useful rule of thumb for bath vanities is to use a minimum of two 60-watt incandescent bulbs, which typically produce approximately 800 lumens each for a total of 1,600 lumens. In your application you have several choices:

• You could choose a fixture with standard medium-base sockets and install LED bulbs that fit the sockets. You would need LED bulbs equivalent to the standard 60-watt incandescent bulbs with approximately 800 lumens each.

• Considering there is only one fixture in your bathroom, you could go to a higher lumen output, and perhaps go to a 75-watt equivalent and use a dimmer, which would allow you to lower or increase the light level as needed.

• You could use an integrated LED fixture, which does not have light bulbs but instead is integrated with the LED lighting as a permanent part of the fixture. LEDs have extremely long life (about 50 times that of incandescent) making this essentially a lifetime fixture purchase. With this option you would want a fixture in the range of 1200-2000 lumens. Integrated LED fixtures are more efficient in delivering light, making it possible to go with a slightly lower lumen output (1200 lumens).

To look at the many options available, visit an ALA-member showroom where a certified lighting consultant can show you a variety of design options.

Preparing for your older visitors by adjusting your home lighting is a great idea. As we grow older, our eyes change. Research shows that a 60-year-old needs twice as much light as a 30-year-old. With that in mind, it will help to set up special lighting for task areas before your older guests arrive.

It is important to have light that you can direct, such as a pivoting or adjustable head on a task lamp. If possible, have a few table lamps or a torchiere that can be turned on while they watch TV. That will help reduce the contrast between the bright screen and the surrounding darkness of the room.

Dimmers are ideal in the bathroom to add a bit of illumination to navigate during the night. That is helpful for people of any age.

Color tuning is the technique of adjusting of the color of electric lighting in a space. More complex than dimming, color tuning further enhances the ability of lighting to dramatically change the look of a lighted space. While dimming simply results in more or less light, color tuning actually changes the appearance and "feel" of color. Used together, dimming and color tuning proide a way to greatly expand lighting's role in a person's visual and emotional experience.

According to Lutron Electronics Company, as LEDs (or solid-state lighting – SSL) becomes more advanced, new technologies allow LED color to be adjusted almost infinitely to deliver the perfect light. Color tuning can be warm dimming, tunable white or full-color tuning. More information about color tuning is available on Lutron’s website.

According to the Department of Energy, a good-quality LED bulb will last about 25,000 hours. That is 25 times longer than a traditional light bulb, which is the equivalent of 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three years.

There are LED bulbs that are designed to be replacements for halogen bulbs. It is fine to use the LED replacement bulbs, because they have very low wattage. As long as you are not exceeding the 50-watt limit of your fixtures, it is fine to install LEDs. To see the best LED replacement bulbs, you should take one of your existing bulbs to a lighting professional at your local ALA-member lighting showroom.

There are three basic types:

1. Halogen incandescent

2. CFL (compact fluorescent)

3. LED (light-emitting diode)

The halogen incandescent is very similar to the traditional household incandescent bulb, except that it is somewhat more efficient.

The CFL is more efficient still, but its use is expected to decline because of the growing popularity of LEDs.

Today, the LED bulb is the most efficient, long-lasting and often the most suitable for home lighting. The new models look very similar to traditional bulbs. The slightly higher up-front cost of these bulbs is mitigated by their very long life.

Adding LED can lights is a very good idea. Be sure to select LED fixtures with a warm color. LEDs are available in a variety of color temperature options: 2700K, 3000K, 3500K and 4000K. To get the same warm color as incandescent lighting, choose 2700K. You may need to replace your dimmers with a type that can dim your LEDs. If you are purchasing new LED can lights manufactured by an ALA member, they will be able to recommend the best dimmer to optimize your lights.