Werktags 8:30-15:00 - info@artylux.de
Definition of lumen, watt, kelvin & co
New light sources in old sockets
It's a familiar ritual: it goes "ping". A brief flash perhaps. Then the light is off. The shock is quickly forgotten and we climb ladders, dust off shades, loosen a screw here and there and change light bulbs.
This ritual seems to have burned itself into our DNA. Because even if modern light sources with LED technology can already be optimally integrated into the luminaire design, most of the models sold have the usual large and small E27 and E14 screw sockets. There is nothing to be said against this, as it indicates that the lighting atmosphere is important to us and that we prefer to do it ourselves. In the past, we did this with light bulbs of various wattages, candles, reflectors, clear or frosted glass. Today there are halogen, energy-saving lamps and LEDs with different light intensities, color temperatures, beam angles and spectra. So we have to relearn a few things, and we at ARTYLUX are happy to give you a little help with this.
What is behind the units and symbols?
 | The capital letter "W" is the symbol for the unit watt. It indicates the power and thus also the power consumption of the consumer (in this case the light source). Example: A 40 W light bulb consumes 40 watt hours (Wh) per hour. However, electricity consumption is usually expressed in kilowatt hours (kWh), i.e. a unit 1000 times higher. 40 watt hours therefore corresponds to 0.04 kWh. Incidentally, the luminous efficacy of a 40 watt incandescent lamp is around 400 lumens. You can find conversion and comparison tables here. |
Maximum number of watts | The wattage does not refer to the power consumption, but to the heat development of a normal light bulb. However, as energy-saving or LED light bulbs are much more efficient - and therefore generate practically no heat - the maximum wattage is outdated. |
 | EU energy efficiency label for a better assessment of the energy consumption of electrical appliances. The classification ranges from G (high consumption) to A - the lowest consumption with comparable benefits. However, in the various electronics sectors such as "white goods", small household appliances or light bulbs, there are also particularly efficient classifications such as A++ or A+, as achieved by most LED lamps. For comparison: A normal light bulb has class E. |
 | Not every light source is dimmable, so you should always pay attention to the manufacturer's or retailer's specifications. If a lamp is dimmed, the luminous efficacy and therefore the energy requirement will decrease. There are also different types of dimmers. Especially if they have been installed in the house for some time, they may be dimmers that are only suitable for inductive loads such as light bulbs. More modern devices also work with electronic ballasts such as fluorescent lamps and LEDs - as indicated by this symbol. Find out more on our dimming guide page. |
 | The color temperature with the unit Kelvin "K" is the measure to quantitatively determine the respective color impression of a light source. The higher the value, the colder the light appears. Neutral white, for example, is between 3300-5000 Kelvin, while warm white light sources are usually defined as 2700 K. You can find more details on our Color temperature/Kelvin page. |
 | "On/Off switch" symbol - indicates how many switching operations can be carried out, for example which light sources can be switched individually or in combination. |
 | The abbreviation "lm" stands for lumen. Lumen is the unit for the total brightness emitted by the light source. Modern lamps consume less power (watts) for the same light output. You can find a comparison table on our page on lumens and watts. |
 | The color rendering index CRI indicates the color fidelity of the light source with the unit "Ra". A light source whose light contains all colors, e.g. sunlight, makes the illuminated objects look correspondingly natural - the color rendering is optimal. The best value with the most natural color rendering is Ra=100. You can find an overview of the color rendering indices on our Color temperature/Kelvin page. |
 | The beam angle indicates the angle at which the light is emitted. Halogen spotlights have a beam angle of approx. 30-35 degrees. The smaller the angle, the greater the focus, which means that more spotlights are needed to illuminate an area. |
© 2024 ARTYLUX - Fachhändler für Designleuchten aus Europa • Alle Rechte vorbehalten
modified eCommerce Shopsoftware © 2009-2024 • Umsetzung Rehm Webdesign