Lighting Effects

The light around us plays a large part in determining mood, productivity, as well as providing an over all ambience. The kind of lights we choose for any room largely determines the way that room is perceived. There are many types of lights and fixtures available and each has its own unique characteristics including how bright the light shines, which is measured in lumens, the color of the light, which is determined by spectrum, and the power consumption the light draws from the home’s electrical grid.

For mood lighting, such as in a living room or dining room, soft shining yellow spectrum lights often provide a cozy atmosphere. Incandescent, such as candelas often seen in chandeliers would provide a perfect way to make your room seem cozy and warm. Try putting them on a dimmer switch for the ability to fit the light to any occasion.

For accent lighting, such as showing off trophies, paintings, and various wall decor, a hard focused white light would be best. Halogens, often the light of choice for track lighting seen in art galleries, can accent a piece of art beautifully. Halogens are low wattage so they don’t consume much energy compared to traditional incandescent, but can become much hotter, burning to the touch, and should be kept away from drapes and curtains.

For general room lighting, such as a windowless basement, florescent provides ample overhead light at considerable energy savings compared to incandescent fixtures or wall socket lamps. Try alternating between warm white and hard white bulbs to provide a fuller spectrum closer to that our own sun produces.

It should be noted that before any light can be installed or operated efficiently, one needs to ensure that the circuit its wired into can support the electrical load it will draw. Typically, households contain a number of 15 amp electrical circuits, each only being able to provide about 1650 – 1800 watts. A single incandescent bulb requires the use of 60-100 watts of power, which does not pose an electrical hazard to the average circuit. A high pressure sodium bulb, one often used to light large outdoor areas, could require up to 1000 watts of electricity. If a high pressure sodium bulb were to be wired into the same circuit as a fridge or baseboard heater, frequent power outages could occur, as well as creating a potential fire hazard. One should always check that a circuit that a large light is wired into is adequate to supply the electrical load required to run that light. In new homes, builders may be providing 20 amp circuits to replace most 15 amp circuits, allowing for ample current to flow.

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