The size of the room and the height of the ceiling will determine the type of LED light that works best. For smaller rooms or rooms with low ceilings, flush mount or recessed lights are ideal. Larger rooms or those with higher ceilings can accommodate pendant lights or more decorative fixtures.
Home office: 2200 -5000 lumens. Dining room: 1,500 – 2,500 lumens. Living room: 1,000 – 2,000 lumens. Bedroom: 1000 – 2000 lumens.
The rule for ceiling lights centers around ensuring adequate illumination for the room's size and purpose. Typically, multiply the room's square footage by 1.5 to determine the total wattage needed. For layout, aim for even distribution, avoiding shadows and glare.
In fact, LED lighting has only a few intrinsic disadvantages. The most well-known weakness of LED lighting is that LEDs produce a byproduct—heat. LEDs are called sell-heating devices because they generate heat within the device package—rather than radiating heat in the form of infrared energy.
For a home office space or study, the recommended brightness will run between 3,000-6,000 lumens with an LED color temperature ranging somewhere between 3,000-5,000 K. These LED color temperatures will help keep you focused while allowing you to be able to wind down when you want to.
An LED bulb will not work in an enclosed or airtight space because, in these fixtures, there is not enough room for the LED bulb to dissipate heat.
Children have a higher sensitivity to blue light and although emissions may not be harmful, light from blue-emitting LEDs may be very dazzling for young children. Some LED emission spectra may cause light-induced retina damage, which is a concern especially for children below about three years of age.
An LED bulb may burn out too soon if it is installed in a fixture without enough ventilation because of heat buildup. It may also result in melting or discoloration of the fixture itself. Consequently, it is best to avoid using LED lights in fixtures that are enclosed.
Rule of Thumb
For rooms under 100 square feet, consider a fixture between 12 and 24 inches in diameter. Larger rooms may require fixtures measuring 24 inches or more.
Ceiling height can influence the type of fixtures you choose. High ceilings may require pendant lights or chandeliers to fill the vertical space, while low ceilings may benefit from flush-mount or semi-flush-mount fixtures to save space.
As a general rule, for every foot of ceiling height, the light fixture should be 2.5-3 inches high. Therefore, a room with a 10-foot ceiling could handle a light fixture 25-30 inches tall. Room Size and Scale: Consider the size of the room and the furnishings in it.
For an average 12′ x 12′ bedroom, you would need around 4,000 lumens of light.
The Ideal Lumen Count for Daylight Use
While commercial projectors may output over 4000 lumens, which is suitable for outdoor use, many consumer models with around 3000 ANSI lumens can now provide reasonable performance in daylight with the right optimizations.
Yes, you can leave LED strip lights on all night safely. They are designed to be energy-efficient and emit minimal heat, reducing the risk of overheating. Make sure to use quality LED strips, ensure proper ventilation, and adhere to manufacturer guidelines for continuous usage.
While other light bulbs can get extremely hot when you turn them on, LED lights usually only get slightly warm, if at all (they may even feel cold to the touch). It is because LEDs use less energy than other bulbs, which means they don't waste as much energy producing unnecessary heat.
If you use an LED bulb in an old fixture that was not designed for it, the fixture may not be able to dissipate the heat properly, which could cause it to overheat and potentially start a fire.
Leaving the light on for 20 hours would cost you about three pennies. So, yes, turning off an LED light does technically save on energy use, but to a degree that might not be worth the argument with your spouse.
There are even LED tubes that will fit into a fluorescent light fixture, making it quick and easy to replace your fluorescent bulb. These are called ballast-compatible tubes. There's no need to buy all-new fixtures. Instead, retrofit your old fixtures with cool, energy-saving LED bulbs.
A living room requires ambient, task, and accent lighting. Opt for LED or CFL bulbs with a color temperature of 2,700 – 3,000 K (warm white) and a brightness level between 1,500 – 3,000 lumens.