Learn More About Light Bulbs
The NOON Lighting System is compatible with the majority of residential light bulb types, including LED, incandescent, CFL, and fluorescent bulbs, as well as ELV and MLV low-voltage fixtures.
Light bulbs have a significant impact on the feel of a room. When planning the light in a room consider both lumens (a unit of brightness) and Kelvin (color temperature). New packaging requirements for light bulbs make these figures easy to find, as well as your estimated yearly cost and life expectancy for the bulb.
Lumens
The lumens scale indicates the brightness of a bulb. The more lumens a bulb has, the brighter it can be. (Watts, by the way, measure energy usage, not brightness.) In general, when considering lumens for the various rooms in your home, you can follow these guidelines:
- Kitchens: 5,000-10,000 total lumens
- Bathrooms: 4,000-8,000 total lumens
- Bedrooms: 2,000-4,000 total lumens
- Living rooms: 1,500-3,000 total lumens
- Dining rooms: 3,000-6,000 total lumens
- Home offices: 3,000-6,000 total lumens
Kelvins
Color temperature is not about heat, it’s a measure of the color that a light source produces. On the low end of the range is warm, white is in the middle, and on the high end, cool. Low-end colors are great for relaxing and help make the people and objects in a room look better. The colors on the high end are great for cleaning and in places where security is critical; it’s also great to inspire productivity. Below is a chart that describes the color temperature range for different bulbs and when best to use them.
Types of Light Bulbs
To learn more about each of the residential bulb types and their best application, dimmability, and energy efficiency, see below.
LED
Dimmability
Most residential LED light bulbs are dimmable, but some are not. In addition, the amount they can dim, or “dimming range,” also varies based on the light bulb used. To maximize your layered lighting possibilities, use a dimmable LED with the greatest range. (While non-dimmable LED bulbs are supported, they are not recommended for the best-layered lighting experience.)
Since dimmable LED bulbs have a variety of dimming ranges, NOON identifies four dimming ranges in the NOON App to maximize your possibilities.
- LED (narrow range)
- LED (moderate range)
- LED (typical range)
- LED (wide range)
You can change dimming ranges for each bulb in the NOON App. Doing so may also address dimming or flickering issues you may experience. Or for lights that flicker, visit NOON troubleshooting.
Warning: Incorrectly setting a bulb as dimmable in the NOON App when it isn’t can cause flickering or damage to the light bulb or your NOON products. To identify a non-dimmable LED light bulb, look for a label on the bulb stating the following: NOT FOR USE WITH DIMMERS.
Color Temperature
LED bulbs are available in a range of color temperatures, from very cool daylight at 4,500 Kelvin to a warm soft white at 3,000 Kelvin. Use an LED with a cool color temperature for task lighting, security, and cleaning. Use warmer lights for a calm and inviting mood. For pre-sleep lighting use a LED with less than 2,500 Kelvin.
Energy Efficiency
LED light bulbs are the most energy-efficient bulbs. Even though LEDs cost more than an incandescent bulb they are much more efficient: 90% of the energy of an incandescent bulb goes toward heat and only 10% toward the light. Incandescents also don’t last as long as CFLs and LEDs.
Incandescent
Dimmability
Incandescent bulbs have a very wide range of dimming—from very bright to a nice warm glow—and are ideal for layered lighting scenes.
Color Temperature
Incandescent light bulbs give off a soft, white glow, often yellow in appearance at 2,800 Kelvin. Incandescent bulbs are best for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and outdoor spaces.
Energy Efficiency
Incandescent bulbs are less efficient than LEDs and many have thought they would no longer be sold as a result of new regulation. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) required that light bulbs become more efficient by 2014 or they could not be sold. However, many mistook this as requiring inefficient bulbs such as incandescent could not be sold at all. However, the standards state “any type of bulb can be sold as long as it meets the efficiency requirements.” Good news for fans of incandescent bulbs which have been making strides in efficiency over the past several years.
Halogen
Halogen bulbs are part of the incandescent family, but slightly more energy efficient and slightly cooler at 3,000 Kelvin. Halogen bulbs offer the widest dimming range and are best for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and outdoor spaces
CFL
Dimmability
Most CFL bulbs are not dimmable. If they are dimmable, they have a narrower dimming range when compared to LED or incandescent bulbs. NOON provides two dimming ranges for dimmable CFL light bulbs:
- CFL (narrow range)
- CFL (typical range)
You can change dimming ranges for each bulb in the NOON App. Doing so may also address dimming or flickering issues you may experience. Or for lights that flicker, visit NOON troubleshooting.
Warning: Incorrectly setting a bulb as dimmable in the NOON App when it isn’t can cause flickering or damage to the light bulb or your NOON products. To identify a non-dimmable CFL light bulb, look for a label on the bulb stating the following: NOT FOR USE WITH DIMMERS.
Note: CFLs typically take time to “warm up” to their full brightness.
Color Temperature
CFLs range in color temperature between 2,700 and 5,000 Kelvin but tend to skew toward the cool end. Also, remember that some CFLs take a minute or two to "warm up." The bulb's light may get brighter once it’s on for a couple of minutes.
Energy Efficiency
CFLs are very energy efficient when compared to incandescent or halogen bulbs. While they were quite popular a few years ago, LEDs have since overshadowed CFLs as the more popular choice given their ability to dim.
Fluorescent
Fluorescent bulbs are long tubes sometimes seen in homes. They cannot be dimmed and usually do not produce very pleasing light.
Troubleshooting
Low-voltage bulbs and fixtures: MLV and ELV
Low-voltage light bulbs and fixtures go together because you can’t have one without the other. There are two types: MLV and ELV. Low-voltage lighting typically uses 12 volts and—to avoid immediately burning out the bulb—requires a transformer to lower the line voltage from 120 to 12 volts. The transformer for low-voltage lighting is either built into the fixture, ceilings, or walls.
The main advantage of low-voltage lighting is that its low voltage allows the filament of the light bulb to be smaller, which allows users to put lighting applications in smaller places like under cabinets, in cabinets, and inside small pendants.
To determine if you have an ELV or MLV fixture, look at the transformer (sometimes installed in the light fixture, ceiling, or other location) or the instructions that came with the fixture.
Dimmability
Both ELV and MLV fixtures are typically dimmable. NOON works with halogen-based MLV and ELV fixtures by providing dimming methods for these types of fixtures.
Warning: Incorrectly setting the dimming type to ELV or MLV when that is not the fixture in use can cause flickering, damage to the light bulb, or your NOON products.
You can change dimming ranges for each bulb in the NOON App. Doing so may also address dimming or flickering issues you may experience. Or for lights that flicker, visit NOON troubleshooting.
