In order to fully understand how a light works, you must first know the meaning behind the important electrical terms. Voltage and wattage are the significant electrical operating features of a light. The maximum wattage rating is also labeled on light fittings. You should not go beyond this certain rating. The main purpose of maximum wattage rating of light fitting is to prohibit excessive heat that may cause further damage. This is mainly because General Lighting Service (GLS) lamps use only 10% of the electricity for illumination and the remaining 90% goes into heat.
Voltage is the pressure of the electricity which is measured in volts. An electric shock will most likely occur when the voltage is higher.
Current is the quantity of the electricity used which is measured in Amperes or more commonly known as amps. A thicker wire is needed to accommodate a higher current.
Wattage is the power used which is measured by the voltage (volts) and multiplied by the current (amps).
For example, a 12 volt, 50 watt lamp uses 4.16amps (4.16 x 12 = 50) yet a 230 volt, 50 watt lamp uses only 0.217 amps (0.217 x 230 = 50). All 50 watt lamps emit the similar amount of light as long as they are the same type of lamp despite their voltage.
Lamp voltage: The electrical pressure is measured by the voltage just like the water pressure is measured by the pounds per square inch. In North America, the mains are 110 volts while in other countries, it reaches 220-240 volts.
Incandescent Lamps: These are the most inefficient lamps producing only a mere 15 lumens of light for every watt of used electricity. These are also known as General Lighting Service (GLS) lamps. Incandescent lamps can run on a lower voltage and can be dimmed. The light emitted and the temperature of the color is minimized when the rated voltage of a lamp is decreased. You will increase the life span of the lamp if you run it on lower than its rated voltage. However, the life of a GLS lamp will diminish when you run it on a higher than the rated voltage (over-voltage). GLS lamps commonly break down because of over-current and over-voltage. This typically happens when lamps are initially turned on and the current swiftly rises over a few milliseconds or the contrast in the supply voltage makes it rise above 230 volts. These lamps can last for approximately 1000 hours.
CFL Compact Fluorescent Lamps: These lamps need only 20% of the power but can produce the same light as an incandescent light. This is made possible because only a small amount of energy is wasted in heat. Edison screw bulbs or bayonet can be substituted by a CFL.
Compact Fluorescent Wattage/Incandescent Wattage:
-5 Watt 25 Watt
-8 Watt 40 Watt
-11 Watt 60 Watt
-13 Watt 75 Watt
-16 Watt 100 Watt
-23 Watt 120 Watt
Unlike the U shaped bulbs, twist bulbs are much smaller and more efficient. It easily fits into practically any light that makes use of an incandescent bulb. An Osram Duluxstar bulb can reach an average of 5000 hours. Other bulbs with lower quality last much shorter.
Halogen Bulbs: The 12-volt halogen bulbs are commonly of the MR16 type. The MR means multi faceted reflector while the 16 stands for the bulb’s diameter in one eights of an inch say, two inches or 50mm.
Both the 240 and 110 volts of halogen bulbs possess the same shape. However, they cannot be inserted on a 12 volt fitting because the pins located on the base are the twist and lock type and the base is flat.
Approximately 35 lumens per watt are produced by a halogen lamp.
There are four beam widths in Osram Decostar bulbs. A narrow spot beam is given by the 10 and 24 degrees. The 36 degrees is typically used for domestic floodlighting while the 60 degrees is garnering recognition among consumers for floodlighting in general.
Due to the better usage of the generated heat, Infra Red Coated lamps (IRC) are 30% more adept compared to regular halogen lamps.
Depending on the quality, the life span of a low voltage halogen lamp can reach between 2000 and 5000 hours. 2000 hours is the average life of a mains voltage halogen lamp.
Fluorescent Tubes: Wattage and diameter denotes the fluorescent tubes. T and a number stand for the diameter. The number is the diameter of the tube in one eights of an inch while the wattage of the tube concludes its length. If you ever need to replace your tube of the same wattage, it will easily fit your light because the tubes are manufactured in standard wattages. You can also choose for different color temperatures such as warm white, cool white and daylight. These lamps are highly effective and can produce about 70 lumens per watt. They can also last for a good 10,000 hours.
LED Lighting: The light is emitted by a diode and guarantees to be an effective source of light. Currently, about 70 lumens per watt are produced by the 3 and 5 watt lamps. This is a tad better than fluorescents. Developers are hoping for an output of 200 watts per lumen in the near future. Only LED lighting can create mood lighting and special effects. No other source of light is capable of doing that. It can give low level and night lighting for domestic use at a minimal operating cost.
Halogen Lamps 220 to 240 Volts: These lamps consist of two pins with a large diameter end. This allows them to easily twist and lock into the fitting. GU10 is the most common type. Its pins are 10mm apart.