When a light bulb says it is rated at 60 watts, the wattage is the maximum amount of power that can be used with that lamp. The wattage rating is based on the maximum amount of power that the bulb can handle. The bulb may actually draw less power when it is not turned up all the way. It is always best to check the wattage before using a bulb to be sure that it is rated for your range of power.
The power factor is a number that is used to describe how efficient a light bulb is. The power factor is shown by a number from 0 to 1. The higher the number, the more efficient the light bulb is. If the power factor is less than 1 but greater than 0, the value of the power factor will be shown. A power factor over 0.95 is considered excellent.
If the power factor is over 0.95, that means that more electricity will be used. However, it also means that less power will be used because the power factor is calculated based on the amount of power lost. You will get more light for the same amount of power the light bulb needs to operate.
Halogen bulbs are rated for use with standard light fixtures. They are also rated for use with dimmer switches for added flexibility. The biggest difference is the number of hours that the halogen bulbs will last. They usually last about twice as long as a standard light bulb.
The power of a light bulb is represented by the number of watts used. The wattage will be shown on the bulb, but it will also be on the packaging or the light fixture. You are looking for the maximum wattage that the bulb will use. To know how much power will be needed to operate the light bulb, you need to know the number of volts the electrical system is able to handle.
Voltage is the measure of electric potential to make current on a circuit. A typical home in the United States is 120 volts. In Canada, it is 220 volts. In Europe, many homes have 240 volts. You need to know how much voltage is available for your light bulb so that it can be safely used. The bulb may be able to handle the voltage, but the fixture cannot.
The right light bulb can be found by knowing how to read the packaging. The information on the packages will tell you how much power the bulb will use over the duration of its lifetime. The information will be presented in a way that is easy to understand. This is important so that you can be sure that the bulb that you buy is compatible with your electrical system. With the right bulb installed, you can have the lights turned on all of the time.
