What is difference between them and why does it matter? There are many ways you see light falling on an area. The Midwest LED Supply team would like to help you understand the differences between lumens, watts, and foot or light candles. Understanding the difference will help you to make the best choices in your retrofit or installation.
What is a Lumen? Simply, a way of measuring and communicating the output of a lamp or fixture. Typically you would say, “this fixture puts out xx lumens”. Nerdy, techy equipment is used to measure lumen output.
What is a Foot Candle or Light Candle? It is the reading taken by the nerdy, techy equipment of all of the light illuminating a specific spot. So, all of the light sources affecting that spot are taken into account including natural light from the sun or moon, windows etc. along with the artificial light from lamps and fixtures.
So, the difference between Lumens and Candles is that lumens is a measure of the output FROM one specific source, candles measures the total lumens ILLUMINATING something.
What about Watts? Well, watts are overrated. Watts measure the energy the lamp or fixture consumes to produce lumens of light. Because of the wide variation in efficiency of products manufactured (mostly having to do with the age of the technology of the luminary and the quality of the actual LED’s and the driver used) watts only tells you what that particular lamp or fixture is going to cost to use. Lumens tells you the light output and that is what you need to pay attention to. And yes, you do usually get what you pay for. Higher efficiency fixtures often cost more initially, but may well save you money over time.
If you want more information, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Midwest LED Supply. We are glad to help you find the best lamps for fixtures for your project and budget.