Types of Light Bulbs

When installing track lighting in your home or business, it's important to keep in mind that the type of light bulbs you choose can have a big impact on how well the lighting functions. You want to choose bulbs that not only work well with the style of track lighting you've installed, but also ones that are financially smart and easy to maintain. The information below is designed to make you aware of the types of track lighting bulbs available, and to help you decide which type works best for you.

Before choosing bulbs for your track lighting, you should decide what lighting system you want to use. Your light bulbs must be compatible with the type of track lighting system you have chosen.

Basic Track Lighting Bulbs Explained There is often confusion over track lighting bulbs because many people confuse the bulbs themselves with the fixtures, or track heads. Think of the track head, which is the metal part of the light that holds the bulb, as the lamp shade. There are many varieties of track heads available, and those are discussed in another article. The bulb is simply what gets put inside the track head to provide illumination. There are two basic types of track lighting bulbs: spot and flood. A spot bulb is designed to highlight a small area or provide a fixed point of light, while a flood bulb is meant for illuminating large rooms or providing overhead lighting. Spot and flood bulbs can also be broken down into a few categories.

Halogen bulbs
Halogen bulbs are typically low voltage fixtures that come in many shapes, brightnesses, and beam angles. The ones you choose will depend largely on the type of track heads you are installing, and the type of lighting you need. Halogen bulbs last longer than incandescent bulbs and provide a very crisp white glow. Halogen bulbs take a little practice to install; it is recommended that you do not touch the bulb itself as this can cause the glass to shatter. The most common types of low-voltage halogen bulbs are called MR-16, MR-11, Bi-pin, and AR-111.

Fluorescent bulbs are another fairly popular choice among the energy-conscious, but they're not as popular as halogen bulbs because the light they provide tends to be rather sterile. However, advances in technology have led to more pleasant fluorescent bulbs that provide better color illumination and a gentler light. Fluorescent bulbs are cheap and easy to use and are ideal for those who don't want to be changing light bulbs often.

Most track lighting bulbs are measured in terms of their brightness (wattage) and their beam angle, which is a degree measurement of how wide the beam spreads away from the bulb. Choose a larger angle for all-over lighting and a smaller angle for a more pronounced spotlight.

As you can see, choosing the bulb is probably the easiest decision you'll make when installing track lighting. The key is to base your decision on the other factors of your track lights and find the bulb that suits your needs best and works with your existing track lighting system. Remember- if you choose the wrong bulb, it's easy to change it out and try something else. It's worth a little experimenting to find the right bulb, as your energy bill - and the effectiveness of your track lighting - will depend on it.