Angie's LIST Guide to
Glossary: Lighting

Accent lighting: Accent lighting is used to highlight points of interest in and around the home. It’s commonly used to illuminate art, architectural design, shrubbery and flowers.

Ambient lighting: Ambient lighting is the lighting that is present naturally  from outdoor light as it streams in through skylights, windows and doors.

Amperage: Amperage is a measure of the flow of electricity through an electrical device. It’s a function of the voltage times the resistance of the circuit. Electrical devices that are used to produce heat will have a higher amperage output.

Back lighting: When a light source is placed behind an object. It’s often used to create a silhouette effect.

Ballast: A ballast is a component of a gas discharge lamp and is usually installed in the fixture. Gas discharge lamps include fluorescent lamps and HID lamps. The ballast regulates and the amount of current in an electrical circuit.

Can light: A can light is a type of tubular fixture that is recessed into a ceiling so that the face of the bulb is level with or slightly above the ceiling surface.

Color temperature: Color temperature is the measurement of the perceived color of a lamp. Lamps with warm colors, such as reds and yellows, are on the lower end of the temperature scale. Lamps emitting blue and white colors are on the upper end of the color temperature scale.

Halogen bulb: Halogen bulbs are small, tube-shaped lamps that produce a very high-intensity light and are used in outdoor floodlight fixtures.

High-intensity discharge lamp: HID lamps are a form of gas discharge lamp used where high-intensity light is needed. Yard lights and street lamps are examples of HID lamps. The gas inside the lamp is ignited by a spark that is controlled by a ballast. In turn, metal salts in the bulb form plasma that produces the light.

Incandescent bulb: The incandescent bulb is one of the oldest forms of lamps. The type found in table lamps and other similar fixtures are class bulbs in which the air has been evacuated. A filament is connected to the electrical current through a switch and produces both light and heat during this process.

Light-emitting diode bulb: LED bulbs are lamps the produce light through light emitting diodes. While they are still relatively expensive to purchase, they are one of the most energy-efficient lights available.

Low-voltage lighting: Low-voltage lighting is often used for decorative or accent lighting, both indoors and outdoors. Transformers are used to step down household voltage to a lower voltage, usually 24 volts. This uses less energy and is also safer around children and pets.

Lumens: The lumen is a measurement of the intensity of the light. Recently it has been added to the packaging of light bulbs to indicate the actual intensity of the bulb. When shopping for lamps of a particular brightness, the consumer should look at lumens and not wattage.