Instant Home Improvement: Latest Technology in LED Light Bulbs

Home Improvement and Lifestyle Expert, Kathryn Emery answers the question: How Do I Buy The Right Lightbulb Room by Room? LEDs can save about $80 per bulb on energy bills over the life of the bulb vs. incandescent bulbs, last longer & are better for the environment! • First you want to think about brightness which is called lumens, think about what you’ll be doing in that space (800 lumens in a 60W bulb). If you do not have enough brightness, consider changing to a brighter LED bulb. Switching a 60W bulb to a 100w replacement LED bulb not only doubles the brightness but uses about 25% of the electricity of a 60-watt incandescent bulb. • Beyond brightness, you also want to consider the color temperature of the light. Kelvins are a scale for the color of light, the higher the number the cooler (or bluer) the light will appear. For reference, a candle burns at 1,900K and sunlight is 10,000K. o Typically, kitchens, bathrooms, garages/basements call for the brightest bulbs since you are doing tasks, so look for Daylight (5000+ Kelvin): good for reading, intricate projects, or applying makeup—provides the greatest contrast among colors o Followed by dining rooms and home offices. Bright White/Cool White (4000 Kelvin): Best in kitchens, bathrooms or garages; giving rooms a whiter, more energetic feel. o The lower lumens rein where people are chilling out, in living rooms and bedrooms. Soft White/Warm White (2700 Kelvin): Best for bedrooms and living rooms; providing a traditional warm hue, think of that nice yellowish glow, cozy. Question: What else can light bulbs do? The nice thing is, is that a lot of smart bulbs these days – like GE Color Bulb and Smart Color Bulb you can switch between brightness and kelvins all in one bulb – so you get the best of all worlds in one bulb. • LED+ Color bulb changes between two everyday light temperatures (soft white and daylight) and 8 vivid colors. Perfect for parties, holidays, or creating the right moods in your home. No hub or Wi-Fi required. One remote can control additional GE LED+ Color bulbs • Battery Back Up: LED+ Battery Backup bulb gives you power over power outages. 5 hours battery powered life at 95 lumens, automatically recharges when electricity is on, 60W equivalent light output for everyday use • LED+ Speaker bulb connects to your phone, tablet, TV or other Bluetooth® compatible device so sound streams from your light source. Sync up to ten bulbs to create wire-free, high-quality surround sound. 60 Watt equivalent light output for everyday use GE’s LED+ Collection also includes dusk to dawn, bulbs with motion sensors and timers built into the actual bulb! Question: What about the latest in Fire Safety since October is National Fire Preparedness Month? Unattended cooking is the number one of cause of home fires so equip your kitchen with the EZ Fire Spray to be prepared! It’s small size is ideal for the kitchen and easier to use than a traditional fire extinguisher. It discharges four times longer than a regular fire extinguisher, making it effective against common household fires including grease fires. The portable size and aerosol spray nozzle makes using it fast and simple for at home, on boats, RVs, and while traveling. The biodegradable formula is easy to clean up by simply wiping with a damp cloth so you don’t have to worry about making a mess indoors. For more tips and inspiration, visit bethebesthome.com