It’s hard to mentally make the switch from watts to lumens when you’re thinking about light output. It’s just too easy to think, “I know exactly how much light my old 60-watt incandescent light bulb gives off, and I want something that’s equivalent to that!” Thankfully, modern light bulb packaging often notes which incandescent light bulb you can compare the light output to. (We do this on our light bulb product pages as well).
It’s very handy to have a chart that lays out the conversion for you! We shared one by the Federal Trade Commission last June, but it didn’t include examples of efficient light bulbs to replace the incandescent ones. This one, by Lighting Facts, is straightforward and very informative. Enjoy!
What is the best 5-INCH-RECESSED-BAFFLE-GIMBAL-RING-TRIM to buy for an AT/IC housing/line voltage with dimmable LED bulb, and that has a nice look on the ceiling in a new construction custom home with 12 ft ceiling. Can the whole trim be painted to match the ceiling? Which is best 5″ cans or 6″ cans?
Rather than installing a trim that is usually designed for halogen/incandescent light bulbs and installing an LED light bulb in a new construction recessed light, I’d recommend choosing an LED retrofit module.
An LED retrofit module is basically a trim with an integrated LED light.
Since you are installing in a 12ft ceiling, I’d suggest this bright model: http://www.pegasuslighting.com/5inch-led-recessed-light-retrofit-module-14w-baffle.html
Note that compatible dimmers/housings are listed on the Accessories tab.