Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect from a candle\u2019s light power and the best times to use the gentler light they produce.<\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat\u2019s a Lumen and How Does it Affect Me?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A lumen is modern terminology<\/a> used to describe a unit in the international system of measurement used to calculate artificial light. It represents the amount of light that angles out into space from one point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Light quality is a highly involved topic, and I won\u2019t pretend to be an expert.<\/strong> I didn\u2019t fully consider the impact that light quality has in our day-to-day life until I came across the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n They created a light quality Venn diagram<\/a> that illustrates intersection between: <\/p>\n\n\n\n For humans, proper lighting affects visibility, safety, ability to carry out tasks, mood, communication, visual comfort, and more. <\/strong>How structures are built help determine the amount of natural light we\u2019re exposed to, the style of lighting we encounter indoors, how we can safely use artificial lighting with the proper codes in place, and so forth. Correct installation and maintenance along with efficient energy use are additional overlapping factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how does <\/strong>candle light fit into all of this? Well candlelight creates a certain mood of rest and relaxation<\/a>. It\u2019s less intense than other forms of light, and there might be more safety precautions to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As IES indicates, all lighting requires safety but electrical lighting, for instance, is safer to use because we aren\u2019t exposed to the light filament the way that we can come in direct contact with a candle flame. Electrical lighting also has to meet local, state, and federal safety codes when installed in a building or other structure, like a house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Light quality has a huge impact on your daily life. So it can help to understand how light intensity that\u2019s produced by a candle might change your mood, safety, behaviors, or ability to carry out certain activities. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes we rely on candles to help us navigate through the house after a power outage<\/a>. In this way, the light helps keep us safe because we can avoid tripping over objects we wouldn\u2019t be able to see if it were completely dark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although candles can help us to see and engage in daily life activities if we lose access to other forms of light, it\u2019s important to keep their usefulness in perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Candlepower<\/a> is an outdated term that describes \u201cluminous intensity expressed in candelas.\u201d One candela<\/a> is one lumen per steradian (lm\/sr). A steradian is also called a square radian. It\u2019s used in three-dimensional geometry and describes the distance from the center of a sphere extended out to twice as much as its radius. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Imagine your lit candle floating inside a bubble. <\/em>The amount of light that shines from the flame to the edge of the bubble is its radius. But the space that that light covers extends beyond that one point on the bubble\u2019s surface.<\/strong> And the way that a portion of the light spreads out kinda looks like a slice of pie.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So you can think of the candle flame as the sharp point of a slice of pie. And then the wider angle that the pie forms can represent a portion of light generated by the flame. This is the steradian (square radian, r\u00b2). This space usually comes to about one square foot away from the candle.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I made a (scientifically inaccurate) diagram to help illustrate what happens.<\/p>\n\n\n Keep in mind that one steradian is just one \u201cslice of the pie\u201d so to speak. It\u2019s only one portion of the amount of light generated by the flame. <\/strong>As IES explains, one steradian equals one lumen. <\/strong>The area inside our little bubble is 12.57 times the radius. That would be the same as 12.57 lumens. So one candle generates 12.57 lumens of power<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n According to IES<\/strong>, \u201cLight quality encompasses the appropriate use of light and darkness for human needs, achieving the optimum balance of practical and aesthetic issues of the built environment.\u201d <\/p>\nIlluminating Engineering Society<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n When it comes to significant light output, candles don\u2019t measure up. They provide us with some light for a short period of time, but they don’t produce enough light power to completely replace a lightbulb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A standard lamp or light fixture requires at least a 40 watt light bulb. This wattage relates to a regular incandescent lightbulb. If using a halogen light bulb, its 40 watt equivalent would be 29 watts. An LED bulb equivalent would be 6 watts. All three of these bulbs – 40, 29, or 6 watts – have a brightness of 450 lumens<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If one candle generates brightness of about 12.57 lumens, then you would need more than 35 candles to generate enough light to replace a low wattage light bulb.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lighting candles in an emergency<\/a> situation can be helpful. You\u2019ll be able to see at least one foot (12 inches) ahead of you. But candles are not a sustainable light source when considering the number of lumens they generate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Candles are not an ideal option for lighting large areas. Referring back to the IES definition of light quality, the most appropriate use of candle light seems to largely be reserved for aesthetic reasons in small to medium spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The best places to use low lighting is usually the bathroom or bedroom. <\/strong>Warm lighting from a candle can create a spa experience in the bathroom. Depending on the size of your bathroom and the amount of light you\u2019ll feel comfortable having, you might only need to light two or three candles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In cases such as this, candles are in their element – especially of you’re using scented candles. Lighting candles in the bathroom<\/a> can go beyond generating low light ambiance. Depending on the candle, you can create a relaxing aromatherapy treatment<\/a>. They also provide some warmth<\/a>, which can extend your bath time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In bedrooms, it might be necessary to use candles as supplementary light. Otherwise, you\u2019d probably need to light a dozen or so. This may or may not be appealing to you. Again, it depends on the size of the room and what you\u2019re trying to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstanding Light Quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How Many Lumens Does a Candle Produce?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Do Candle Lumens Provide Enough Light Power?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Can I Best Use Candle Lumens?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n