/ / This is another article in a series dedicated to helping you create a home with beautiful lighting by choosing the best light bulbs. Recessed lights can be a little complicated, but once you've got the basics down, it's smooth sailing!The first thing you'll need to do is determine which light bulb size your recessed light fixture takes. Here's what you'll see among recessed lighting options: BR30, MR11, MR16, PAR16, PAR20, PAR30, PAR38, R20, R30, R40.Let's break that down a little:The number following the letters in a recessed light bulb indicates size: it's the diameter of the light bulb in eighths of an inch. So, a BR30 is 30/8 inches, or three and 3/4 inches. An MR11 is 11/8 inches. So, you can swap out a PAR30 for an R30 or a BR30 - they are all the same size.The PAR denotes the light bulb has a parabolic aluminized reflector on its inside, directing light out. That PAR coating maximizes the light output that you'll get from the light bulb. If brightness is your #1 priority in a recessed light, choose a PAR lamp in the appropriate size.

The majority of PAR lamps are available in a flood beam spread, but spot beam PAR lamps are also out there. Rental Car Justification MemoMany PAR lamps are approved for use in wet locations.Siberian Cat Breeders DelawareThe MR indicates the light bulb has a multifaceted reflector on its inside. Cat Flea Collar SerestoThe facets help gather light from the filament to create a very concentrated light beam. MR lamps are primarily available in smaller sizes - they are all about beam control, which is typically desirable for a narrower light beam. You can choose your beam spread (i.e., narrow flood, flood, spotlight) for many MR lamps.Moving on to BR: Want to take a guess on what it stands for? This is another reflector lamp to maximize brightness, but this time, the light bulb itself has a bulged shape to direct light out.

One disadvantage of the BR lamp is that it's a little longer than the PAR and MR, which means it tends to sit lower in the recessed fixture - and perhaps, protrude from the bottom of the recessed light fixture.Finally, the simple R. As you might assume, it stands for reflector in this case. There is a mirrored coating on the back of the light bulb to improve light output.Now that we have those light bulb names deciphered, you should know that they are available in an array of light sources, including incandescent, halogen, compact fluorescent, cold cathode fluorescent, and LED. Halogen is probably the most popular of the bunch for recessed light fixtures. It renders colors very well, it's affordable, and it gives you a lot of light output.If you're looking for efficiency, though, halogen is not your target. LED has a higher price point, but it also gives you a longer lifetime and lower energy use!CFLs and CCFLs are also viable energy efficient options, but remember you should avoid the CFL if the gradual start-up drives you crazy - or if you plan to turn the lights on and off frequently.

(You'll lower the lifetime of a CFL if you use it in less than 15 minute intervals). CCFLs give you the efficiency of a CFL without the delayed start-up (or the diminished lifetime from frequent power cycles).Before CFLs and LEDs, most people referred to reflector light bulbs simply as "flood lights," or even less correctly, as "halogens." Only designers and commercial lighting installers knew bulb shape jargon like "PAR30" and "BR40." For better or worse, that's no longer the case. Since the advent of more energy-efficient lighting technologies, selecting a light bulb has actually gotten more complicated, often requiring everyday customers to know specialized bulb terms. No longer can you unscrew a burned out bulb, take it to the local hardware store, and pick the bulb's exact match. Now you have to ask yourself not only "What is this?" but also "What replaces this?" Fortunately, learning the terminology and selecting the right bulb is easier than you might think. R-Type Bulbs (R20, R30, BR30, R40, BR40)

If you're replacing a bulb inside your home with a diameter between 2-1/2 and 5 inches, you're likely looking for an R-Type bulb. They're what you usually see in kitchens, living rooms, and media rooms, especially in recessed cans. R-Type bulbs have a frosted face that evenly diffuses light and eliminates glare, but unlike a PAR bulb (explained next), the entire bulb envelope (lighting nerd speak for the outside of the bulb, not including the base) is made of blown glass. The outside of the bulb is completely smooth, and the bulb is relatively lightweight since it only consists of thin glass, a filament, and a brass base. Because LED replacements for R-Type bulbs are rare and CFL replacements are much more easily found, let's focus on CFLs: To identify the CFL replacement you need, select an R-Type bulb based on its diameter. All light bulb diameters are referred to in eighths on an inch, so if the diameter of your bulb is 20 eighths of an inch (2-1/2 inches), you'll need an R20 CFL.

If your bulb is 30 eighths of an inch in diameter (3-3/4 inches), you'll need an R30 CFL, and so on. PAR Bulbs (PAR20, PAR30, PAR38) If you're replacing a reflector bulb on the exterior of your home with a diameter between 2-1/2 and 4-3/4 inches, you're most likely looking for a PAR bulb. Unlike R-Type bulbs, PAR bulbs feature an aluminum reflector with a special pattern of impressions that amplifies and concentrates light in a single area. The bulb envelope is made of two pieces: The glass face and the shiny aluminum wall of the envelope. The texture of the bulb will be either rough or textured and the bulb will be heavier than an R-Type bulb due to thicker glass construction. PAR bulbs are also used indoors, especially in track lights; in a pinch, they'll work just fine for recessed lighting as well. Both LED PAR bulbs and CFL PAR bulbs are easy to find, though they aren't always weatherproof like traditional halogen PARs, so be sure to check their UL listing before installing them outdoors.