How to calculate the power required for kitchen lamps

For every room in a house or apartmentthere are requirements for lighting standards. How to choose the required lamp power for the kitchen and what factors should be paid special attention to - we will tell you in this material. The degree of illumination in the kitchen, as in any other room, is regulated by legal acts, such as SanPiN and SNiP. But in private apartments, these standards are not strictly followed, but only taken into account. Individual parameters such as the size of the room, its functionality, ceiling height, number of windows and furniture, wall color and human needs come to the fore. The light should be distributed evenly so thatall items in the kitchen (including food) are not distorted in their natural color and there are no shadow areas. They are acceptable in the bedroom or living room, but in the kitchen, work is mainly related to cooking, which involves the use of sharp and cutting utensils. One lamp for the entire area is not suitable - it is recommended to additionally install several lamps above the countertop, under hanging shelves, inside kitchen cabinets. A free-standing dining table in a fairly large room can be illuminated with a chandelier with adjustable suspension height and wall lamps. For those wishing to lose weight, the lamp power is selected to be lower. Minimum recommended illumination levelis 26 W, or 350 lumens per square meter. The values are given for incandescent lamps, but it is important to understand that different types of lamps create different luminous flux. As for fluorescent lamps, the standard can be reduced by 2-3 times, and for LED lamps - by 10. If the kitchen is done in light colors, the lighting intensity can also be slightly reduced. The standard ceiling height is usually taken in calculations - 2.5 meters. Depending on the amount of furniture, its location and color, the total power of the lamps should fit into the range from 100 to 300 W for a kitchen area of 10 square meters.