How to Add Up the Lumens in a Fluorescent Fixture

A florescent light bulb produces 634 lumens per watt. This is a vast improvement over traditional incandescent light bulbs. If you plan to or already have installed florescent lighting, you should know that when installing lighting most building codes require a specific amount of lumens in a given area. This amount will vary but knowing exactly how many lumens you have will help you ensure you meet your local building codes.

Instructions

1. • 1

     Inspect your florescent bulbs. They will have a wattage rating printed on the glass at one end. For our example, we will assume you have 60-watt florescent bulbs.

   • 2

     Count the total of bulbs in the fixture. This could range anywhere between one bulb and eight bulbs. Let's assume you have two 60-watt bulbs. Add the total wattage together. This gives you a total of 120 watts of power in the fixture.

   • 3

     Multiply the wattage by 64 lumens. This gives you a total lumen rating of 768.