Fluorescent T8 Color vs Lumens

I have a new garage/pole barn built, 28 x 36. I'm in the process of getting my electrical list ready.

Anyway, shopping online, I find T8 bulbs listed in several color ranges. 6500, 5000, 4100, 3500. With lumens running 2750 & 2850.

Can someone explain the color differences? My garage is unfinished inside (for now). Just need some lighting. BTW new build is in SC.

Thanks
 
(quoted from post at 11:04:35 11/20/14) I have a new garage/pole barn built, 28 x 36. I'm in the process of getting my electrical list ready.

Anyway, shopping online, I find T8 bulbs listed in several color ranges. 6500, 5000, 4100, 3500. With lumens running 2750 & 2850.

Can someone explain the color differences? My garage is unfinished inside (for now). Just need some lighting. BTW new build is in SC.

Thanks
akes me less typing this way:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature
 
JMOR, this really made a lot of sense to me, NOT. Sorry couldn't control myself. :)

I do now understand why some auto headlights have a blue hue.

Robertson's method

Before the advent of powerful personal computers, it was common to estimate the correlated color temperature by way of interpolation from look-up tables and charts.[28] The most famous such method is Robertson's,[29] who took advantage of the relatively even spacing of the mired scale (see above) to calculate the CCT Tc using linear interpolation of the isotherm's mired values:[30]
Computation of the CCT Tc corresponding to the chromaticity coordinate scriptstyle (u_T,v_T) in the CIE 1960 UCS.

frac{1}{T_c}=frac{1}{T_i}+frac{theta_1}{theta_1+theta_2} left( frac{1}{T_{i+1}} - frac{1}{T_i} right),

where T_i and T_{i+1} are the color temperatures of the look-up isotherms and i is chosen such that T_i < T_c < T_{i+1}. (Furthermore, the test chromaticity lies between the only two adjacent lines for which d_i/d_{i+1} < 0.)

If the isotherms are tight enough, one can assume theta_1/theta_2 approx sin theta_1/sin theta_2, leading to

frac{1}{T_c}=frac{1}{T_i}+frac{d_i}{d_i-d_{i+1}} left( frac{1}{T_{i+1}} - frac{1}{T_i} right).

The distance of the test point to the i-th isotherm is given by

d_i=frac{ (v_T-v_i)-m_i (u_T-u_i) }{sqrt {1+m_i^2}},
 
The 4100 color is typically the most popular (probably the most cost efficient). It gives the "normal" white light. Going lower in number the color gets a pink tint. Going higher gives a bluer tint.

Not sure what the scientific methods are but to my "Bubba" eye, the higher numbers appear to give more useful light for a shop setting. I still prefer the 4100, it's pretty much standard, available, and keeps them all the same color.
 
Well, I don't know about all that stuff you posted, I just look at the charts, tables, &amp; pictures. Got more than I need to know. Sorry I was of no help to you.
 

5000K or 6500Kwhich are closer to outside daylight.The others are too "red".
Warm white is a dismal colour.
Unless using a light meter no one will know the difference in lumens .
 
The color range is called Kelvin. I dont know how they came up with that name. A higher K number is cooler or more blue. Lower K numbers are more warm or yellowish. My shop lights are T5 with a high K for a sharper whiter light and they are BRIGHT, so bright I have night blindness when I step outside the shop at night. The lamp in the bay window in the house is a warm, low K number for atmosphere.
 
Cool white >4000 are cheaper and work fine for a shop but make faces look like death.
Warm white <4000 are more expensive and work fine for a home. Light is like an incandescent bulb.
 

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