LED is an abbreviation for light-emitting diode. They tend to be very small lights that, till now, have been found mostly in electronic equipment, but are being used more often in homes and offices. They’ve been used mostly as task lighting since the bulbs are quite small. LEDs don’t have filaments, but semiconductors. LED bulbs don’t emit heat or ultraviolet light and require much less electricity than regular incandescent or CFL bulbs, which make them a super energy efficient lighting option. They’re usually fitted on floodlights or even in tubes or ropes, which makes them easier to install in awkward places, like under sink cabinets.
Choose the right LED bulbs by understanding their descriptions
Since LED bulb prices have fallen and using LED bulbs can result in energy savings by as much as 80%, these bulbs have become the green light bulb of choice to eco friendly and energy saving home and business owners. While their prices are still higher than incandescent or CFL bulbs, it’s becoming more attractive to consider using these energy saving light bulbs bulbs for everyday lighting applications.
Understanding LED bulb descriptions will help you choose the right bulbs for your home or business.
Wattage
Wattage is a unit of electrical power that’s based on a light bulb’s rate of energy consumption. A very bright, cold white light has a higher wattage than a light that’s warmer and more yellow. The most common wattage for a traditional incandescent bulb is 60 watts, the LED equivalent is around 12 watts. That big difference in wattage used by LED bulbs gives them their huge energy savings advantage.
Color Temperature
Color temperature is determined by comparing the spectrum of a light bulb to that of a black body. The color temperature is measured in kelvins or K. Red and yellow light is considered to be of a cooler color temperature than blue and white light. The color temperature for the typical “warm white” bulbs used in most homes would be around 2700K. Higher color temperatures would provide cool white to stark white lighting.
Incandescent Equal
When you look to purchase an LED light, you’ll be interested in how much light the bulb gives off and how much energy it uses in comparison to an incandescent bulb. So, manufacturers will provide an “incandescent equal” measurement. For example, a 12.5 watt 2700K LED light bulb would have an incandescent equal of a 60 watt incandescent light bulb.
Life Hours
This is how many hours of life, or use, a light bulb has. An incandescent bulb has only 750 to 1000 life hours, but a halogen bulb can have as much as 3500 life hours, despite the fact that it’s intensely hot. An LED can last as long as 100,000 life hours. LED bulbs just don’t need to be replaced for a very long time. Their long life is another one of the major contributors to it’s lifetime energy savings advantage.
Lumens
A lumen is the amount of light a bulb admits. The higher the lumen, the greater the output of light, though as a bulb ages the amount of lumens it puts out decreases. The LED bulb lumens rating for the traditional 60 watt incandescent bulb replacement is around 800.
Understanding the descriptions for LED bulbs will help you choose the right bulb for your application, whether it’s indoors, outdoors, for home or office. In time, these energy saving light bulbs will become even more affordable, allowing home and business owners everywhere to reduce their monthly utility bills.
LED light bulbs are really great. For a small cost, you can save a lot of money and you can also help the environment. I still remember when this kind of bulbs came out, those bulbs that had 2 tubes that looped, it was really hard to find a lamp that would fit for them. But now, they are being embraced more and more. I wonder if what’s next for this kind of light bulbs, what the future has in store for us when it comes to lighting our households.
Thank for the comment… It looks like we can expect to see much lower priced LED light bulbs and a move towards more LEDs with built-in smart technology for wireless connectivity and programming. Like these, but much cheaper: http://www.energymaxout.com/touch-your-senses-with-lighting-at-your-fingertips-philips-hue-personal-led-wireless-light-system/
Great post for selecting right LED bulbs for rooms! Everyone should keep in mind these tips while placing light bulbs in rooms. Thanks for sharing this useful tips. I was looking for some suggestions on lighting to my home and I found this useful website.