LEDs Lighting - The New Lighting Option

There once was a time when the only two choices for home lighting were incandescent or fluorescent lights. People usually chose incandescents, even when they came out with CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights). Even though they are much more expensive, they still don't give off the natural looking light produced by incandescents.

LEDs Lighting Option
Light emitting diodes are nothing new, they have been used in clocks and watches for over 40 years. They were never used for home lighting because the amount and color of the light were never right for home lighting applications. It's difficult to read or do anything else with a dim, red light.

There have been many advancements in LEDS since that time. They have worked out all of the disadvantage of fluorescent bulbs, even though they remain much more expensive. One bulb produces a bright, white light that is capable of illuminating a medium sized area. They are not just one bulb, they are actually many inside one housing.

Most importantly, they will outlast any other type of bulb. Some LEDs lightings have been known to burn more than 50,000 hours, some as many as 60,000. This will hold true even if used for 10 hours per day. This comes out to 14 years of use.

When you stack this up against the same amount of time spending money on replacing incandescent bulbs, the savings are quite substantial. Incandescents last only 750-1,000 hours. Considering the initial cost, it's easy to choose a $1 incandescent over a $50 LED bulb. But it all comes out even if the LED lasts 50 times longer. Not to mention the amount of time spent actually changing the bulbs.

In addition to the savings initially, the differences in efficiency are just as much. It's important to remember that the wattage label on an incandescent bulb tells you how much energy it is pulling from the outlet, not how much is produced in light. 900 lumens is all that a 60 watt incandescent bulb will put out.

The amount of light given off by a $50 LED lighting is roughly the same as what is produced by a 60 watt incandescent. The difference is, it only consumes around 2 watts of energy. When you weigh this against the wattage that is consumed by incandescent bulbs, it's easy to see the kind of savings you will have. Over 10 years, you're looking at about $350.

LEDs lightings also produce much less heat than incandescent bulbs, so there is far less chance of burning with these. If you want to melt your plastic lamp shade cover, place a 100 watt bulb in a socket that was designed for a 40 watt bulb. Everyone has experienced the burn on their hands that often accompanies trying to change an incandescent bulb. This problem does not exist when dealing with LED lights.

They also have a far better spectrum of color than ordinary light bulbs. LEDs lighting are much better at simulating the look of natural sunlight than the somewhat yellow appearance of incandescents. The white light of LEDs is much closer to that of the natural light of day. As far as safety goes, there is no mercury in these bulbs that will explode if broken.

In addition to the initial cost, LEDs do have some other disadvantages. You may need several of these bulbs to light the same area that could be done with a single incandescent. They produce less light per bulb than both incandescent and CFL bulbs.

LEDs lightings are more practical for task lighting than for providing ambient light for the entire room. They are ideal for directional purposes, such as reading lights or recessed ceiling lamps. They can save you a good bit of money if used in areas where the light will remain on for long periods of time.

         

Introduction To Lighting Options