LED Lamps
What are LED lamps?
LED lamps or bubs are lighting systems that use Light-Emitting Diodes (LED), which is a ‘solid state technology’. This technology implies that the materials used in the creation of the lights are enclosed within a solid casing. Florescent, halogen and incandescent bulbs on the other hand use non-solid state technology, which is more susceptible to failures when subjected to vibration or shock. This qualifies LED lamps to have a higher life rating compared to CFL and incandescent lamps. They were first adopted commercially when their prices were quite higher. Today, the cost of these lamps has gradually gone down and they are being used in many homes to provide efficient lighting. The efficiency of these lamps can be attributed to their low power consumption. They are the best lighting methods to help save on your electricity and at the same time reduce your home expenses, such as air conditioning costs.
How do LED lamps work?
The light produced by LED lamps has to be roughly white due to their practical lighting usage. Originally, LEDs were only produced in non-white colors. Today, there are two methods used to create LED white colors. The first method is the RGB system that works by mixing light from multiple color choices including red, green and blue diodes. Typically, RGB is acronym of red, green and blue diodes, which are mixed in close proximity to produce white light. The second method is the use of phosphor-based LEDs, which shifts color to a white spectrum. This is the same technology used in creating different light hues from fluorescent lamps. The ideal application of LED lighting is changing at a rapid rate just like other developing technologies. Nowadays, this lighting is used for designing signs and indicators, LED flashlights, LED lamps for home, LED street lamps, LED reading lamps and LED spot lamps, among others. For more information on LED lighting fixtures, contact us or visit our website.
Why choose LED Lamps
LED lamps are generally long lasting with an almost 10 times longer lifespan than compact fluorescents. They also last far much longer compared to typical lamps. LED lamps are durable because they do not operate with filaments, therefore they do not easily get damaged under the same circumstances that a regular incandescent lamp would break down. Most LED lamps are solid and hold up perfectly to bumping and jarring. This saves you a ton of replacement costs.
They produce minimal heat
LED bulb lamps produce almost zero heat. This is because they do not get hot or cause heat build ups. Compared to incandescent lamps that produce 85 btu’s per hour, LED lamps only produce 3.4 btu’s/hour. Therefore, buying LED lamps for your home lighting will save you on air conditioning costs as well.
They are environmently friendly
Unlike fluorescent lamps, LED lamps do not feature mercury in their design. This makes them safe for disposal when wear out.
They feature low power consumption
Due to their low power requirement, LED lamps are the perfect way of providing lighting for remote areas where electricity connection or supply may be poor. You can even use solar or portable generators, which are quite less expensive compared to running an electric line. You do not need to worry in case of power emergencies because these lamps can easily operate with the power supply from back generators.
They are cost effective
Although LED lamps are relatively expensive to purchase, the cost accumulated over time during their use is far much lower compared to CFL bulbs or incandescent. LED bulbs fitted in these lamps use only 2 to 17 watts of electricity. This is about 1/3rd to 1/30th of the watts consumed by CFL or incandescent. Their maintenance cost is also relatively low compared to CFL, halogen and incandescent bulbs. Rarely do individual LED bulbs fail, and even if a failure occurs, the whole lamp does not fail and therefore requires minimal expertize. Actually, LED bulb lamps are the most energy-efficient form of lighting compared to any available commercial light bulbs. They use 70% less amount of energy compared to halogen bulbs, 90 % less energy compared to incandescent bulbs and around 20 to 30% amount of energy compared to CLF bulbs.
Choosing the best LED lamp for your home lighting
With the various LED lamp models and styles available in the market today, choosing the perfect LED lamp lighting for your home may be difficult. The following is a guide on choosing your deal LED light lamp.
Estimate your desired level of brightness
Before settling on your ultimate LED bulb lamp, always read the package to choose your desired brightness level. To compare the bulb illumination, use the indicated wattage on their packages. Typically, a 9 watt LED bulb lamp should be equivalent to a 45 watt incandescent lamp. However, the most commonly used method today for comparing bulb’s brightness is by the use of lumens. Lumen refers to the measuring unit for the light produced by a bulb. They act as a measure of perceived brightness. The higher the lumen, the brighter the bulb lamp. The FTC mandates that all light bulb packages should display lumens to enable consumers to easily perform comparisons. To create elegant indoor lighting, you need to know the amount of lumen produced by your LED lamp.
What do you need an LED lamp for?
The purpose of the lamp you purchase also plays an important role in determining your ultimate LED bulb lamp. You can opt for a single LED bulb lamp or a 3-way LED lamp, which are the perfect replacements for incandescent bulbs. The main advantage of using 3-way bulbs is that they are multi-directional and therefore can be used anywhere in the home.
Making a choice between standard and dimmable LED lamps
Today, many LED lamps are offered in standard and dimmable options. Examples of dimmable bulbs include FEIT LED bulb lamps which are compatible with a standard dimmer switch.
Identify your preferred method of lighting
Today, LED bulb lamps come in options of warm and cool lighting. New LED lamps are available in cool white light, which is perfect for task lighting such as an LED reading lamp. Warm lighting is ideal for small areas or ascent lighting.
Choose the right color LED Lamp
Most LED lamps feature white or clear bulbs, which are commonly available in either a warm or cool lighting mode. White color is the most preferred because it illuminates a white soft glow without shadows or harsh reflections. However, there are certain categories of LEDs for special applications and feature other colors. They can be used as individual LED lamp bulbs or as a cluster of lamps depending on the purpose or application.
Choose the right lamp shape
Another choice you’ll need to decide on is your preferred lamp shape. The shape of the LED lamp is not actually based on its appearance or look but rather on the way it illuminates light across the area intended to be lit up. The most common LED bulb lamp shapes are spiral, spot, reflector, candle, stick, arbitrary and globe. The stick, arbitrary and spiral shapes produce multi-directional light and therefore are perfect for LED ceiling lamps.
Categories of LED lamps based on the color of the light produced red LED lamp
These are the best lamps for maintaining night vision. Some LED bulb lamps and spotlight lamps allow you to switch between options of white and red lighting at night.
Blue RED lamp. The main advantage of blue color is that it is generally easy on the eyes and that is why it is considered a good reading light for anyone who needs glasses or has less than perfect eyesight. Most LED reading lamps are designed in blue lighting because it enables reading for a longer time duration without the eyes getting strained. This is really hard to achieve with incandescent lights.
Green LED lamps. These are the recommended lights for airports and military operations because green light is perfect when it comes to retaining night vision. It does not erase nor render other color marks invisible.
Amber LED Lamps. Amber LED bulb lamps are used in areas prone to flying insects, which are normally attracted to ordinary white light. They are mainly used on decks and patios where flying insects are likely to cause a nuisance.
Deigns and types of LED bulb lamps
LED lamps are deigned in various shapes and styling. Some LED lamps contain a single LED light while others feature multiple LED lights inside the bulb. LED lamps with multiple lights are ideal for fixtures with visible bulb. Reflector and spotlight bulb lamps are perfect for producing recessed down lights. Consider using down light when replacing the whole of your ceiling light fixtures. This is because down light provides better coverage and requires relatively less light for illumination. For a table lamp, you may use globe or candle shapes, which tend to emit a larger sphere of light.
LED spotlights
LED spotlights are best suited for recessed areas in your home space or individual room ceilings. They provide a tailored lighting effect with a unique and excellent taste. LED spotlight lamps produce well-spread and tailored lighting, which gives a sense of depth and space to the room. This makes them excellent for emitting light over wider outdoor and indoor areas. They normally come in two main fitting types, including the MR16 and GU10. The difference between the two LED spotlight designs is actually on their power consumption. GU10 runs on 220 volts while MR16 run on 12 volts. This means that GU10 runs on the same power supply provided for most homes. For the MR16, you have to acquire an external transformer for converting the main power supply to 12 volts whereas for the GU10 you just need to plug in the bulb and you are all set to go. Therefore we recommend GU10 to avoid the extra cost of getting an external transformer. When buying a spot bulb reflector bulb, consider the amount of beam you are targeting.
LED Tube Lamps
These are specifically designed to fit in florescent tube fixtures. As opposed to florescent tube lamps, which emit light in all directions, LED tube lamps use several individual surface mounted directional LEDs. Some LED tube lamps can act as drop-in replacement in fixtures with appropriate ballast. Some need proper orientation during installation and some require that the tube fixtures be rewired to allow for ballast removal. The most common available tube lights can be used as replacement for three major tube designations. These include T8 at D26mm, T10 at D30mm and T12 at D34mm. These designations vary in lengths with T8 reading at 23-inches, T10 at 47 inches and T12 at 59-inches.
There are other popular options, such as LED Rope Light. These adopt long strings of small LED bulbs. You can find them in various colors for indoor or outdoor decoration purposes. They create soft mood lighting.
Conclusion
Generally, LED lighting is more efficient and cost effective compared to traditional lights such as incandescent bulbs. Though the initial investment for a LED lamp is quite high compared to their traditional counterparts, they are perfect when it comes to energy saving. If you do a cost benefit analysis of buying an LED lamp and buying an incandescent or fluorescent bulb, you will see that you will save a lot of money by replacing your lighting with LED lamps. If you are tired of replacing your burn out incandescent bulbs, this is the best time to switch your lighting to LED lamps. Those looking for environmentally friendly lighting should consider these efficient lamps.
These lamps do not only offer you with an impressive lifespan, but they are cost effective and you can choose from a wide range of varieties as well. They have a longer life expectancy, which reduces on the cost of replacing bulbs regularly. Choosing high quality lamps is the perfect way of saving on your energy costs. We Got Lites offers various categories and types of standardized LED bulb lamps with Energy Star, UL and FCC certifications. We offer a wide range of lamps for various operations including office LED lamps, entertainment LED lamp, home LED lamp and others. Always consult We Got Lites to make an informed decision. We offer high-quality LED lamps at discounted prices. Give us a call today for a free quote on our affordable LED lamps accessories.