Table of Contents
LED lights have grown in popularity over the years for their many benefits. Like most “new” things, there are a lot of lingering questions surrounding LED lights, whether used for home lighting or commercial lighting. In this article, we will examine some common questions about LED lights to clear up some of the mystery.
What Does LED Stand For?
LED stands for “light emitting diode.” The diode is a semiconductor device through which electrical current passes through. When the current moves through, light is generated.
What Are LED Lights And How Do They Work?
LED lights are a type of technology that allows for more efficient illumination than traditional methods. The diodes generate photons, or electromagnetic energy, and therefore are responsible for creating light.
By design, they emit very little heat. Unlike traditional halogen bulbs, LEDs do not need to generate heat first to create the light. Any heat that is created by LEDs is absorbed into what is known as a heat sink to keep the light cool to the touch.
Instead, it has microchips in it that take the electrical current, moves it through the chip and engages the diode. At this point, the diodes light up.
In an LED light, there are two kinds of semiconductors: P-type and N-type. P-type semiconductors have holes for positively charged electrons, while N-type semiconductors have extra, negatively charged electrons.
What are Smart LEDs?
Smart LEDs are designed to be incorporated into your smart home system. With their wireless connectivity, they are able to be controlled via app, voice, or other smart mechanism. They work by having built-in chips for things like Wifi or Bluetooth that allow you to manipulate the lights in various ways, such as:
- light colour
- voice and app controls
- colour temperature
- timers and scheduling
- energy monitoring
- scene creating
- brightness and lumen counts
What Does “Lumens” Mean?
Lumens is simply a way to discuss the brightness of a given light. Before LEDs, brightness was often discussed in wattage. With LED bulbs, you use lumens to indicate how much light is generated from a bulb.
The main difference is that wattage refers to how much energy is produced and does not accurately reflect the light level. Whereas lumens directly indicate the amount of light that shines, making it a more accurate way to define brightnesses.
How to Convert Lumens to Watts
There is no exact translation between watts and lumens given that they both indicate two different things. However, you can get a good estimation by treating a wattage count as one lumen per watt.
What does “Lux” Mean?
Lux is yet another way to refer to the output of light, but in this case, it refers to a total amount of light in a certain area. In short, one lux equals one lumen per square meter. Most often, lux counts are used when discussing interior LED lighting. Still, you will sometimes see it when discussing outdoor lighting as well.
Through lux counts, you can accurately measure the total illumination present in a room. The biggest difference is that lux describes the space that the lumens light up, while lumens describe the light itself.
How Many Lumens Do I Need?
Lumen counts will vary depending on factors such as whether they are interior lights or exterior lighting, as well as the space that the lights are placed.
- Hallways: five to 10 lumens per square foot
- Kitchens and dining rooms: 30 to 40 lumens per square foot
- Bedrooms and living rooms: 10 to 20 lumens per square foot
- Bathrooms and laundry rooms: 70 to 80 lumens per square foot
- Stair and path lights: 100 to 200 lumens per square foot
- Motion sensor outdoor lights: 300 to 700 lumens per square foot
What Does CCT Mean for LED Lighting?
CCT, otherwise known as colour correlated temperature or simply colour temperature, indicates the light colour. Warmer lights trend toward yellow colours, while cooler lights are more blue.
They exist on a wide spectrum between 1000K and 10000K, with cooler colours at the top and warmer on the bottom. Warm and cool lights both have their perks and benefits for different types of spaces.
For example, residential and hotel lighting will usually have warmer illumination as it is more comfortable and inviting. You are more likely to find cool lighting in commercial and garden lighting.
The most common light colour ranges are as follows:
- 3000K: Warm white light
- 4000K: White light
- 5000K: Natural Daylight
- 5700K to 6500K: Daylight
What Does CRI Mean in LED Lighting?
CRI, or colour rendering index, indicates how accurately a light shows the colours of what it is shining on. The spectrum here ranges from zero to 100. The lower the rating, the more blended together and inaccurate the colours will appear. At 100, you can more easily see how the colours of an item genuinely appear.
How Are LED Lights Different From Incandescent And Halogen Bulbs?
LED lights separate themselves from incandescent and halogen bulbs in a few ways.
First and foremost, they are more efficient than traditional bulbs, using up 80 percent less energy than halogen and incandescent bulbs. They also generate this light directly instead of first having to create heat.
LEDs provide directional light, so you stay in better control of where the lights shine. For example, interior wall lights that wash illumination back onto the wall need the directionality of LED bulbs; traditional bulbs would just shine in every direction at once.
A much longer lifespan also separates LEDs from traditional bulbs and lends itself to cost-savings. Having to replace the bulbs less often will lower the cost of your energy bill, as will the energy efficient nature of LEDs.
How Long Do LED Lights Last?
With incandescent lights, you will note they only last for around 1,000 hours. Halogen bulbs have a slightly longer lifespan, running for 2,000 hours in most cases.
LED bulbs lifespan can outlast tens of thousands of hours by comparison. Usually, you will see LED lights that extend between 20,000 hours and 50,000 hours of usage.
Are LED Lights OK If Left on for Long Periods of Time?
Yes, LED lights are fine to leave on for hours on end. Ordinarily, they are designed specifically to be kept on for long periods of time. This is because they barely generate any heat and will therefore not overheat or become hot to the touch like traditional bulbs do.
Of course, there are occasions where you should not leave LED lights on constantly. For example continually running poor-quality LED lights with no heat control can pose an issue. Also, high humidity environments like saunas and bathrooms may deteriorate the light if left on all the time.
Can You Use LED Lights on a Dimmer Switch?
Yes, LED lights can be used with dimmer switches. That said, it is important that you seek out LED bulbs intentionally made for dimming. If you don’t, you may notice flickering.
In some cases, the lights might not even turn on. The reason for this is that LED lights have lower wattage counts than traditional bulbs. You’ll need a dimmer switch that helps convert the electricity for low-wattage applications.
Do LEDs work OK with Motion Sensors and Timers?
Yes, LED lights can be used with timers and motion sensors. However, just like dimmable LEDs, you need to be sure that the light bulb you choose is compatible with such smart technology. Dimming your lights can lengthen their lifespans and help save on energy, which could save you money as well.
Most commonly, people will use LED lights on timers for:
- security lighting, such as motion activated floodlights
- stair and hallway lighting that will turn on and off according to movement
- energy saving outdoor wall lights with light sensors
- smart home automation by way of apps
Why Do LEDs Flicker When They Are Off?
An odd thing you may notice when using LEDs is that sometimes, they can glow faintly or even flicker slightly. Below are some of the most common reasons.
A residual current left in the circuit. Traditional switches won’t make a clean break on the circuit, leaving small amounts of electricity behind.
Incompatible dimmer switches. Whether they are simply the wrong type of switch or are too old, incompatible switches can cause dimming.
Poor quality drivers. Drivers of low integrity or drivers that are failing can cause flickering
Are LED Lights Better For The Environment Than Older Lighting Types?
Yes, LED lights are more eco-friendly than traditional bulb types. This is because they use 80 percent less energy than their counterparts, making them gentler on the environment since you are consuming less energy.
Beyond that, there are no harmful chemicals in LED bulbs like there are in traditional alternatives. Without mercury in the bulbs, they are safer to go to landfills. Many parts of the bulb can also be recycled.
Does LED Lighting Produce Any UV Radiation?
While LED bulbs do output a small amount of UV light, it isn’t enough to pose any serious health risks. It is also much less than you would be exposed to when using traditional light bulbs.
The only real concern is when using bulbs in sensitive areas like galleries and museums. You want to avoid UV light damaging the artwork, meaning it’s important to look for LEDs specifically marked as low UV-emission.
Should You Have Health Concerns When Using LED Lighting?
Besides the UV lights, some people are concerned about the effects of exposure to LED lights for too long. Though LEDs are thought to be safe for use, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- BLUE LIGHT OUTPUT. LEDs output more blue light than a traditional bulb does. This might disrupt sleep patterns if exposed to this light too late at night.
- EYE STRAIN POTENTIAL. Cool toned LED lights with a lot of blue light may cause strain on the eyes. Stick to warmer colours to avoid this.
- FLICKERING LIGHTS. Similarly, lights that are not used with the correct dimmer switches may flicker and cause eye fatigue.
Why Do Dimmable LED Lights Flicker?
There are a number of reasons LED lights might flicker, including:
- incompatible dimmer switches
- issues with power flow and fluctuation in voltages
- poor wiring of the lights
- overloaded circuits in the dimmer switch
- placement in extreme environments
Are There Any Disadvantages to LED Lighting?
Even with all of the perks LEDs offer, there are some aspects some people may consider drawbacks that should be considered. Besides blue light concerns, there is also cost; the upfront cost of buying LEDs is higher than buying halogen or incandescent lights.
Even so, the cost is evened out and even lessened in the long run thanks to the energy efficient nature of them. When it is time to replace them, you may find that recycling them can be a bit tedious. This is because the bulbs often have to go to certain recycling centers that are equipped to handle LEDs specifically.
Five Creative Ideas For LED Lights
The LPL356 5 Watt LED Hexagonal Hanging LED Pendant Light is an ideal choice for modern homes, especially modern kitchens. The light has a tall, hexagonal shape that adds contemporary appeal when placed over a breakfast bar or kitchen counter. It shines 400 lumens of light, which is the approximate equivalent of a 40-watt halogen bulb. The light also outputs a 3000k warm white LED colour temperature that is well suited for domestic use. It comes in neutral colours, including black, grey or white, each with a black base plate.
The LBL253B 15 Watt Hexagonal Surface Mounted LED Downlight is 3-clustered hexagonal downlight that is a pleasant replacement for recessed lighting. Since it is installed right onto the ceiling, it creates the same effect in a room with a ceiling that cannot accommodate recessed lighting. There are three LED bulbs in each fixture, outputting a total of 1200 lumens of warm white 3000k colour lighting.
Bring illumination to the darker areas outside of your home with the LWA453 10 Watt Up And Down exterior wall light. The light features 2 bulbs that shine up and down from the fixture, washing the wall they are attached to in illumination. Generating a total of 860 lumens of 3000k warm white light, it is pleasant for outdoor applications. The light comes in either white or black to suit the exterior wall.
Perfect for use in art galleries or retail environments, the LSP195 16 Watt Black And Gold LED Track Light lights up specific areas in vibrant light. The product features a head that you can turn to direct light in any given area so that it is concentrated on what you want to show off. Its LED bulb outputs 1400 lumens of your choice of warm or cool colour temperatures depending on where you plan to install it. A black and gold-toned finish gives the light an elegant finishing touch.
Using the LWA284 Chrome Dome Shaped 6 Watt LED indoor Wall Light, you can illuminate darker areas of a room and add layered lighting at the same time. This modern wall lighting features a dome shape with light that shines back onto the wall. It has an acrylic diffuser that makes the light gentler and warmer on the eyes. It outputs 600 lumens of warm light, making it subtle while still being practical.
LED lights are popular for a reason. If you’ve been considering making the switch but don’t quite understand them yet, the article above can help you get a better grasp on all of the jargon.
