LED Lighting FAQ’s
1. Why should I use LED Lights?
2. Home much will I save using LED Lights?
3. What is the life of an LED Light?
4. LED Lights are expensive. Do I really save?
5. Why should I switch to LED lights rather than CFL bulbs?
6. Did you know the incandescent bulb will soon be obsolete?
7. What are the environmental benefits?
8. What are the socket sizes used for traditional home lighting in the USA?
9. What type of voltage and current do LED lights require to operate?
11. What is the color of light LED’s emit?
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LED Lights consume 80-90% less energy when compared to the equivalent incandescent light bulb. See the chart below for a comparison to incandescent bulbs.Incandescent (Watt) LED (Watt) 25 3 40 4-5 50 6-7 60 8-9 75 10-12 100 15-20 120 20 -
If an 8w LED light is used to replace a 60w traditional incandescent bulb, and the bulb is operated 8 hours per day for one year (2,920 hours), then the electrical consumption will be reduced by 152 kw-hrs per year. The home owner will therefore save $27.36 per bulb per year assuming a fully loaded electrical bill cost of $0.18/kw-hr. If the average home has 20 light bulbs, then a savings of over $500 per year can be realized. Use the Energy Savings Calculator to estimate savings for your specific situation. -
LED lights have a theoretical useful life of over 50,000 hours compared to a useful life of 1,000 hours for a traditional incandescent bulb. Some will continue to operate up to 100,000 hours. The useful life of a bulb is the point at which the light output of the bulb has decayed to 70% of its original light output. This means that a single LED light will theoretically last over 17 years if operated 8 hours per day. [Note that the industry standard is to state incandescent bulb life at the time of 50% light depreciation level] -
Absolultely Yes ! The payback period of the initial investment of the LED bulb is 1-2 years. Thereafter you will save on the reduced electrical consumption at an estimated $27.36 per bulb (replacement of a 60w bulb) each year for the life of the LED bulb. In addition, you will not pay for the replacement cost of the incandescent bulb every 1,000 hours or spend time replacing bulbs in hard to reach places! Use the Energy Savings Calculator to determine the amount of your savings over the life of the LED bulb. -
First, LED lights are 30-50 % more efficient than CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs, thus savings additional electricity; Second, the spiral structure of the CFL lamp is really not visually appealing; Third, the CFL bulb contains mercury. There is a concern for the proper disposal of mercury containing CFL bulbs; Fourth, CFL bulbs have a uselful life of <10,000 hours. LED lights can be designed in several different shapes and can emit varying colors of light depending on the users preference. LED lights do not contain any harmful metals such as mercury or lead and they last for 50,000 hrs! -
The Energy Independence Act of 2007 requires that lighting efficiency be improved 28% compared to the incandescent standard of 2007 and be phased in during 2012. Therefore a 100w incandescent bulb will need to provide the same light output but operate at 72w. LED will become the lighting technology of choice due to its lighting efficiency, long life, and lowest cost of ownership benefits. California already has legislation to ban incandescent bulbs by 2012. Canada will discontinue the sale of incandescent bulbs in 2012, Australia in 2010, and Europe will be phasing out in 2010 as well. -
22% of the electrical consumption in the USA is used on lighting. A substantial amount of energy can therefore be saved by converting to LED lights. Since the primary source of energy in the USA is the burning of fossil fuel and thus generation of CO2, the environment will benefit from a reduction in the amount of CO2 emitted for every kilowatt of energy saved. Every mW-hr of electricity saved will reduce CO2 emissions by 1 ton. Excessive CO2 emissions are a key reason for the partial destruction of the earth’s ozone layer and onset of global warming. Landfills will also benefit from the implementation of LED lighting due to the long useful life of the LED lights. One LED light can last has long as 50 conventional incandescent light bulbs. This is a true savings of waste. -
- E27: A conventional pear shaped incandescent bulb uses an E27 socket base. The 27 means the socket diameter is 27 mm. This socket size has also been called a medium socket. Traditional indoor table lamps, ceiling fixtures, and bathroom fixtures use the E27 socket type. Recessed lighting fixtures typically found in the basement and kitchen also use the E27 socket type; however bulbs for recessed lighting are typically described as PAR20, PAR30, and PAR38. Outdoor flood lights and some porch lights also use the E27 base. These bulbs are 110v.
- E12: Most chandelier fixtures in the USA require use the E12 socket base. The diameter of this socket is 12 mm. Also many porch light fixtures use the E12 socket base. These bulbs are 110v.
- GU10: The GU10 lamp is normally used for small track lights that have traditionally used 25w and 40w halogen lamps. The distance between the center of the pins on the bottom of the lamp are 10 mm. These bulbs are 110v. The pin has a head on the end.
- MR16: The MR16 base is also called the GU5.3. The distance between the pins is 5.3 mm. The pins are straight. MR16 bulbs are normally used for low voltage (12v) applications.
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Conventional incandescent lamps are made to operate on standard AC power. Descrete LED chips themselves are designed to operate on DC current typically in the 350 mA range. As a result LED bulbs are designed with built in AC to DC converters that supply the correct current needed for the specific LED chips. LED lights may be used in place of traditional incandescent lamps without changing the fixture. Please note that most LED lights are not designed to be used with dimmers. Do not install an LED bulb into a dimmer controlled circuit with a properly designed LED lamp. Flourescent Tube lamps operate with a specific ballast. To install a T8 LED tube replacement, the flourscent ballast fixture must be removed or bypassed to provide the standard direct connection of the 110 VAC power to the T8 LED tube. One end of the tube receives the positive and one end receives the nuetral. -
Yes, some bulbs are dimmable. The majority of LED bulbs are not dimmable. LED components operate on DC current typically at 350 mA. Therefore every LED bulb contains a LED driver to convert the AC power to DC power. Special drivers are required if the bulb is to function with a standard voltage regulating wall dimmer such as those made by Lutron and Leviton. Therefore only install bulbs labeled as “Dimmable” in lighting circuits that contain dimmers. Topband brand dimmable LED’s are compatible with the standard Lutron P600 dimmer. If a non-dimmable bulb is installed into a dimmable circuit, the bulb may burnout, flicker, or dammage the dimmer. LED USA is not responsible for mis-use of LED bulbs and specifically is not responsible for non-dimmable bulbs operated with a dimmer. -
White light LED’s can be manufactured in a range of white colors. White light is measured on the color temperature scale in degrees Kelvin. White LED’s are typically grouped into 3 categories:
- Warm White: Typically 2700-3500 K. This most closely matches the color of incandescent light and is the color of white light most used in the home to create a warm atmosphere. It has an underlying tone of yellow/orange.
- Natural White: Typically 4000-5000 K. This color of light is brighter white and does not have a yellow component feeling. Natural white light is typically used for office, retail, basement, or workshop lighting environments. A traditional fluorescent tube light normally emits light in this range. Also metal halide lamps normally are within this range.
- Cool White: Typically 6000-8000K. This color of white light tends to have a bluish tone. Lights in this category are typically used in manufacturing and high brightness environments.
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