Whether you care about saving energy or the environment (or you just like to be the most technologically savvy member of your group) you’ve taken an interest in LED light bulbs. At the very least, you’ve heard of them because of the EISA light bulb ban or have seen them advertised in your local department store. Regardless, you’re ready to try out your first LED bulb, and you want to make sure you get what you need. While we have an excellent LED Light Bulb Buyers Guide on our site to help you get started, it doesn’t discuss some of the most common mistakes people make when replacing their old bulbs with LEDs or offer advice on how to avoid them. That’s where this article comes in.
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The number one reason people are dissatisfied with their LED purchase is because they simply bought the wrong bulb. Often, consumers complain that the color quality or brightness of their new LED does not measure up to that of their old incandescent, and sometimes they complain about dimming capability. Most likely, these consumers did not know what to look for on their new bulb’s Lighting Facts Label. To make sure your new LED emits a color and quality equivalent to that of your old incandescent, buy a bulb with a matching CRI, color temperature, and lumen rating. If you want a bulb that is dimmable, the bulb MUST say that it is dimmable on the packaging—otherwise, it is safer to assume the bulb is not made to be dimmed and should not be connected to a dimmer.
In relation to the first point, it is important to pay attention to lumens rather than watts when buying LEDs. It’s easy to go to the store and pick up a 60-watt equal LED thinking it will be a direct equivalent in brightness and quality to the 60-watt incandescent you’re replacing. However, this is not always the case. The brightness of lights is actually measured in lumens, not watts as is commonly believed, and there is no industry standard for wattage-equivalent values based on lumens. To choose the correct replacement for your incandescent bulb, you must match the lumen value of your old incandescent light bulb to the lumen value of a prospective new LED. Check out our chart below to learn the average amount of lumens for popular incandescent bulbs. (We also have an article detailing how many lumens you need to light certain rooms.)
Before buying a new LED, be aware that some LEDs may emit directional light if not specified otherwise. Many LED bulbs have light-emitting diodes that all shine in one direction, resulting in a bulb that directs most of its light toward the top of the bulb. If you place this type of bulb in a table lamp, most of the light will end up on the ceiling with very little being reflected down onto the table where you want it. However, in an attempt to make LED bulbs more like incandescent bulbs, omnidirectional LED lighting is becoming more common. This type of lighting distributes light evenly around the bulb, usually by bouncing the light off reflective plates inside the bulb. If you are looking for a replacement bulb that emits all-around light rather than light that focuses on a limited area (such as a flashlight or a reflector bulb), be sure to purchase an omnidirectional LED bulb.
A lesser-known fact about LEDs is that as they get older, they don’t just burn out. Their light output depreciates over time—meaning they grow dimmer as they age. Today, most LED light bulbs should last for at least 25,000 hours with at least 70 percent of the brightness from when they are new. Since below 70 percent is the point at which the industry decided the decrease in brightness is excessive, this point is referred to as L70. This number is determined through Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) LM-80 testing procedures and should be listed on your bulb's packaging as Life Hours.
To be more specific, L70 is a calculation of the lumen depreciation of the LED after it has lived through 70% of its life expectancy. For example, if an LED had a lumen output of lm when it was brand new, but now it produces 700lm after 30,000 hours, then a lumen depreciation of 30% occurs at 30,000 hours, or the L70 is 30,000 hours. When buying a new LED, be aware that your bulb will dim as it reaches the end of its rated life, whether that’s 30,000 or 100,000 hours, and it will be time to replace your bulb.
Ever since energy-efficient lighting became a national priority, LEDs have been rising out of the woodwork with the promise of replacing incandescent bulbs with light that provides the same level of brightness while using less power. However, as you may have already noticed, not all LED bulbs are created equal. There are many brands of LED bulbs on the market that don’t live up to their promises or properly adhere to industry standards. For this reason, it’s best to go with a trusted manufacturer, such as Soraa, Cree, Green Creative, TCP, Kobi, or even PLT bulbs, when buying a new LED light bulb. These brands offer numerous case studies, customer reviews, and warranties to back up their claims, so you can feel rest assured that you’re buying a superior and reliable product.
Overall, LED light bulbs are a great investment. They help you save on your energy bill, they conserve valuable resources, and they will ultimately become commonplace in homes and businesses. However, it’s important to educate yourself before you buy LEDs so you can be sure to make your investment in the right LEDs. Have any questions about what we discussed in this article? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, or Instagram!
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Purchasing LED lights for both residential and commercial applications is very different than purchasing traditional lighting was eight years ago. Before you go shopping here is 5 things to look out for before you purchase.
Not all numbers are created equal. Forget what you think you know regarding wattage. When shopping for correct bulb or fixture, you must first understand what the meaning of wattage and lumen is. Wattage or watts is a measurement on how much energy a light is using, not the brightness of the light. Lumen’s simple meaning is the measurement of brightness from a light source. In traditional lighting there was a direct correlation between watts and brightness. For example, a 75w light bulb produces more lumens than a 60w bulb. LED lighting is not so simple. A Light-emitting diode or LED has a larger range of efficiency, some lights produce more lumens per watt(L/W). For example, an 8w LED bulb can produce more lumens than a 12w LED bulb pending on manufacture and specification. Using this example, someone purchasing the 8w bulb will save the shopper more energy during the bulb’s lifespan than the 12w bulb while producing the same brightness. So, when shopping for a light product forget what you thought you knew and pay attention to efficiency of brightness, not wattage.
Light Color Temperature:
You like what you like. Color Temperature does not mean brighter even if it seems that way. LED lighting temperature is based on the kelvin measurement system. A warm temperature is usually k or less, cool white is usually around k, and bright white or daylight is around k. Warm white will produce a more yellow look while bright white will have a more whitish blue look to it. Simply put the lower the kelvin the more yellow, the higher the kelvin the whiter/blue it will be. But what is the right choice? Which is brighter? The answer to both is D none of the above. Everyone interprets temperature differently, some think a k looks brighter than a k. The temperature does not change the brightness of light, just the appearance of brightness per the individual. While shopping for a light product think of the following. Where is the light being used? What is the light being used for? What is the objective of the light? Remember, there is no wrong answer to color temperature. To each their own.
LED Price
You’re not always getting more bang for buck, know before you spend the cash. LED lighting has dropped in price about 50% in the last 5 years. But what is the difference? The market is flooded with different manufactures and pricing all claiming to the best. Things a consumer should be mindful of. Warranty, manufactures play a tricky game on LED products. For example, a LED product will claim to have a 5-year 50,000-hour operating life warranty. If you read the fine print this means they will warranty the product for 5 years or 50,000 hours witch ever comes first. So, a product with a 7-year 50,000-hour operating life warranty will cost more, but it essentially holds the same warranty. Paying more for a name brand doesn’t always mean a better product. Just the other day I visited my local pharmacy to buy a bottle of ibuprofen for my aging back. I was presented with two options, buy the name brand or the pharmacy brand. After reading each box carefully I realized there was no difference besides the price tag. The is most likely because they are made on the same manufacturing line from the same pharmaceutical company. Lighting is no different. So before spending your hard-earned dollar read the fine print, and buying a name doesn’t always mean better or different.
Not all LED’s are dimmable. The old dimming switch might not work either. When buying a LED do not assume it will be a plug and play application. Unlike traditional lighting there are some LED lights that are not capable of dimming. Incandescent bulbs work by running electric current through a wire filament, a dimmer switch lowers the current to the wire filament to dim. LED’s are not dimmed or brighten with the increase or decrease of current. LED light emitt’s from a semiconductor chip, so its either all on or off. The LED is always using the same current. Instead LED’s create a dimming effect in two different ways, pulse-width-modulation (PWM LED) and analog dimming. The product specification or box will specify if the LED is dimmable or not. If your buying and wish to dim, make sure you verify before purchase. The same applies to dimming switches or controls on your property. Most likely the current measures installed are made to adjust current and will not dim LED lighting. When your shopping you want to make sure pick up a switch or control device the capable of dimming LED lights by means of PWM, analog, or both.
A cost-effective lamp or bulb might not be the best solution for your property or residents. When deciding between a fixture or lamp replacement one must consider some key points. Not all lamps will work in old fixtures. LED lights worst enemy is heat. If the fixture is enclosed and the LED product doesn’t have the correct heat syce technology the product will most likely fail before its expected life span. After replacing the lamp, one might spend more than they would have with a new fixture. What are the local utilities companies offering for incentives? There a different incentive offered in different areas. In most areas the extra incentives will offset the cost of new product. For example, you could pay $5.00 for a lamp with a $2.00 dollar incentive or pay $15.00 dollars for a new fixture with a $12.00 incentive. The net cost remains the same, but you gain the cosmetic appeal of beautiful new fixture. The last thing to consider is installation. If you are doing itself or paying an electrician this has a large effect on the time and cost for a fished replacement. Each situation should be evaluated different. How much time would it take to replace the fixture vs lamp? How much with the installation affect the overall cost or time? When combined selecting the right product that last the longest, capitalizes on the most incentives offered, and spends the lowest time or money for installation will be the best choice for any application.
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