Are you planning to install LED lights for your home instead of the incandescent lights? Well, congratulations on this energy-saving decision but are you well aware of its features and compatibility? In recent years, these lights have gone through various advances and transformations to match all user criteria. While choosing the proper lighting, make sure you consider the following –
Lumens Matter, Not Watts
It might be your general affinity to check the amount of watt while purchasing lights because, in incandescent lamps, the wattage is more prioritized. When you are choosing LED, Lumen (lm) is considered as the brightness quotient, i.e., it states how bright your light is according to the watt that denotes the energy drawn by the light. As a matter of fact, unlike incandescent, the LEDs use less energy and give a brighter outcome. For the same brightness, the incandescent light uses around 60 watts while the LED used 8-10 watts. Check for higher lumen value in the lights.
Light Tones Are Important For Rooms
The warmth of the light is denoted by Kelvin (K). If you choose 2700-3000K lights, you will get a warm white tone that is comfortable and soothing to eyes, and it is most popularly chosen warmth for living rooms, bedrooms and also other areas of the house. The 4000-5000K lights give a natural white tint and look as sharp as daylight –it is suitable for workspace, pantries, and washrooms. If you choose 5500-6500K lights, you will have an artificial cool white tone that is popular for workspace, garage, basement, and laundry.
Check Light Fittings as Replacement Will Cost
From the popular GU10 to the traditional screw based fitting, make sure you are aware of the fitting of the light that you will replace. Before purchasing the lights, check the box or ask the mechanic about the fitting. For the excellent quality fitting, you would have to invest more than what you did in case of incandescent lights. This initial investment will result in less production of heat and longevity in the long run. For better result, replace all the incandescent fittings with LED light fittings.
External Drivers Might Be Required
While some lighting systems are designed with extra features for commercial use, some are designed for solely domestic use, and this goes beyond speculation that extra features need additional cost. There are several LEDs that come with in-built drivers and some needs external drivers. As these light systems utilize DC or direct current, the drivers change primary electric signal from AC to a proper voltage by regulating current flow during operation. Take expert help while pairing the lights with external drivers as these tend to be tricky.
Dimming Feature Should Be Checked
Due to complex circuitry, the LED lights might not always be compatible with the traditional dimming technology. You can either replace your light switches or take expert help to make it compatible. It is recommended to look for light compatible with dimmers or seek the advice of electrician to use compatible leading-edge dimmer instead of dimming switch according to your budget and requirement.
If you are installing new lights for your new home or changing the incandescent lights after they have fused in a few years, these Light Emitting Diodes can be energy efficient and affordable too, thanks for their lifespan being around twenty years or so.
