LED Bulbs Explained

If you've been in one of the large “big box” remodeling stores lately, one of the first things you'll notice is a long section of shelving about 8ft high and at least 40ft long full of light bulbs. Different styles, brands, brightness, size, color, etc. You'll also notice shoppers staring at this wall of bulbs with the same overwhelmed and confused look on their faces. I too, as a master electrician, am overwhelmed with the amount of options that are available now. 

It seems like there is a new type of bulb that is being introduced to the marketplace every week and also one that is being removed. Our federal government has issued mandates on energy efficiency and the light bulbs that we all grew up with are the first to be phased out. The traditional 100 watt incandescent bulb is no longer available for purchase. Some of the halogen bulbs have had their wattage ratings reduced to become more energy efficient. 

Initially we all thought that the solution to our future lighting needs would be solved by CFL bulbs (compact fluorescent lamp). It turned out that a lot of people do not really like this style of bulb. One issue is that they have a warm up time in order to reach full brightness. Another problem was that they do not dim well at all. Even if they are rated “dimmable” they only have a small range of dimming capability. And there is also the issue with the trace amounts of mercury each bulb contains and what is the proper way to handle and dispose of them.

Thankfully LED bulbs (light emitting diode) are here to save the day! LED bulbs have been around for quite some time.  Only recently have they slowly made there way into our homes and business as a suitable replacement for our old style incandescent and fluorescent bulbs.  It seems to me that almost a quarter of all the bulbs on the intimidating wall of bulbs are now of the LED type. 

There are LED replacement options for almost every type of bulb you could imagine.  There are dimmable bulbs, color changing bulbs, and even bulbs you can control from your smart phone. I recommend LED bulbs to all of our customers as the best replacement option and I’m confident that LED bulbs are here to stay. 

I do however caution customers that LED technology is still very new and ever changing and improving. The first LED bulbs were very bright and almost produced a blue light. Most people would prefer a warmer color light. You can now by a 60 watt LED bulb that can produce an almost identical light that a 60 watt incandescent bulb could produce. The biggest difference is the LED only uses 11 watts and is rated to last 22 years! 

Some good news is the lighting manufacturers have started putting what almost looks like a food nutrition label on each bulb box. It will clearly tell you how bright the bulb is, how much energy it uses, how long it will last, and most important what color light it will produce. 

I usually advise customers to replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs as they go out to help keep initial costs down, as LED bulbs are still more expensive than their less efficient counterparts. As for customers that are doing a larger lighting project, LED bulbs are a great option if your budget allows. For some projects the cost of the bulbs are more expensive than the light fixture itself. If you are planning to stay in your home/business for a long period of time I truly believe that the investment is worth it. It is good for your pocket book and the planet!       

-Matt Ursch