Firstly, what are LED lights? LED is the acronym for light emitting diodes. LED’s are incredibly versatile and used for different jobs and are found in all sorts of devices.
Basically, they are tiny light bulbs that simply fit into an electrical circuit. However, unlike ordinary glowing bulbs, they don’t have a filament that will burn out, and they don’t get very hot either. They are illuminated exclusively by the movement of electrons in a semi-conductor item, and their lasting power is as long as a standard transistor. The lifespan of an LED surpasses the short life of an luminous bulb by thousands of hours. Tiny LEDs are already substituting the tubes that light up LCD HD-TVs to make thinner televisions.
LED lights are not that cheap – especially for a bulb that gives off the same amount of light energy as a regular 60 or 75 watt incandescent bulb. However, maintenance savings and an overall reduction in cost of ownership over the product’s lifetime and will offset the initial high cost of buying the light.
LED lights have several great environmental advantages over the old conventional light bulb. The lights use between 50%-90% less energy than a standard bulb which means large carbon emission reductions and because they do not contain mercury, they last up to 20 times longer and they are made from fully recyclable materials. For example, the extruded aluminium heat sink used in LED down lights and LED spot lights is manufactured using mostly with post-industrial recycled material. Because they are friendlier to the environment based on the materials they are made from and for the fact that they last longer means a reduction in waste for homes and business.
LED tubes which are used to replace conventional fluorescent tubes are made from “unbreakable” plastic not glass and contain no mercury. Fluorescent tubes flicker as they get older and this can cause issues for migraine sufferers or epileptics. LED tubes do not flicker at any time in their life.
When and where are LED lights useful?
Due to the benefits like low voltages, longevity, reliability, quick on-off switching, no UV emissions, no flicker and dramatically reduced maintenance requirements LED’s are used in many applications. They are mainly used in:
- Visual display units eg. seven segment displays and alpha numeric displays commonly used in watches, digital clocks and calculators
- Optical devices like Optocouplers
- On-off indicator in electronic circuits.
- Some LED’s radiating invisible infrared light are used in transferring information in remote controls and burglar alarms
- Collected together, they can form images on a jumbo television screen or illuminate a traffic light.
LED lights have many applications and are now used in night lighting, art lighting, in the home – for cabinets, under or along skirting in kitchens, as bedroom and living rooms, outdoor lighting and even Christmas tree lighting.
They are commonly used in small gadgets such as an mp3 player, DVD machines, computers and televisions. There are versions of LED bulbs that can be used in regular lamps and light fixtures, but these bulbs come with a bigger price tag. Flash lights also make use of LED technology because of its ability to easily be directed in a steady stream. They are even found in traffic lights and outdoor signs of some towns. Many car manufacturers are also using LEDs for their headlights. Car parks, airports, hotels, pubs, clubs, commercial offices, manufacturing industry, hospitals, aged car facilities, mining industry, boats, lifts, exit signs and many other areas are now making use of the advantages of light emitting diodes.
We even find them in photographic equipment and they are available in various sizes and some also offer the additional option of a flash function, which can give an extra burst of light when needed.
How long do LED lights last?
LEDs gradually decrease in brightness instead of classically burning out. The number 100,000 hours (about 11 years) gets mentioned in many articles and because an LED is a diode, even after it ceases to produce light, it will still use power.
Because you understand the basics on LED lights as well as the many advantages to choosing this type of lighting over that of standard lighting means you make the right choice for the right kind of lights for you and the intended purpose. LED lighting is easy, energy efficient and can save you money, plus it is better for the environment. The above are just a few good reasons to consider when buying LED lighting.
