For the better half of the past decade homeowners have been encouraged to switch to LED lights and appliances in their homes. But why? What’s the benefit in using LED lights?
What does LED stand for?
LED is an acronym for light-emitting diodes – that’s a technical term that you don’t need to remember so don’t stress. It is a type of light source that you might not be so familiar with since its yet to make its way into every household. Most of us still use the common incandescent light bulb.
What are LED lights used for?
Before making their way into homes, LED lights mostly had industrial uses and were usually found in traffic lights and exit signs. But as they became more commonplace and cheaper to make, homeowners can now find them in everything from christmas lights to TVs.
Trusty incandescents
The trusty light globe has been in our homes since the 1800’s. It’s had a pretty good crack at life outliving a lot of other household technologies. But like most things, newer and better technologies are developed over these long periods of time. You can think of the LED light as the new and shinier sibling of the regular lightbulb.
LED lights versus incandescents
The infographic below from GE sums up the benefits pretty well. Incandescent lights release 90% of their energy as heat, have a much shorter lifespan (up to 2 000 hours) and are very breakable. Compare this to LED lights which release 75% heat energy (yet remains cool to touch), packs ups to 50 000 hours of life and is designed in a way that resists breakage.
Image source: Good.is
Are there any disadvantages?
The most obvious disadvantage of replacing your incandescent lights with LEDs is the upfront cost. Comparing the two purely on initial cost, LED lighting is definitely more expensive and it will probably stay like that for some time. But the higher price does pay off. A longer lifetime and energy efficiency means that you might only need to change the light every few years or so. Some LEDs can even last a decade! That’s something you just can’t get from the regular incandescent light globe.
The future is LED lights
Overall, LEDs are a much more sustainable and cost effective lighting solution. Their ‘cool to touch’ design also makes for a safer choice in the home and garden. And if you can handle the upfront cost, the investment is sure to pay off.
Do you want to make the switch to LED lighting? Need some extra help or advice? Then get in touch by calling Steve on 1300 301 077 or 0411 188 492.