We think making an upgrade to your outdoor or indoor lighting in Depew, NY or elsewhere in Western New York to all LED lights is a fantastic idea. Although LED lights are more expensive than incandescent or fluorescent lights, they have numerous benefits such as lengthy lifespans, low heat emissions, lower energy usage, and reduced negative environmental impacts.
Although LED lights aren’t a “new” technology, the explosion of their popularity is a recent phenomenon—and that means there are many misunderstandings about LED lights making the rounds on the internet. We want to clear up a few of these misconceptions so you have a better understanding of what you’ll get when you choose to upgrade your home lighting to LED.
#1. “LED lights are not bright enough”
They absolutely are! LED lights emit the same amount of light as standard light bulbs. You can look on the package for a LED bulb and see how many lumens it gives off, and you’ll see they match those of other types of lightbulbs. You can get LED bulbs that provide the same type of light you’ve enjoyed before, such as softer lighting or cooler lights. The variety of LED lights means you can find the right type for any use in your household.
#2. “LED lights need time to ‘warm up’ to full power”
This is one of the most common misunderstandings: you turn on an LED light, but it will only be at half illumination until a few minutes go by. But LED lights burn at their full intensity as soon as they turn on. It’s fluorescent lamps that have the slower warm-up time with flickering.
#3. “LED lights can be harmful to the eyes”
We aren’t sure where this myth comes from, because there is absolutely no basis for it. It might be because people are mistaking LED lights for lasers—and they are definitely not lasers with light focused to a single point. LED lights instead run current through a diode that emits light that spreads outward in the same way that light from other sources does. You won’t do any harm to your eyes with LED lights.
#4. “LED lights aren’t dimmable”
Because LED lights are digital, they are either on or off. This is the source of confusion that LED lights can’t be dimmed like more traditional bulbs. However, the technology of LED lights can switch them on and off rapidly (too fast for the eye to detect), which allows them to be dimmed. However, LED lights come in both dimmable and non-dimmable models, so you will need to ask specifically for dimmable if that’s what you want.
#5. “LED lights get hot”
Although LED lights do give off some amount of heat, it is much less than traditional incandescent bulbs. This is because LED’s do not emit infrared light, only visible light. Since infrared light isn’t visible to the naked eye, this doesn’t affect the brightness of the light—but it does eliminate extra energy use and lowers the amount of heat the bulb gives off. You’ll find LED lights warm to the touch, but not untouchably hot the way incandescent bulbs are.
Scherer Electric Is Western New York’s Favorite Electrician! Contact us today if you’re interested in making upgrades to your indoor or outdoor lighting.
