All About LED Lights
What is an LED Light?
Before understanding what is an LED light, let’s understand the basics of LED. A light-emitting diode is a diode composed of two types of semi-conducting materials (a p-type and an n-type). When a light-emitting diode has a voltage source connected with the positive side of the anode and the negative side of the cathode, current will flow, and light will be emitted. If the positive and negative ends of the voltage were inversely connected, the current would not flow.
Forward bias allows current to flow through the LED and in doing so, emits light. Reverse bias prevents current from flowing through the LED. Diodes are generally made from semi-conductive materials such as silicone or selenium – materials that conduct electricity in some circumstances and not in others.
An LED is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when an electric current passes through it, and that’s the principle on which LED lights work.
If you are intrigued about how do LEDs work, then let’s get down to the technical details:
This may sound impeccably technical, however, it is important to understand that there are plenty of benefits of LED lights making them way better than a normal bulb.
Lifespan of LED Lights
One of the overriding reasons why LEDs win in the battle of LED light vs normal light is also their long operational lifespan. An LED lifespan can range from 50,000 hours of light to 100,000 hours. In short, if you use your lights for about 10 hours everyday, LEDs should serve you well for about 14 years. This is way more than a traditional light bulb. LED lights have an outstanding expected lifespan.
Energy Efficiency
LEDs rank high when it comes to modern lighting systems. Compared to traditional bulbs, LEDs boast an estimated energy efficiency of between 80-90%. Other than this, the LED power consumption and their cost-effectiveness also make them an ideal choice.
Heat management of LED Lights
LEDs use heat sinks to absorb the heat produced when it is lit and dissipate it into the surrounding environment. This keeps LEDs from overheating and burning out. LEDs function on the principle of thermal management throughout their lifetime. The higher the temperature at which the LEDs are operated, the more quickly the light will degrade.
In short, unlike a traditional CFL bulb, an LED bulb will not heat up soon. LED Bulbs offer many advantages over normal bulbs.
Difference between LED lights and regular lights
LED lighting differs from traditional lighting in several ways. We have already talked about how LED bulbs work, but it is also important to understand the difference between them and regular light bulbs.
LEDs are designed well, are more efficient, versatile and last longer. LED lights are also directional, which means they emit light in a specific direction, unlike a CFL, which emits light and heat in all directions. This makes LEDs way more efficient in several applications.
Incandescent bulbs produce light using electricity to heat a metal filament until it becomes ‘white’ hot or is said to be incandescent. As a result, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.
Benefits of using LED Lights
1. Longer life span:
Usually, the important parts of a light bulb, such as the filament, weaken over time, which causes the bulb to burn out. But LEDs don’t burn out the same way that other bulbs do; instead, the amount of light they produce decreases gradually in what is called “lumen depreciation.”
2. Energy efficiency:
Owing to their high lumen output per watt, LEDs can turn about 70% of their energy into light. This makes them much more efficient than other bulbs, which waste a lot of energy by turning it into heat.
3. High brightness & intensity:
LEDs can emit an extremely high level of brightness. That’s why wattage is no longer a viable measurement of brightness. You must look at a bulb’s lumen output when you are making the switch to LEDs.
4. Low heat radiation:
While an incandescent bulb operates by heating its filament to a temperature that produces light, an LED bulb emits electromagnetic energy as light when electrified. By turning energy into light instead of heat, LEDs are able to operate at a significantly lower temperature.
Uses of LED lights
There are different types of LED lights and each of them are known for different functions. Some of these applications include:
LED colour lights: The light emitted by normal LEDs comes in three different varieties which are:
1. Warm light: used in most homes
2. Cool light: used in office spaces
3. Daylight colour: a stark white light, used mainly for highlighting real colour
You can use these lights as stylish ceiling lights for your home. Crompton offers Star Lord 3-in-1 recessed panel light, which can be switched between warm and cool white light shades.
Dimmer switches:
As with other light bulbs, you can use a dimmer switch with LED lighting. However, remember that a LED bulb works at a lower wattage than a regular bulb.
LED lighting tubes:
LED lighting tubes are designed to replace fluorescent tubes and in some cases can be just simple drop in replacements. These generally work by providing a series of smaller LED lights along the length of the tube.
LED lights have made traditional bulbs redundant and for a good reason. Check out our LED Bulb range. Crompton has some of the best options in LED lights to make your space look brighter and happier.