Pros and cons of LED light bulbs

Pros and cons of LED light bulbs

Lighting is an important component of our daily lives and we need it for almost every aspect of our everyday operations. With an enhanced sensitization on protecting our environment, there is increased progress made by the lighting industry, and LED lighting is one of these advances. LED technology has been recognized for energy efficiency that has a key selling point for LED lights.

There are many pros and cons of LED light bulbs that you need to understand before switching to LED lights.

What are LED Lights?

LED stands for “Light Emitting Diode” and it consists of a semiconductor. When the current flows through the semiconductor, the electrons within it release photons that are the energy units. Several factors affect the colour of LED light bulbs which include the construction of LED light and the amount of energy used. LED bulbs and LED lamps are used everywhere including our offices, homes, vehicles, industries, and almost every other area. LED light bulbs can be easily installed in homes and offices using LED extrusions.

Here are the various pros and cons of LED lights.

Pros of LED Bulbs

1. Energy Efficient

Various types of light bulbs have been compared and the results showed that LED light bulbs are approximately 80% more energy-efficient as compared to incandescent light bulbs. When compared to CFL bulbs, LED lights are more energy-efficient. For instance, an LED bulb utilizes just 10 watts and gives off the same lumens as the incandescent light bulb that utilizes 60 watts of power.

2. Long Lifespan

LED bulbs have the longest life expectancy of all the light bulb options. Various tests prove that an LED light bulb can last for over 50,000 hours. Based on its use, the longest an LED bulb can long is 100,000 hours. Other LED bulbs can last for up to 75,000 hours. In contrast, an incandescent bulb is expected to last for only 2,000 hours. Each time a light bulb is switched on; it gets a little out of it. The same is true for LED light bulbs. So, if a bulb is turned off and on frequently, it may have a short lifespan.

3. Produce Less Heat

A major advantage of LED lights is that they produce a lot less heat as compared to other bulbs. It is because 80% of the energy by LED bulbs is light and only 20% of energy is converted to heat. The opposite is true for incandescent bulbs, as they convert most of the energy into heat. Halogen bulbs get too much hot that you can burn your hand if you touch them and there is the risk of fire.

4. Save Money

The upfront cost of LED lights is higher as compared to others. But thanks to the long lifespan and energy efficiency, the actual cost is less than other types of bulbs.

5. Durable

As LED light bulbs give off solid-state lighting in contrast to incandescent filaments that produce less stable light, LEDs can survive the shock, vibrations, and temperature fluctuation much better as compared to traditional light sources, making them appropriate for a wide range of applications.

6. Turn on quickly

When you turn on the switch for an LED light, it instantly reaches 100% brightness. In contrast, some lights require a considerable time to heat up or reach 100% brightness. A fluorescent bulb in a cooler location is a good example. They frequently flicker until they heat up.

7. Colour variation

LED lights enable us to get any light illumination colour. White, green, blue, and red are basic colours, but today, the progress has gone so far that you can obtain any colour. Each distinct LED RGB system consists of three components, each of which provides a different colour from the RGB colour palette i.e. red, blue, and green.

8. Eco-Friendly

LED lights are environmentally friendly as they don’t have any dangerous chemicals like fluorescent bulbs and lamps that contain mercury and are required to be disposed of in a particular way. Around 95% of all the LED light bulbs don’t have to be recycled which means that they don’t have any hazardous chemicals inside. 

Cons of LED Bulbs

1. An Upfront Investment Is Needed

In today’s world, prices usually factor into the life expectancy of the produce. Let's take a computer, if it has a high memory you can expect to pay more for it. When it comes to a new AC unit, it would be more costly if it has a higher SEER rating as it would be more energy efficient. LED lights follow the same thing. Since LED lights have a longer lifespan, you will have to invest more as an upfront cost as it is an investment. A less costly light bulb is good for emergency conditions. But if you don’t want to replace your light bulbs very soon, you are suggested to opt for investment.

2. Temperature

LED lights are sensitive to temperature. In terms of temperature, the ability of LED lights to function directly related to the temperature where it is sited. If the LED light is used in an area where the temperature is high, it can lead to overload and failure. To avoid it from happening, LED lights usually need a heat sink to keep them cool and function properly.

3. Not Great for Dimmers

Dimmers are used to create lighting effects. Unluckily, LED lights are not compatible with dimmers. In case you want to use a dimmer with LED lights, you will need to look for a switch that is particularly compatible with LED lights. Undoubtedly, LED technology has advanced a lot when it comes to energy efficiency but as far as dimming feature is concerned, LED technology has a way to go. 

4. The colour is not always great

Even though it is not a big issue as it was at the time of the advent of LED lights, sometimes, the brightness of LED lighting can become lower quality with time. It sometimes leads to reduced brightness and unbalanced lighting.

Check out the related article Light – The Key to Effective Work and Learning