What’s all the buzz about LED lights? You may have read or been told by friends or family that you should change your standard bulbs to new LED light bulbs, but do you know why? Here are just a few reasons why every home can benefit from LED light bulbs:
Long-lasting.
Do you hate changing light bulbs? Then, you’ll love LED lights! These energy efficient lights last almost 42 times longer than standard light bulbs, usually burning bright for around 50,000 hours. Although LED lights are more expensive than standard bulbs, longer life means you will end up paying less for bulbs over time, since you won’t have to switch them out as frequently.
Save you money
LED light bulbs can also save you money on your monthly utility bills. On average, LED lights use between 2-17 watts to light up a room, while a standard bulb uses around 45 watts. This means you will use less energy to keep your house bright, and will start to see just how much energy you’ve saved when it comes time to pay the bills.
Safe
If you have little ones at home, you may be worried about them burning themselves on standard light bulbs, since the surface of these tend to heat up fairly quickly. The heat is a result of these standard light bulbs emitting around 85 BTUs per hour, but LED light bulbs only emit 3.4 BTUs per hour. With LED light bulbs in the house, you never have to worry about kids accidentally burning themselves, since the surface of these bulbs stay cool even when in use.
Greener choice
LED light bulbs are recyclable, whereas standard bulbs are not. The more you can recycle in your home, the larger the impact you can make on the rest of the world. Additionally, LED light bulbs do not contain any toxic materials such as mercury, which is found in fluorescent light bulbs. High blood mercury levels can cause retardation and deformities in children, so if a fluorescent bulb were to break around your kids, they could be at risk of serious side effects. Avoid these dangers and make the green choice by buying LED lights for your home.
Now that you know the benefits of buying LED lights, here are a few things to consider when you shop for bulbs:
Color
LED light bulbs typically come in either warm white, soft white or bright white. Warm and soft white colors will produce a soft yellow light similar to what you would get with a standard incandescent bulb. Bright white, on the other hand, will not have the same warmth. These bulbs tend to be used in retail establishments instead of the home.
Brightness
Unlike incandescent bulbs, the brightness of LED light bulbs is not determined by the watts used. So, when you shop for your first LED light bulbs, pay attention to lumens, which is the true indicator of how bright a LED bulb will be. To give you an idea of what to look for, the brightness of a bulb with 2600 lumens is equivalent to an incandescent bulb with 150 watts, while 450 lumens is equivalent to 40 watts.
Check for compatibility
Many LED light bulbs do not work with dimmer switches. If you have dimmer switches throughout your home, make sure you are choosing a LED light bulb that is compatible.
Remember, you don’t have to make the switch to LED light bulbs right away. Instead, wait until the bulbs you are using now begin to burn out and as they do, replace each with a LED light bulb. Once you see the many benefits they bring to your home, you’ll understand why there’s so much buzz around these bulbs!
