Most homeowners want to improve their lighting while lowering their electrical bills. Instead of dimming the fixtures or using fewer lights, consider switching to LED or light-emitting diode options. Here is some insight into these innovative electrical solutions and why they’re a great fit for your house.
Why Should You Switch to LED Lights?
1. Longer Lifespans
LED lights may last from 50,000 to 60,000 hours, which is about 50 times longer than incandescent options and 8-10 times longer than a compact fluorescent bulb.
LED options can last around 10 years with near-nightly use. You won’t have to replace the bulbs annually, saving money and lowering your environmental impact.
2. Better Efficiency
LED bulbs are up to 90% more efficient than traditional incandescent options. The innovations transmit electrical current through microchips that illuminate the LED and give off up to 1600 lumens of light, or around the same as a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
Incandescent light bulbs move electricity through a wire filament to heat it and create light. These spiral wires are inside a glass enclosure that features a vacuum or an inert gas to prevent the filament from dissipating from the heat. The bulbs lose much of their energy as heat.
3. Lower Heat Outputs
Incandescent light bulbs use around 80% of their power as heat while giving off 20% of their energy as light. Placing a fixture that uses these bulbs near your HVAC thermostat may trick the system into thinking it’s hotter in your home than the real temperature because of the warmth the bulb emits.
LED bulbs use 80-90% of their electrical power as light and give off the rest as heat. They feature heat sinks that move air around the diode that emits light to cool it off. These bulbs are cool to the touch even during use.
4. Improving Safety
Since LED lighting gives off little heat, it is less likely to burn someone who bumps up against it or who is trying to change the bulb. Plus, your home may have a lower likelihood of an electrical fire when installing LED bulbs, as incandescent and CFL options are much warmer and more likely to cause a fire.
If you’re interested in learning more about saving money by updating your electrical systems, contact Patnode Electric in Mansfield, CT. The company has been open since 1988 and prides itself on helping residents solve a variety of electrical issues, including upgrading circuit breakers and restoring power. Call (860) 429-3574 or contact us to learn more about their services.
