Uses For Led Lighting

LED Light Bulbs - Introduction and Usage

The best way to start using LED light bulbs is to try one bulb first. Swap a regular bulb on your porch, in a ceiling can, task or accent light, or maybe replace a bulb that you leave on at night. To get familiar with LED light bulbs, experiment with different lighting combinations and see how their reduced light output works for you.

LED Light Bulb Benefits

• Save money on electricity
• Light the color of daylight
• Use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL)
• Long lasting - up to 60,000 hour bulb life
• Cool running (warm to the touch) - little heat compared to standard bulbs
• Instant on/off
• Works in cold weather
• Can sustain moderate power surges
• Durable bulbs with no fragile filaments to break from shaking and rattling
• Directional lighting generates less wasted light
• Works with sensor activated lights
• Dimmable for desired ambient light

LED Energy Efficiency

Here's how LED light bulbs compare to ordinary bulbs: A regular 40 Watt incandescent bulb burns through a lot more energy than it needs to produce the light you see. Remember those toy ovens that used an incandescent light bulb to bake brownies? A large percentage of the energy that goes into a 40 Watt bulb is wasted as heat - great for baking brownies, not so great for conserving electricity and saving money. LED light bulbs, on the other hand, generate very little heat as they glow, instead transferring most of their energy directly into light.

The latest LED light bulbs now produce about the same amount of light per watt as compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). However, unlike incandescent bulbs and CFLs, which splash light in all directions, LED bulbs are directional. They drive their light in one direction, so that you have light exactly where you want it. This directional lighting equals savings in yet another fashion. LEDs don't waste light (energy) on areas you don't need illuminated, which is also why they're perfect task lights.

Prior to the introduction of LED light bulbs, if you wanted to use a low watt (less than 4 watts) bulb for ambient lighting, you had to settle for a hard-to-find, expensive, incandescent light or an unsightly florescent. Current LED bulbs are designed to fit standard bases, range from 0.85 to 7.3 watts, and are made for low light situations. In addition to low wattage, you get the bonus of long life and energy efficiency, which all adds up to a 90% savings over standard bulbs.

In a garage or basement under heavy foot traffic, incandescent bulbs are just too fragile to last very long. Too much vibration and the filament breaks and you're left with darkness or the hassle of changing another bulb. Not so with LED light bulbs. Since LED light bulbs have no filament, there's nothing to rattle apart and break. So they'll not only save you money in the cost of bulb replacement, they'll save you the trouble of climbing onto a chair or rickety ladder to swap out that incandescent bulb that keeps burning out.

A Cool, New Color of Light

LED light bulbs bring a white light into a room. Unlike the yellow light we're so used to seeing from incandescent bulbs, the white light cast by LEDs is closer to the color temperature of daylight. The white light of LEDs is easier on your eyes and also provides the added benefit of lifting your mood in the summer and winter time. The white light also mixes in wonderfully with ordinary lights around your home or workplace, and it's a great light to read by.

LEDs In Your Home

We're constantly finding new ways to put LEDs to work around the home. Following is just a sampling of some of the best applications we've found for LED light bulbs:

Use an LED light bulb in a task or reading light, and you'll have a bright, white light to work by. LEDs not only produce light more efficiently, they have a tiny mirror that reflects light in one direction. A directed light means less wasted light.

Ceiling cans (or recessed lighting) have become one of the most common styles of lighting for homes in the U.S. They are typically installed in groups simply for symmetry. Ceiling cans are an ideal place for LED light bulbs.

Porch/Outdoor LED Lighting

LED light bulbs cost just pennies a day to run, so they are perfect for those always-on or accidentally-left-on lights like on porches. Since they last up to 60,000 hours, LED light bulbs are also great for those hard-to-reach places where it's difficult or dangerous to change the light bulb.

Normal temperature fluctuations can unscrew a bulb from its fixture. If your LED bulb goes out - make sure it is screwed in first.

Art Lighting

LEDs emit monochromatic light therefore any harmful ultra-violet or infra-red light has been eliminated making them safe to illuminate paintings and other types of art. The bluish color of LED light bulbs adds a whole new and exciting dimension to artwork.

Marine Artist Jim Clary, owner of Cap'n Jim's Gallery in Port Huron, Michigan, supplements his tungsten display lighting with the LEDs during business hours, but switches to total LED lighting to brighten his window displays and all interior walls after dark.

LED Night Lights

We think nightlights should be cheap to operate, and we think the bulbs should last a long time — which is why we designed our very own LED night light. Runs cool, won’t shatter like glass bulbs, and is super energy efficient — using less than 1 watt of power. 120 Volts and lasts up to 60,000 hours. Fits most standard night light fixtures.

LEDs at Work

Using LEDs at work and saving money while maintaining good lighting requires thought and some basic change. Most work areas need at least two types of lighting:

   1. Light to navigate the work space safely.
   2. Light to carry out the task at hand (task lighting).

Since LED light bulbs are directional, they are perfect for task lighting. With a little planning and experimentation, once you achieve the setup that is right for the job the only difference you will notice will be the 90% savings on your electric bill.

Source: C-Crane Website