The Worst Advice We’ve Heard About LED Lighting
The Worst Advice We’ve Heard About LED Lighting
By Mabel Lynch
Have you been given terrible LED advice? LED lighting is so commonplace in our lives today, yet bad tips seem unavoidable when it comes to the topic. Let’s take a look at a few common mistakes people make when it comes to LED lighting.
Mistake #1: Mixing LED bulbs with incandescent bulbs is ok.
No, it is not. While transitioning your space from traditional lighting solutions (incandescent light) to an LED solution, it is tempting to replace one or two bulbs at a time, while leaving one or two traditional bulbs in. This is a no no. Mixing LED with incandescent lighting causes poor performance. If using both on the same circuit, your incandescent light will draw more power, causing the LED to flicker. The better advice would be, if you change one, change them all.
If you change one, change them all
Mistake #2: Don’t use LEDs.
The benefits of LED lighting can certainly outweigh other considerations, so understand them before making your decision. LED lighting can save energy, using less than 90% of traditional bulbs. They can last for a very long period of time. They surprisingly don’t produce a lot of heat in comparison to traditional lighting methods. And they can work in extreme temperatures. What this means is if you live in areas with potential for inclement weather, LED lighting can withstand Mother Nature’s wrath, such as storms. Even if being green isn’t your top priority, choosing the LED option helps decrease pollution. This formula easily turns LED lighting into a money saver. If energy efficiency isn’t enough for you to make the switch, what is?
Traditional lighting methods can produce a lot of heat
Mistake #3: One LED fits all LED fixtures.
A big mistake is to assume all fixtures will accept LED bulbs. Another error is to assume all LED fixtures will accept any LED bulb. “One size fits all” does not always apply to LEDs. Using the wrong fixture can decrease the life span of your LED lights and potentially cause malfunction or produce an increased amount of heat. The worst is your mismatched bulb and fixture might not even emit the right amount of light. All this diminishes the benefits of LED lighting. So before you buy any old LED bulb, take a look at your fixtures. Are your fixtures compatible with the LED solution you just chose?
Mistake #4: Buy more LEDs.
More doesn’t necessarily mean better. Depending on your lighting needs, choosing the right amount of lights is important. Adding too much can jeopardize the aesthetics of the room you are lighting, not to mention racking up on costs for installation and energy bills. In some cases, buying more isn’t always better.
Mistake #5: Or buy the brightest LEDs.
Again, depending on the goals of the lighting solution, different LED bulbs produce different color quality. What that means is that a certain LED light bulb can emit different color temperature – from warm to cold tones. This can change the way a room feels. For example, buying the brightest bulbs can lead to a very cool-toned room that can feel washed out. If you want to have a cozy family room in your home, that cool-toned lighting solution may not work. Brightest isn’t necessarily the solution and light temperature does matter!
Mistake #6: LEDs last forever.
While LED lighting solutions are designed to last many years, it is a common mistake to think they do not need replacing. However, LED lighting does last longer than traditional bulbs, so the need to replace them happens later. The average life span of an LED lamp is about 50,000 hours. That is about 2083 days, which is about 5-6 years – on average. To give you a comparison, that is 50 times more than incandescent lights and 8 to 10 times more than compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
Aside from end of life, if LEDs are installed in incompatible fixtures (remember Mistake #2 above?), replacement needs may come sooner. And sometimes, you may encounter a poorly manufactured product that just doesn’t work. Either way, LEDs bulbs are as close to forever as you can get, but they will still need replacing.
Mistake #7: I can install it all myself.
Minimizing the importance of proper installation is a common mistake, especially when there are a lot of LEDs to install or if there is a certain aesthetic goal. Putting the lights too close together or not securing LED properly are examples of potential damages to the lights. Poor installation can also create excess light pollution and uneven low-quality lighting. At the end of the day, not installing LED lighting properly can be costly and painful!
Mistake #8: To throw them out in the trash or not?
LED light bulbs do not contain hazardous chemicals unlike the small amount of mercury in CFLs. This makes throwing LEDs out in the trash bin is OK to do. However, if you can recycle them, why not! Most LEDs today are made of material you can recycle.
No mercury in LED’s, but try to recyle
LED is an energy-saving and cost-efficient lighting solution for all. But often times, bad advice is given when it comes to what they are and the details about how they operate. Hopefully this article helps clarify common mistakes made when it comes to LED lighting.