LED lamps are nothing but a cluster of individual LED light bulbs. These bulbs operate on the principle of a pin junction where the energy flows in one direction from p to n side when a voltage is applied it. The p and n sides of the junction are made of different semiconductor material. Just by varying the semiconductor material, the color of the emitted light can be changed.
A few years back LED light bulbs had limited usage. They were used only in digital devices and traffic lights, but now they are being used widely in residential and commercial lighting. Some LEDs produce light of wavelengths between 400 nm and 700 nm while infrared LEDs produce light of the wavelength greater than 830 nm. With the introduction of diodes that produce white light, the applications of these bulbs have become widespread.
Many people are switching to LED lamps because of their manifold benefits. They are energy efficient, environment friendly, and have good life span. Also, they are sturdy and do not get easily damaged due to shocks. An LED lamp consumes one-tenth of energy consumed by an incandescent bulb and has an average life span of 10 years. The luminous efficiency of LED light lamps varies from 20 lumens per Watt to 55 lumens per Watt. Though the Compact Fluorescent bulbs also have good luminous efficiency, but many people do not prefer them as they contain harmful mercury. Mercury poses problems both to the environment as well as to the health of the occupants.
However, there are no such problems with LED lamps. They are entirely free from harmful materials. Moreover, they need to be replaced only once in a decade, hence the waste generated by them is very less. Therefore, they are environment friendly. LED light bulbs are of many different types. If you need a focussed light in one direction, then LED floodlights and LED downlights are useful. LED globes are useful if you need diffused light that illuminates the entire area uniformly. One can also buy LED tube lights, dimmers, and garden lights for their homes or offices.
How to Buy a Light Emitting Diode Bulb?
Since LED light bulbs are relatively expensive than Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and last for almost a decade, one should choose them carefully.
Determine Your Needs - This includes wattage of the bulb, type of illumination required, and place for which it is required. You can get anything from 3v to 18v LED bulbs. A 3v LED bulb is as good as 25W incandescent bulb, a 12v LED bulb serves the purpose of a 50W incandescent bulb, and a 18v LED bulb can be used at places where 100W incandescent bulb is required.
The illumination of these bulbs varies depending upon their manufacturer and construction. While some 12v LED light bulbs are equivalent of 40W incandescent bulb, some serve the purpose of 60W incandescent bulbs. Therefore, one should check the entire specifications of the bulb before buying the LED lamps.
Luminous efficiency is one thing that can change the performance of the bulb. Though most manufacturers offer bulbs of 20 lumens per Watt efficiency but buying the one having efficiency between 40 lumens per Watt to 55 lumens per Watt is better.
You should determine the color of light you want. It depends on your personal taste and the area that has to be illuminated. Color is often represented by temperature in Kelvin. A low temperature of 2100 K indicates warm colors like yellow while high temperature of 5100 K indicates cold colors like blue. Most people prefer warm colors for indoor and cold colors for outdoors.
Beam angle is another factor that should be considered while buying an LED light bulb. If you want to focus light on a small area then a LED bulb with narrow beam angle of 15 to 30 degrees is good. If you want to lighten up a wide area with subtle lighting, then choose an LED bulb with a wide beam angle of greater than 45 degrees as it spreads the light over a large area. Buying LED light bulbs is not difficult. Several online stores sell these lights. Before buying, spend some time researching on the types of LED lamps available. Also compare their rates. Most sellers offer warranty on these bulbs and you should check it before striking the final deal. You should buy the one having at least one-year warranty.
