Why LED?

There are many reasons to choose LED lighting over traditional halogen and fluorescent bulbs and these are just some of them...

1. LED bulbs last considerably longer than traditional halogen and fluorescent bulbs, lasting up to 20 years or 50,000 hours, regularly replacing bulbs will become a thing of the past

2. Compared to traditional bulbs LED bulbs run at a much cooler temperature, this is related to the efficiency of the bulb. Common halogen bulbs convert energy in to light and heat, but as little as 20% of the energy may translate as visible light, that means that the other 80% is converted to heat and heats up the predominantly glass bulb to dangerous temperatures that can cause burns and in some unfortunate cases even lead to house fires.

3. Unlike older halogen bulbs and also their attempted improvement fluorescent spirals, LED bulbs are incredibly energy efficient, converting up to 80% of energy into light, this also means that very little energy is wasted as heat providing multiple benefits to the user. Over the course of their extended life they can save huge amounts on electricity bills.

4. The money you will save by changing to LED bulbs will become obvious in the first year of switching; a regularly used bulb such as in a hallway can save you around £6 per year, per bulb. The average saving is between £250 and £600 each year for every bulb in your house and over their long lifetime this could save you 1000s of pounds.

5. As opposed halogen bulbs, dimmable LEDs do not change colour when they are dimmed; although the light emitted is reduced a white LED bulb will not turn off-white/yellow like a halogen does when dimmed, and retains its pure colour.

6. LED lights are incredibly versatile, saving energy and money as well as time (replacing bulbs) in unlimited applications such as traffic lights, emergency exit signs, automotive lighting, shop illumination and aesthetic effect lighting such as in hotels and even art galleries. The fact that LEDs run a lot cooler than regular light bulbs also make them a great choice for museums and galleries that often require artefact's to be stored at very specific, controlled temperatures.

7. LEDs can be produced in a vast range of colours. The way that this is done is very different to the way that halogen bulbs are coloured. The colour of an LED is determined right at the beginning of its production. The colour of an LED depends principally on the alloyed materials that make up its composition. The colour of the light can be fine tuned by altering the mixture, primarily what materials are used and the quantity of each. This produces a bright accurate colour of light. Halogen bulbs tend to have a coating or film that filters the light and only lets light of a certain colour through, this greatly reduces the light output of the bulb.

8. LED bulbs are also very durable as they have no fragile filament to get damaged in transit or while handled. The most common result of halogen bulbs not working is that the filament is broken, this happens frequently when a surge of electricity heats the filament and causes it to melt and break; this is referred to as a ‘blown’ bulb.

9. Unlike many traditional bulbs, LEDs do not have these hazardous gasses such as mercury that can be very dangerous if released and harm the environment if disposed of incorrectly.

10. Because of their lifespan and durability, both time and money is saved by that fact that LEDs rarely need replacing, this means that they can be used in difficult to access places such as in electronic displays, street lighting or emergency illuminated signage.

11. With their futuristic look, both on and off, LEDs can add a modern feel to your room, with impressive light output for their tiny size they really are technology of the future.

12. Unlike traditional bulbs, LEDs are not effected by being turned on and off a lot, older, halogens and fluorescent experience energy surges and this damages the bulb each time so over time they will eventually fail. This is why they are not a good option for somewhere where they will turn on and off frequently. LEDs do not suffer damage like this therefore they are ideal for applications such as motion sensors that means they can turn off when no one needs them and turn on, immediately and without causing damage to the bulb when needed.