LED Lighting: a Guide to Using LEDs in Your Home

LEDs are growing in popularity, and now it is possible to use LED lighting throughout
the home for any purpose, rather than relying on other less eco-friendly options.

LEDs tend to be more expensive than traditional bulbs, but prices continue to fall. In
addition, the fact that they are long-lasting, and the energy savings that they can lead to, can
make them the most cost-effective option for lighting your home.

Types of LED Lighting

LED bulbs are available in a wide range of
styles, including standard bulbs, candle
bulbs, coloured bulbs and more, and they
also come in a range of temperatures. If
you want a warm light temperature for your
LEDs, you will probably want something
around the 2600 Kelvin mark – any higher
than this can lead to colder lighting.

You also need to think about the amount of
output produced by a bulb. You can do this
by comparing your new LEDs to traditional
bulbs and making a quick calculation. For
example, with a traditional bulb, 100w is
often considered a good level for the main
light in a room. With an LED light, you will
want something about 10% of this value to
generate the same amount of brightness, so
choose a 10w bulb. You can use this basic
calculation with any LED bulb if you are
unsure how bright it should be.

Where to Use LED Lighting in the Home

LEDs can essentially be used
anywhere in the home to replace
older bulbs. LEDs are a great
option for dimmable lights (unlike
CFLs), but just make sure you are
buying bulbs that are designed to
be dimmable. If you do buy
dimmable LEDs, you may need to
change your dimmer switch to one
that is LED compatible.

LEDs come in a wide range of fittings, so often
you can simply replace your old bulbs with LED
bulbs without any problem. You may want to take
your old bulb to the store with you so that you
know which type of fitting you need.

One thing to be aware of is that LEDs are
low-voltage, so you may need to make
sure they are compatible with your
system. This is something that you will
want to talk to an electrician about.

When you are ready to replace your bulbs, start by replacing the lights you
use the most, which will normally be the main overhead lights in a room, and
this is where the biggest savings will be made. You can then move onto the
smaller lamps and spotlights around your home. It is a good idea to buy one
bulb first and test it in the room, then you can buy more when you are happy
that you have made the right decision.

Key Benefits of LED Lights

Using LEDs can save you money over the years because
they use far less energy than alternative options, and they
use even less than CFLs. If you are still using traditional
bulbs in your home, the savings you can make by
switching to LEDs can be huge. And the great thing is that
switching your lighting is one of the easiest and most
effective ways to reduce your electricity bill.

While CFLs are still a good option for saving electricity, they are
not as efficient as LEDs. In addition, CFLs take time to warm up
so you don’t get the instant light that you do with LEDs.

One of the things that has put people off LEDs in the past
is the assumption that they have a cold light temperature.
However, they have come a long way and it is now
possible to get LEDs in a wide range of temperatures, so
you can enjoy a warmer light in your home similar to that
produced by traditional bulbs. LEDs also come in a wide
range of colours and fittings to make them a truly
versatile option.

Always Choose the Best Quality

Although LEDs have many advantages over other types of lighting, the quality always
varies. If you want your bulbs to last the longest amount of time possible and to
produce the best light in your home, it is well worth investing in the best quality bulbs
you can find. It may mean a larger initial investment, but you will be able to enjoy the
full benefits of LEDs as a result.