Led bulbs how does it work

These are the type of LEDs you buy to illuminate rooms in your home or office. They can be found in a variety of styles, shapes and colours suitable for almost any application. Back to list. Shop with Confidence All our lamps are branded and from quality manufacturers. Watch us Shine Lighting can be complicated, but our friendly, experienced team makes it hassle-free.

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But in the last decade or so, these LED replacement bulbs, the kind you just screw into a lamp like you do an incandescent bulb, have become much more common — which is to say a large number of businesses and households are using them. A survey showed that 70 percent of Americans had bought at least one LED light bulb and 38 percent had switched over from incandescent bulbs to LEDs.

This percentage has likely increased since In this article, we'll look into how LED light bulbs work, why they're a desirable lighting choice, and some of the pros and cons surrounding them. Let's begin with the basics: How does an LED produce light? Basically, instead of emitting light from a vacuum as in an incandescent bulb or a gas as in a CFL , an SSL emits light from a piece of solid matter. In the case of a traditional LED, that piece of matter is a semiconductor.

Stated very simply, an LED produces light when an electrical current passes through a microchip , which illuminates the tiny light sources called LEDs and the result is visible light.

The problem with LEDs as primary home lighting was that while they emit a lot of light, the structure of an LED caused some of that light to get trapped inside.

So, an LED bulb was traditionally dimmer than an incandescent bulb, and most people want their lamps and ceiling fixtures to be pretty bright. Now, LEDs bulbs have brightened up. You can now find LED replacement bulbs that emit light equivalent to a watt incandescent light bulb or higher, which makes them a viable technology for basic lighting needs at home.

And a LED replacement light bulb has a life 24, hours longer than that of a traditional incandescent watt bulb. And it's cheaper. First, there's the reduced energy use. The LED method of producing light uses far less energy to heat than do other lighting technologies. But energy efficiency is just part of the story. The other part is time efficiency: A good-quality LED bulb theoretically can have a life span of 25, hours or more , while incandescent bulbs have a 1,hour life span.

Solid-state lights like LEDs are more stable light sources than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, and the difference is startling: You'd have to leave a LED light on for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for three years before it matches an incandescent bulb's life span. In fairness, not all LED light bulbs last as long as they can in theory.

Some may have shorter life spans if parts wear out prematurely. Because of that time benefit, things get a bit more muddled when you get into the cost issue. LEDs are poised to take over household lighting. It's estimated that LEDs will account for 75 percent of all lighting sales by If you look at what the scientists are saying about LEDs, the picture does look pretty rosy.

LED stands for light emitting diode. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink. The useful life of LED lighting products is defined differently than that of other light sources, such as incandescent or compact fluorescent lighting CFL.

LEDs are incorporated into bulbs and fixtures for general lighting applications. Small in size, LEDs provide unique design opportunities. Some LED bulb solutions may physically resemble familiar light bulbs and better match the appearance of traditional light bulbs. LEDs offer a tremendous opportunity for innovation in lighting form factors and fit a wider breadth of applications than traditional lighting technologies.