The Advantages of LED Lighting in the Home

As conventional tungsten light bulbs are phased out over the next few years, homeowners are left with a choice of compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED lighting in the home. While both CFL and LED are considerably more efficient and longer lasting than tungsten bulbs, is one better than the other?

The Benefits of LED Lighting

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode and are made from a solid semiconductor material. They offer many advantages, including:

• Low Power Consumption
• Size – LEDs can be manufactured large or very small, depending on the application
• Unique Applications – LED can be used in variety of different places traditional bulbs cannot, even the inside of faucets and shower heads!
• Low Temperature – Because LEDs produce virtually no heat there is less risk of fire
• Stability – Being solid-state and not containing a filament, LEDs are highly resistant to shock and vibration damage
• Longevity – Perhaps the LEDs biggest advantage is its long lifespan, lasting as much as 6 times as long as CFL bulbs!
• Environmentally Friendly – Unlike CFLs, LEDs do not contain mercury

The Disadvantages of LED Lighting

The main disadvantage of LED lighting is cost. While LEDs have been around for decades, they have only become affordable enough to make them a viable alternative to CFLs in the home within the last year or two.

Another disadvantage of LED is that they emit a cooler, more blue-white colored light. This can color can be altered by using a colored lampshade or by attaching special color filters to specially designed lighting fixtures. There’s even an LED lightbulb with it’s own smartphone app for controlling the intensity and color of the light!

Have questions about lighting or other electrical systems in the home? Call ABC Plumbing, Sewer, Heating, Cooling and Electric. We’re here to help.