We use light bulbs every day: in our homes, cars, offices, stores and more. Though it is important that they light up the area, it is also significant the way that the light is emitted. With this goal in mind, it is essential that you know the difference between LED and incandescent lighting. The biggest difference between the two is how they emit light. Incandescent lights, which have been around since the s, are your classic light bulb; they produce light by heating a wire filament to a specific temperature that then generates light and heat.
The wire is surrounded by a glass bulb that is usually filled with an inert gas. LED, or light emitting diodes, on the other hand, do not have filaments and function completely different. A diode is an electrical device with two electrodes that allow electricity to pass through.
The two electrodes are anode and cathode. February 21, Posted by Sarah Levison. March 23, Posted by Sarah Levison. Shop with Confidence All our lamps are branded and from quality manufacturers.
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How much do LED bulbs cost? How energy efficient is LED lighting? The first thing to do if you're buying LEDs that you want to use with a dimmer switch is to make sure that you buy bulbs that are, in fact, dimmable. Most manufacturers offer non-dimmable LED bulbs with no on-board dimming hardware whatsoever, and while those are fine if you want to save a buck or two on a bulb intended for a non-dimmable fixture, they're the last thing you want if you like the lights dimmed down low.
My second recommendation? Start with a single bulb from a major manufacturer and hang onto the receipt. Try it out with the dimmers in your home, and if it works, feel free to buy as many as you need. If not, most major retailers will be happy to let you return the bulb and exchange it for something else. At some point, you might also consider upgrading your dimmers to newer models designed to work with LEDs. Big names like Lutron and Leviton are your best bet there.
One last point: If dimming is truly important in your home, then you should really consider smart bulbs. Most use their own, built-in mechanisms to handle dimming, so you don't need a dimmer switch at all. You probably know that LED bulbs run a lot cooler than their incandescent cousins, but that doesn't mean they don't produce heat. LED bulbs do get hot, but the heat is pulled away by a heat sink in the base of the bulb.
From there, the heat dissipates into the air and the LED bulb stays cool, helping to keep its promise of a long life. And therein lies the problem: The bulb needs a way to dissipate the heat.
If an LED bulb is placed in an enclosed housing, the heat won't have anywhere to go, sending it right back to the bulb and sentencing it to a slow and painful death.
Remember, LED bulbs are electronic devices -- just like with your phone or your laptop, it isn't good to let them overheat. That's why it's fine to stick with incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs for enclosed fixtures.
LEDs will work, too, but in some cases, the heat build-up inside the fixture will reduce the bulb's lifespan.
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