What You Should Know About Replacing LED Bulbs in Your House

Now that both incandescent and halogen bulbs are disappearing from the market, many people want to replace their current household lighting with the LED light bulbs. This is a great option for many because the price of LED bulb keeps decreasing and lighting companies become more efficient and the cost of manufacturing comes down.

However, you need to learn how you can find the best LED replacement bulbs for your home. There are some important things that you should consider, so you can select your new LED bulbs easily and avoid the common pitfalls of switching from incandescent, halogen, or CFL, to LED.

Take a look at the "lumens"

You should think about "lumens" when you are looking for the best LED replacement bulbs. You can take a look at the packaging of your LED lights, as most bulb packages now have a Lighting Facts panel. The lumens or light output is usually listed with a number, such as 800 or 1600. This number can be used to compare several LED bulbs, as well as compare LEDs with your current light bulbs. You should choose the LED that has about 5 percent or less difference in lumens compared to your current bulbs.

Consider the color temperature

This is another thing that you should consider when choosing your favorite LED bulbs. You can check the color temperature from the lighting facts label on the packaging. If you are used to common incandescent or halogen bulbs with a warm or neutral white color, it is recommended to choose an LED bulb that has color temperature about 2700-3000K.

You should not choose the LED bulbs that have more than 3000K color temperature because these bulbs may produce undesirable blue color, resembling daylight. For comparison, fluorescent tubes with a color temperature around 4000K are most often used in offices. You probably don't want your bedroom or kitchen to resemble your office at work. Overhead lights at a big box store may be 4000K or even 5000K, which resembles sunlight on a clear day at noon.

Choose the dimmable version

If you want to save the energy use in your home, you may want to consider using a bulb that can be dimmed. This version allows you to control the brightness of your bulb easily with a dimmer switch. There are some LED lighting bulbs that offer this feature, while all incandescent and halogen bulbs can be dimmed (although dimming halogens can shorten bulb life).

If you don't need too bright light, you can simply reduce the brightness of these LED bulbs to the desired level. Some LEDs also provide a warm dim that lowers the color temperature as the light is dimmed. Not all dimmers are compatible with LED lamps, so check the manufacturer's dimmer compatibility list to make sure your bulb and dimmer work flawlessly together.

Look at the warranty

This is another useful tip for consumers. It is important that you take a look at the warranty for your LED bulbs. It is important to choose the best LEDs that have at least a 3 year warranty. Some companies also offer a 5 year warranty for their LED lights. If your bulb fails before the warranty runs out, the manufacturer should replace it at no cost; this is designed as an incentive to switch from older technology bulbs to the new LED standard.

Of course, this assumes the LED manufacturer will be around in 3-5 years in something happens to your bulb. This is a strong case for buying from an established brand that has been around for a while. Some lighting manufacturers have been in operation for over one hundred years, long before LEDs were invented.

Conclusion

They are some quick tips on how you can select the best LED replacement bulbs easily. It is important that you compare the available bulbs - both LED and alternatives - so you can find the best one for your home. Make sure that you are happy with the LED bulbs before you replace a large number of them throughout your house.