LED Lights FAQ

What is LED lighting?

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. The process is much more efficient than what’s used by traditional incandescent lights and has a much longer lifespan. Its small size and relatively cooler operating temperature mean that it can be used in shapes and forms that would have been impossible to light with traditional bulbs.

How long do LEDs really last?

LEDs have a general life expectancy of 50 000 hrs. If you use your lights for 10 hours a day, this should be 13.7 yrs.

Are LED lights brighter?

Not necessarily. Like any fixture, the output depends on how much wattage it takes in and how many lumens it produces (lumens are a measurement of light’s brightness). Because LEDs produce many more lumens per watt than incandescent or fluorescent bulbs, you can’t look at wattage alone. While most people can reference wattage for a classic incandescent bulb, the wattage and the amount of light produces with LEDs is drastically different.

A good rule of thumb is that 1600 lumens equals about the same amount of light as a 100-watt incandescent bulb.

Are LEDs blue light?

Many people have a bad impression of LED from early versions of the technology in which, yes, the light did tend to have a blue tint to it. But the industry is constantly developing, and LEDs are now being designed to meet our expectations for the lighting we’d want in our homes.

The color of light produced is measured on the Kelvin scale, where a lower number equates to a warmer light—the higher the number, the whiter the light will be.

Can LEDs be used in outside lights?

Yes. Some bulbs are designed with water-proof fittings. Others need to be kept in a water-tight fixture. Read all instructions and manuals before using a LED bulb outdoors.

The specification you need to check for is IP Rating. A bulb or fixture IP65 or greater is considered acceptable to work in a wet environment.