Today, LED lamps are becoming more and more popular. And they save light, and look good, and the brightness is high. But are there pitfalls in purchasing such bulbs? And if there are, which ones? Let’s figure out together how to choose LED lamps for the home.
When choosing lighting lamps, it is important not only to take into account the main parameters of the light bulb itself, but also to compare it with analogues.
Compare with other lamps
When you come to the store to choose a lamp, you clearly have a choice – should you buy a fluorescent (l), LED (c) or incandescent (n) lamp? So, it’s time to put all the brackets above “i” and decide. We will reason according to certain criteria.
Term of service:
- l – 10,000 hours;
- n – 1000 hours;
- s – 100,000 years.
If you want to get rid of the need to buy a new lamp for a long time, an LED lamp is just it!
Power consumption:
- l – from 20 W / h;
- n – from 25 W / h;
- s – from 7 W / h.
Energy consumption, as you can see, is quite small. There are LED lamps of different wattages, so the energy consumption may be slightly higher. However, today it is LED lamps that are considered the most profitable in terms of energy savings.
Brightness:
- l – low;
- n – average;
- with is high.
Just such bulbs are best installed in table lamps. So it will be easier to read or do any written work, because the lighting is simply excellent!
Cost:
- l – average;
- n – low;
- with is high.
Yes, an LED bulb is quite expensive. However, if we return to the first criterion, it becomes clear that the price is fully justified. The number that indicates the number of hours of service is often questioned, but still, such a bulb will serve you faithfully for a period during which you would have to change several dozen ordinary incandescent lamps.
To all this, it is worth adding that LED lamps also do not emit infrared and ultraviolet light, about the harm of which there are so many rumors now. And they also have maximum light output.
How to determine the power?
If the quality of the lamp can be judged by the base, some still consider the manufacturer, then how to choose the right and necessary power?
There is a special formula that can be used to calculate the required power. For this, it will be necessary to divide the power of the incandescent lamp, which had to be changed, by eight. That is, if the incandescent lamp had 60 W, then the LED lamp is needed with a power of 60: 8 = 7.5 W. If you need to replace a fluorescent lamp, then its power must be divided by 2.
Design features
Do you want to approach the choice of an LED lamp with maximum care? So, you need to know what parts it consists of and what you should pay attention to when buying. We will only look at the details that you can see when you look at the bulb when you buy it.
- plinth
There are several types of plinths. The most common are E14 (the so-called minion) and E27 (standard). Lamps with bases of both one and another type are perfectly suited for use in domestic conditions. If the bulbs are needed for production or in an office space, a GU5.3 socket is suitable.
- Flask
Most often, you can find a lamp with an A60 bulb on sale, which comes with a standard base. It has a rather large size and is more suitable for chandeliers and large sconces. If you need a small LED bulb for a table lamp, pay attention to lamps with a bulb P45, which has a spherical shape, or C37 – in the shape of a candle.
If an LED lamp is replaced by a reflector (for soffits, for example), an R50 or R63 bulb is required.
- Radiator
A radiator should be in every normal LED lamp. The absence of such an element indicates that it was replaced with a plastic outlet. What does it mean and what does it threaten? The radiator is designed to periodically cool the lamp during long-term operation and extend its life. The plastic outlet does not perform this function, because its cooling efficiency is much lower.
The radiator is a ribbed border around the lamp, which you will be able to see when you buy it. Today, there are matte LED lamps on sale, it is better not to buy them, since the radiator is not visible there.
What to be guided by when choosing an LED lamp
We have dealt with the design, now let’s deal with the instructions. According to the characteristics indicated on the package, you can learn a lot about the LED lamp, we will teach you how to do it.
- Color temperature
This parameter is most noticeable to the average consumer, as the color of the light directly affects comfort and performance. For example, white light (over 5000 K), which is blue, creates a feeling of coldness. Warm light up to 3000 K makes the room dense and oppressive. To avoid color stress, choose the right light bulb color. For residential premises, a color temperature in the range of 3000-4000 K is recommended.
- Light flux
This is a very important nuance when choosing an LED lamp. For example, such an LED bulb with a luminous flux of 600 Lm (Lumens) is equivalent to an incandescent lamp with a power of 55-60 W. With these indicators, you can calculate the so-called efficiency of the LED lamp. The luminous flux indicator should be divided into energy consumption. The most economical are those bulbs whose efficiency is approximately 100 Lm / W.
- Pulsation
Lamp pulsation is a flickering of light invisible to the human eye, which negatively affects not only a person’s vision, but also his nervous system. A high-quality LED lamp should have a pulsation coefficient of no more than 5% percent, this indicator meets all standards.
Paying attention to the listed characteristics, you will be able to choose a really high-quality lamp. If you find one, but its price seems high to you, consider how many nerves you will spend reading in terrible lighting or seeing how the light flickers from time to time (with a high pulsation ratio, flickering can be seen with the naked eye).
Manufacturers of LED lamps – who can you trust?
We do not do advertising or anti-advertising, but every person should have access to information about the manufacturers of this or that product. Here we will consider LED lamps from 3 well-known manufacturers.
- Philips
The first thing that catches your eye is the absence of warranty mentions on the packaging. However, I was pleased with the indication in the instructions about the prohibition of use with switches with LED or neon lighting.
Regarding the light flux, the manufacturer has not proven itself to be good either, since the light flux in Philips lamps is similar to ordinary incandescent lamps. Prices for such lamps are average.
- Osram
The package contains light flux data, as well as warranty information. The light flux itself is similar to Philips lamps. Allows you to save significantly if you replace an incandescent lamp with it.
- Eurolamp
There is a guarantee. As stated, it will work only if the packaging is preserved. The luminous flux in most samples is no more than 70 W, which is significantly below the norm. The prices for such Eurolamps are quite high, and considering the fact that they do not meet the quality standard, the question arises – is it worth buying them?
When studying these models, only a few samples were taken, so this assessment is not complete. Perhaps you will be able to meet samples of light bulbs of these companies that fully meet the standards.