LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are now found on almost every electronic device including MP3 players, DVD players, TVs, clock radios, and computers. LEDs have been popular for decades. However, today they are cheaper, brighter and come in more colors than ever before. While the incandescent light bulb has been the light of choice for at least 100 years, today the LED Light Bulb has taken the lead.
What is an LED Light Bulb?
LEDs are very similar to traditional, light bulbs except that they fit directly into an electrical circuit. LEDs do not have a filament, so they generally last a long time without burning out. Because there is no filament, LEDs do not get hot and require far less electric power than traditional light bulbs due to their efficiency. In fact, electrons that run through the semiconductor material that LEDs are connected to illuminate LEDs.
What is a Diode?
An LED is a light emitting diode. A semiconductor diode is a two-terminal device, sometimes described as a pn. An LED is fabricated from a semiconductor material. One side of the semiconductor is attached to the P side, which is the anode, while the other side of the semiconductor is attached to the N side, the cathode. Electricity can flow from the p side to the n side. However, no electricity can flow in reverse. In effect, therefore, a diode is a unidirectional conductor.
What are the Benefits of Using LED's
1. LED's Are Ridiculously Energy-Efficient. LED lights use 75 to 80 percent less energy than older incandescent lights. And because lighting consumes a significant amount of household energy, the savings can add up fast.
2. LED's will save you money. If you're more motivated by cash than by environmental concerns, here's your catnip: LEDs will save you money over both CFLs and regular incandescent lights. One study found that over the lifetime of an LED light (estimated at 50,000 hours), LED's cost just $95 to operate -- CFLs, by comparison, cost $159 over the same period, and incandescents cost a whopping $652. These figures don't even include the hassles of buying and replacing lights. LEDs cost more up front, true -- you can expect to be at least $10 per bulb, depending on the type and the manufacturer -- but like most new technologies, that cost is dropping every year.
3. LED's might outlast you. If you hate changing burned-out light bulbs, raise your hand -- or, on second thought, don't. LEDs are generally estimated to last at least 25,000 hours, and often up to 50,000 hours. Incandescents only last 1,200 hours, so you'd have to replace an incandescent light 42 times to get the light of a single, solid-state LED. CFLs, by comparison, usually last 10,000 hours, so you'd only have to change them 5 times to match one LED light.
4. LED's contain no Toxic Mercury. I would be a big fan of CFLs if they didn't contain mercury, a toxin associated with birth defects, brain damage and other disorders. That's why CFLs can't be thrown in the trash -- and it's very tricky to clean up a broken CFL. LEDs' biggest advantage over CFLs is that they contain no mercury or other hazardous materials. None. Zip. Nada.
5. LED Lights are Cool. Literally. Ever try to unscrew a hot light bulb? (Not twice, I'll bet.) Incandescent and halogen lights can be very hot, which leads to a number of safety issues. LEDs, on the other hand, are totally cool even after several hours of use -- they're even cooler than CFLs.
6. LED Lights can be Dimmable. LED lights can be dimmed, which is not always the case with CFLs. Additionally, LEDs come on instantly and don't flicker . Finally, their light output is constant over the lifetime of the lamp, fading only when the lamps are at the end of their very, very long life.
2. LED's will save you money. If you're more motivated by cash than by environmental concerns, here's your catnip: LEDs will save you money over both CFLs and regular incandescent lights. One study found that over the lifetime of an LED light (estimated at 50,000 hours), LED's cost just $95 to operate -- CFLs, by comparison, cost $159 over the same period, and incandescents cost a whopping $652. These figures don't even include the hassles of buying and replacing lights. LEDs cost more up front, true -- you can expect to be at least $10 per bulb, depending on the type and the manufacturer -- but like most new technologies, that cost is dropping every year.
3. LED's might outlast you. If you hate changing burned-out light bulbs, raise your hand -- or, on second thought, don't. LEDs are generally estimated to last at least 25,000 hours, and often up to 50,000 hours. Incandescents only last 1,200 hours, so you'd have to replace an incandescent light 42 times to get the light of a single, solid-state LED. CFLs, by comparison, usually last 10,000 hours, so you'd only have to change them 5 times to match one LED light.
4. LED's contain no Toxic Mercury. I would be a big fan of CFLs if they didn't contain mercury, a toxin associated with birth defects, brain damage and other disorders. That's why CFLs can't be thrown in the trash -- and it's very tricky to clean up a broken CFL. LEDs' biggest advantage over CFLs is that they contain no mercury or other hazardous materials. None. Zip. Nada.
5. LED Lights are Cool. Literally. Ever try to unscrew a hot light bulb? (Not twice, I'll bet.) Incandescent and halogen lights can be very hot, which leads to a number of safety issues. LEDs, on the other hand, are totally cool even after several hours of use -- they're even cooler than CFLs.
6. LED Lights can be Dimmable. LED lights can be dimmed, which is not always the case with CFLs. Additionally, LEDs come on instantly and don't flicker . Finally, their light output is constant over the lifetime of the lamp, fading only when the lamps are at the end of their very, very long life.
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