What are the advantages of LED downlights?

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

What are LED downlights advantages? Lower electric bills, low maintenance and im

Spending over $90 on a light fixture may seem outrageous, but that?s exactly what savvy consumers and business owners are doing when they?re switching to LED downlights. As a result, they?re saving hundreds of dollars on electrical bills, eliminating maintenance duties, and improving the light quality of their buildings.

LED downlights seem to be the latest trend, and there are a few good reasons why. First of all, they are extremely energy efficient. LED downlights use about 85% less energy than incandescent downlights and about 50% less energy than compact fluorescent downlights. This means drastic differences in electrical bills. Each 6-inch LED downlight module installed in the place of an incandescent bulb will cut $265 off energy costs a year and deliver the same light output.

LED downlights are designed to last for 50,000 hours, which amounts to a predicted 23 year lifetime with normal usage. Therefore, switching your recessed cans to LED lighting virtually eliminates maintenance duties. Standing on a teetering chair in the kitchen to change your bulb will become a thing of the past, and making those numerous trips to the home improvement store for light bulbs will become unnecessary.

In fact, LEDs never burn out. They simply gradually become dimmer over their lifespan. LEDs are considered to have reached the end of their lifespan when they only emit 70% of the light they originally produced.

Several award-winning LED downlights are available on the market, ensuring superior light color quality, brightness and efficacy. Since the LED market is still relatively new, there are some manufacturers out there that offer less-than-optimal LEDs in product quality. It?s a good idea to either stick with award-winning products or to ensure you?re buying from a reputable company that offers adequate product information.

LED downlights are typically available in two color temperatures: warm white or neutral white. Warm white is most similar to the yellowish glow of incandescent bulbs, while neutral white is similar to the look of a compact fluorescent bulb. Check for a color temperature of 2700K if you prefer the yellow glow. If you?re looking for an LED downlight in neutral white, you?ll want a color temperature of 3500K.

LED lighting in general is better for the environment than other energy efficient alternatives. Unlike compact fluorescents, LEDs do not contain toxic mercury, so there are no environmental hazards associated with disposal.