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With massive improvements to the technology, combined with a rapid reduction in cost, it’s no wonder that more and more people are choosing to switch to LED lighting as their main source of illumination.

As with any relatively new innovation, LED lighting brings with it a whole new set of challenges, especially if you’re going to be buying it for the very first time.

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of 5 mistakes you don’t want to make when you’re ordering your first LED-compatible light fittings.

 1. Don’t Order The Wrong LED Light Fitting For Your Room

This is an easy mistake that a lot of people make. After all, there’s such an enormous variety of LED light fittings to choose from that people can become bewildered and just go for the first one they see.

An important consideration is the style of decor you have in your room. For example, there has been a recent upsurge in the popularity of modern, minimalistic interiors, with many people casting out the old and welcoming in the new.

If this is the case in your home, you’ll definitely want to go for a light fitting that’s both modern and functional, such as the Eyeball Single GU10 Spotlight Fitting. Its up-to-the-minute design is available in white, black and chrome finishes, so it’ll complement any modern interior perfectly.

Conversely, despite its gorgeous aesthetics, the much more traditionally designed Fisherman’s Wall Light probably wouldn’t fit so well into a contemporary setting.

Another type of LED light fitting that’s great for modern interiors, especially those in which there’s a suspended or “drop” ceiling installed is the Fitted LED Downlight. Again, these all-in-one enclosures are available in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, however, the massive number of options will ensure that you’ll find exactly the right one to complement your installation.

2. Don’t Under Or Overestimate The Size Of Your Room

Whether you’re planning to illuminate a bedroom or a ballroom, there’ll be a type of LED-compatible light fitting that’ll suit you down to the ground. One thing you don’t want to happen, however, is to install your fitting only to realise that the light it provides is too bright or too dim for the space.

Light intensity (brightness) is measured in Lumens and not, as is widely believed, in Watts. Lumens represent the actual amount of ambient light being produced by a bulb or light fitting. The greater the number of lumens, the brighter the room will be.

Setting aside the colour scheme of your room, the answer to the question of how many lumens will be required to properly illuminate a room can be arrived at by employing this general rule of thumb:

• Floors will require 20 Lumens per Square Foot;
• Tables and Raised Surfaces will require 30 Lumens per Square Foot;
• Desks and Task Lighting will require 50 Lumens per Square Foot.

Thus, when you’re armed with just a small amount of information about the number of bulbs each light fitting requires, combined with the bulbs’ brightness in lumens, should give you a pretty accurate idea of the type of fitting you’ll require to illuminate your room, and will help you avoid making costly and inconvenient purchasing errors.

3. Don’t Order The Wrong Type Of LED Bulb

You’ve decided on the style of light fitting you want in your room, and you’re happy that you’ve chosen the correct size to deliver the illumination and light placement you require, so the last thing you want is to discover that you’ve purchased the wrong bulb(s), isn’t it?

A very basic method to calculate the number of LED Light Bulbs you’ll require to illuminate your room is to work out the area of the room in square feet.

Simply multiply the length of the room by its width, like this:

• Length of room = 14 feet;
• Width of room = 8 feet;
• The area of the room in square feet is 112.

Therefore, if your room is used for task-centred activities requiring 50 lumens per square foot, you’ll simply purchase a sufficient number of LED bulbs, based on their lumen output.

In a room of this size, you would therefore require 6 of our 9W Dimmable GU10 LED COB Bulbs, as each generates 860 Lumens of brightness.

It’s also very important to be aware of the type of base or “fitting” your LED light bulb employs. 

There are several to choose from, including:

• LED spotlight bulbs generally have a GU10 or a GU5.3 (MR16) base.
• There are also commonly used Bayonet Cap (BC) LEDs such as the B22 and the B15.
• Edison Screw Fittings like the E27 and the E14.
• As well as the LED G4 and G9.

4. Don’t Forget That LED Light Fittings Can Be Retrofitted

That’s right, all of our LED-compatible light fittings are simple and convenient to install.  They’re absolutely perfect to retrofit into your existing wiring, and will replace your current fittings with the very minimum of mess or fuss!

5. Don’t Forget That LED Bulbs Can Be Retrofitted

If, after all your deliberations, you decide that you don’t fancy replacing all your existing light fittings, never fear, because you’ll simply be able to switch all your bulbs with LEDs instead.

While this might not have as large an aesthetic impact on your room as revamping its actual décor, it will save you a considerable amount of money on your electricity bill. This is because LED bulbs are 90% more energy-efficient than their old-school counterparts and, with a 50,000 hour life-expectancy, they’ll last more than 20 times longer than the traditional bulbs they’re replacing as well.

To see our full range of lighting products, why not visit our LED lights online store.

If you’d like any advice about LED lighting dos and don’ts, you’re welcome to call one of our friendly and professional customer service agents on 0116 321 4120 today.

And, LED lighting definitely isn’t an area in which you should be making mistakes, so you can back up your phone call with an e-mail enquiry to cs@wled.co.uk just to be certain!