Switching To LED Lighting – How Difficult Can It Be?
Posted by Amit Soni on 11th Dec 2012
Put it this way, as long as you’re not amongst the 1 in 20 of Britons who say they’re unable to change a light bulb, switching to LED lighting should be a piece of cake, or a walk in the park!
Compatibility Issues
Mains voltage (240-volt) LED Bulbs, such as the E27 (Large Edison Screw) and E14 (Small Edison Screw) are designed to work with your existing fittings. Therefore, you’ll simply remove your old bulb, whether it be incandescent, halogen or CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp), and pop your brand new LED bulb in its place.
If you’re replacing low voltage (12-volt) MR16 spotlights with energy-efficient MR16 LEDs, you may just need to check your transformers. Older transformers can cause LEDs to flicker which, as well as being a nuisance, shortens their life-span considerably.
If this is the case, you can upgrade to an LED-compatible driver or even better, just switch to mains voltage GU10 light fittings, of which there are many to choose. These include GU10 LED downlights and fittings, as well as a large number of our LED ceiling spotlight fittings.
LED Tube Lights
If you’re looking to replace your old fluorescent tube lights with up-to-date LED tubes, you’ll need to ask an electrician to make modifications to your existing fitments.
These changes are necessary, but don't worry, they don’t take long, and once they've been adapted, you can enjoy an LED tube with a massive 50,000 hour life span.
And, unlike your existing fluorescent tube lights, your new LED tubes are better for your health, causing neither headaches nor eye-strain, because they don’t flicker and run in complete silence.
Dimming With LEDs
Your existing dimmer switches, however, are a cause for concern if you’re thinking of switching over completely to LED lighting. That’s because the dimmer switches you have in your home right now may well be unsuitable for use with dimmable LED bulbs and may cause them to flicker and malfunction. They’re most probably leading edge dimmers, and the way to ensure that your new, energy-efficient dimming LED lights function correctly is to install those of the LED-compatible trailing edge variety.
Overall, making the switch to LED lighting is very simple, and it will definitely be worth your while.
Great Savings
LEDs require just 10% of the power to produce exactly the same number of lumens as a traditionally-used light bulb, they have a life-expectancy that’s many, many times longer too.
This means you’ll save money once, when you receive your next electricity bill, and again, every time during their 50,000 hour, 17 year life-span, when you would’ve had to replace an incandescent or fluorescent bulb.
If you’re still unsure about switching to LED as your primary source of light, why not give us a call on 0116 321 4120, to have a chat with one of our customer service advisors?
You’re also welcome to send us an e-mail enquiry to cs@wled.co.uk, and to visit our Facebook and Twitter pages, where you can leave a comment or ask a question.
