Always check before you buy. That is the lesson for today. To avoid receiving the wrong bulbs and going through the hassle of returning them, we have devised a short buying guide to help customers make informed decisions about the LED Lights they need and the ones they eventually buy. Buying a light bulb should be as easy as it sounds.
Take Measurements
Measure the height and diameter of your fittings to make sure that your bulbs will fit. Although most LED Bulbs have a retrofit design, sometimes the bulbs might be slightly longer in length. This creates problems if you are replacing the bulbs in recessed lighting fixtures as the bulb need to fit into a small cavity behind a clear glass cover. Compare the height and diameter of the bulbs you want to buy alongside the dimensions of your light fitting.
Check the Base Configuration
The all important fitting. If your bulb doesn't fit then it's essentially useless to you. Make sure you know exactly what base configuration your are looking for. This will make your search a lot quicker and you will be able to ask all the relevant questions when you need to. Some of the most common bases include MR16, GU10, B22 bayonet and E27 Edison screw cap. Check the original packaging on your existing bulbs or use our fitting guide to find out which you need.
Check the Colour Temperature
LED Bulbs produce light in lots of different shades of white, ranging anywhere from sharp, bluish fluorescent colours to a warm incandescent glow. While personal preference plays an important part in choosing a colour temperature, it also helps to look at things objectively. Soft, warm coloured light is designed for ambient illumination. Cooler, sharper colours are designed for effects and accenting. As a rule of thumb the former is used in bedrooms, living rooms and hallways, while the latter is used in kitchens, bathrooms and outside.
Wattage
LED Lights produce the same amount of light as filament bulbs at a fraction of the cost in power. An equivalent wattage is a quick and easy way of identifying exactly what low energy LED Bulb you need to replace your existing light bulbs.
All LED Bulbs have a 'real wattage' and an 'equivalent wattage.' The real wattage indicates the actual amount of power the LED uses, while the equivalent wattage indicates the power of the bulb it is designed to replace. So for example, a GU10 80 LED has a real wattage of 4.5 watts, but has an equivalent wattage of 50 watts.
When you are buying an LED Bulb the first thing to do is check the wattage of the bulbs you intend to replace. Next you have to find an LED Bulb whose equivalent wattage is the same as this figure.
Efficiency
Everyone wants a bulb that can produce the most light for the lowest cost. The true efficiency of a light bulb is best calculated on a lumen per watt basis. Lumens are a measurement of the amount of light a bulb produces, while watts are how much energy it uses.
The most efficient bulbs can be found by working out the lumen-to-watt ratio. Simply divide the number of lumens by the number of watts. The higher the lumen-to-watt ratio the more energy efficient the bulb.
Price
Last, but certainly not least, is the cost of the bulb. Calculating the price of an energy saving bulb extends much further than the initial cost. Although LED Bulbs cost more than filament bulbs and CFLs, their longevity, low maintenance and low energy consumption save lots of money in the long term. Make sure you factor this in when considering which bulb to buy.
By following these simple steps you can make sure you that every bulb you buy is a winner.
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