LED Bulbs, Lamps and Accessories

When the replacement of traditional incandescent bulbs by LEDs started several years ago, we were only told about their advantages, but we were not taught to understand the subtleties of the choice. The design of LED bulbs follows the general principles, but the "filling" can vary considerably between manufacturers.

When choosing LED bulbs, it is important that they last as long as possible and do not burn out, explode or start flickering. You need to understand what wattage and lighting radius is appropriate so that the room is not dark or, conversely, so that the lamps do not shine too brightly and dazzle. If you are wondering how to choose the right LED bulb for your home, it is important to choose a comfortable colour temperature that will not be annoying during work and rest.

What bulbs look like: 

1. Corn-shaped LED bulb. The bulb looks like a corn, because of its shape and appearance, the bulb is covered with small LEDs that look like corn kernels;
2. LED bulbs whose LEDs are hidden, most often these bulbs are produced with frosted glass or the top of the bulb is frosted;
3. Modern filament bulbs, they are similar to the classic incandescent bulbs and are the most popular. They have a glass outside and an LED filament inside.

Cupboard

LED bulbs differ in the size of the capboard. The most common base sizes are E27 and E14 (suitable for most chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps, night). However, GU4, GU5.3, G9, GU10 - suitable for spotlights and other luminaires - are also available. Before buying an LED bulb, make sure you find out exactly what size you need for the lamp.

Voltage

There are LED bulbs for 220-240 volts and 12 volts.

For direct connection to the local mains (e.g. if you decide to replace the halogen lamps in the ceiling with LED lamps), a transformer is needed to reduce the 220 V voltage to 12 V and stabilise the power supply. The minimum total power of the lamps must match the minimum load of the transformer.

How long does an LED bulb last?

The average lifetime of LED bulbs is usually indicated on the packaging. This can be up to 50 000 hours. However, this does not mean that the LED bulb will last until then. It is an average and the bulb may burn out faster if used continuously without switching off, or it may burn out due to constant power fluctuations.

It is more important to pay attention to the warranty period, which is usually 2-3 years. This means that if a lamp stops working, it can be replaced within the warranty period. It is therefore highly undesirable to buy lamps with little or no warranty period.

The weak point of all types of lamps is the driver, the device at the base. If the manufacturer has installed a cheap, poor quality driver without surge protection, the lamp will burn out quickly, no matter how long is stated on the packaging. Such lamps consume a lot of energy to heat up, almost the same as incandescent lamps. A good driver is not affected by frequent switching (on/off).

How to choose an LED bulb according to its wattage

The wattage of an LED bulb corresponds to the wattage of a certain old type of incandescent bulb. You can also refer to a characteristic such as luminous flux. This is the brightness of the bulb, the amount of light it provides, expressed in lumens.

• Incandescent bulbs W	LED Bulb wattage W	Lighting lm
  25	3	250
  40	5	400
  60	8	650
  100	14	1300
  150	22	2100

  How to choose an LED bulb for your home based on its light temperature

There are warm, cool and cold colour temperatures. You can choose the lamp to suit your preferences. Some people don't like cold, harsh light, but it is better for performance. This type of light is more suitable for office lighting. In living rooms, bedrooms and children's rooms, warm light is more comfortable. Colour temperature is given in Kelvin:

• Bright white light (below 3500K);
• Neutral white or daylight (3500-5300K);
• Cold white light (above 5300K)

What additional functions LED bulbs can have:

• Many lamps have stabilised drivers, which are particularly useful if the mains voltage fluctuates significantly. The brightness of the lamps does not change.
• Some lamps have a built-in rechargeable battery for autonomous operation.
• There are special dimmable LED bulbs that are compatible with dimmers.
• The LED bulbs can shine in different colours thanks to the use of RGB (red, green, blue) LEDs.
• There are lamps that can be controlled by remote control or Wi-Fi.

Please call or email if you have any questions. Our team will help you choose the right product or put together the best solution.

T: +371 24 94 2444

E: info@startrading.lv