LED is the latest technology for illumination, the quality of products offered varies, usually in direct proportion to price. The following guidelines will help in selecting the best value for your needs.

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There are many options from where to obtain LED products, purchasing direct from China leaves the Liability and Warranty issues in the end-users hands. Light bulb and fixture manufacturers/importers carry liability insurance and verifiable warranty service. Read reviews for consumer experience with the product you are considering, compare the efficiency, rated life and application to assure you are getting the best value for your dollars. 

 

Quality products will have the Lighting Facts listed on the packaging, UL or ETL Listing, Energy Star Rating and read the warranty policy, can you return to the store or are you shipping it back? Bear in mind, shipping a $3 light bulb back to the manufacturer for warranty issues can cost more than the product is worth!

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• Rated Life

  • The rated life in hours determines the durability of the bulbs, there are 8760 hours in a year, a bulb rated 15000 hours will last approximately 2 years if operating 24/7, average use of 3 hours per day (residential) will last approximately 13.5 years, 10 hours per day (commercial) will last approximately 4 years (assuming 365 days of operation for all examples)

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• LED's are selected by Lumen output, not wattage.

  • For example a 60w Incandescent A19 bulb emits 800 Lumens, an LED 9-10w A19 emits 800 Lumens

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• Color Temperature (Kelvins) See color temperature guide in COLOR section

  • Incandescent Bulbs emit light at 27k to 30k

  • Fluorescent Warm White emits light at 27k to 30k

  • Fluorescent Cool White emits light at 40k

  • Fluorescent Daylight emits light at 60k

  • LED's are available in 18k, 27k, 30-35k, 40-45k, 50-55k and 60-65k

  • CRI (color rendering index) determines how close to true color the bulb projects; typically 80 - 85 CRI is fine for most applications, art work, retail merchandising and other color intensive needs may look for 90 - 95 CRI.

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• Determine the application for the desired bulb

  • Enclosed or Open Fixtures

  • Dimmable or Non-Dimming (Requires an LED Rated Dimmer)

  • Dry, Damp or Wet Location

  • Fluorescent replacements are available in 2 types

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• Plug and Play - uses existing ballast; for tube types an Electronic Instant Start ballast must be used  

  • For PL type plug-in fluorescents existing ballasts may be used

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• Bypass - requires disconnecting the ballast and connect directly to power

  • Advanced Bypass does not require additional rewiring

  • First Generation Tubes required rewiring of the sockets to shunt on side and are considered obsolete and are only used in fixtures that have been previously rewired.