It’s a fair question! I’ve seen their ups and downs, so let me tell you my experiences with the bulbs. When one of the first PAR30 bulbs came out, one of my clients invested a small fortune filling every can light in his home with those bulbs.  Supposedly, they were rated for 50,000 hours (about 20 years of life), but within the first year, he’d already lost one bulb. The second year, two more bulbs burned out.

 

The Evolution of LED

So are LED lights a bust? Hang with me for the rest of the story. Over the years that followed, the industry went crazy about LEDs and the progress was astounding. Infamous hot-to-the-touch energy-sucking halogen bulbs were replaced by clean, crisp LED bulbs.

Similarly, some LED fixtures, such as the standard A-19 lamp, even have a clever filament-imitation inside the bulbs. This way, they provide all the functional benefits of LED lighting, while still catering to traditional expectations of how residential-use bulbs should look.

Function and Form

But does that mean LED lights are all style, with disappointing results? Actually, thanks to a few more years of trial and error, today’s LED’s are reliable, affordable, very functional and save lots of energy. They decrease wattage use and offer options all over the Kelvin scale (varying light color temperatures).  Almost any fixture can be fitted for LED bulbs, and most manufacturers recommend them for new fixtures.

Let’s Check the Math Out

A traditional incandescent bulb runs at 60 watts and will last a year with average use in a home, and average energy costs nationwide add up to $.15 per kWh (kilowatt hour).  A typical American home has approximately 50 light bulbs and run an average of 3 hours per day, requiring roughly 270 kWh to power those bulbs and need to be changed every 6-8 months.

Check out the annual costs of incandescent bulbs in both a home. The results will surprise you.

Lighting Costs in an average Home:

Incandescent Bulb Cost

$1.50 ea bulb x 73 bulbs (based on average life) =

 $109.50

Incandescent Energy Cost

60 watts x 3 hours x 365 days x 50 bulbs=3.3 million-watt hours (3,285 kWh) =

$493

Total Incandescent Cost Per Year in a Home $602.50 

LED Energy Costs

At home: 9 watts x 3 hours x 365 days x 50 bulbs = 492k watt hours (492 kWh) =

 $73.80 per year

LED Bulb Cost

$3.50 ea bulb x 7.5 bulbs (based on average life) =

 $26.25 per year

Total LED Cost Per Year in a Home $100.05 

Average LED Savings

$502.45 per year

Replacing your incandescent bulbs with energy efficient, longer-lasting bulbs save you an average of $502.45 in a typical size American home. Larger homes, or homes where power cost exceeds $.15 per kWh would see an even more dramatic savings. Not to mention that LED bulbs usually last much longer than incandescent bulbs and will save you the cost of constantly buying new bulbs.

These bulbs have finally become what they were intended to be—beautiful, functional, long-lasting, affordable bulbs.  All the things you want in a light bulb! So, are LED’s worth the money? Now that we’re past their beginning stages… Absolutely.

What’s the big deal with LED strip lights anyway? Let’s be honest. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the beauty and aesthetics of our home lighting fixtures that we forget to add into our design the practical purposes of light. Not only does light allow us to see things clearly, but it also provides protection from the dangers hiding in the dark. We want to protect you and your family, so we offer lighting options and tips to help keep you safe.

Here’s what you need to know about LED strip lights:

LED strip lighting is an amazing technology that comes in different variations, but most have the same basic features: a continuous strip of thin and flexible LED lights on a flexible circuit board. They usually come on a reel or roll and can be adhered to almost any surface. Some options come with a fixed color and brightness while others allow for custom variations of both. Their safety comes from their low voltage power requirement and the versatility of adding lighting nearly anywhere that could be dangerous in the dark, offering additional safety for your loved ones at home.

In caring for seniors, ensuring an adequately lit space can go a long way in preventing falls and other accidents. This is best done with motion-detecting lights that make it easy to light the space when someone enters. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions among older adults.  Approximately one in four U.S. residents aged 65 years (or older) report falling each year.

Adequate lighting is also important for accident-prone individuals such as infants and young children. When lighting a home for these individuals, it’s important to place the lighting in key locations, as lighting from the ceiling and walls may not reach certain areas.

It’s best to mount them in places where the strip itself can be hidden but the light can provide a nice effect. Many people like mounting them under or behind unique structures to highlight interesting shapes or features of furniture or designs that would otherwise be ignored. But remember, safety is the first priority!

Here are some of our favorite places to use LED strip lights:

Kitchen

With sharp objects and hot surfaces, the kitchen can be a dangerous place for anyone. Having adequate lighting from top to bottom will help prevent accidents and keep you safe. Add LED strips under your kitchen cabinets that meet the floor—this area is known as the toe kick. This kind of lighting looks especially great under a kitchen island and makes those midnight snack runs or middle of the night drinks far less dangerous. 

Add safety lights for home kitchen

Bathroom

Much like the kitchen, installing toe kick lights adds a really beautiful effect while illuminating an otherwise pitch black area. This lighting allows for a clear view of the floor and helps prevent toe bumps and even slips and falls on those half asleep trips to the bathroom.

Try these easy-install LED tape strips

Stairs

Accident-prone or not, stairs present a hazard in any home. One misstep can send grandparents, kids, and even the rest of us clumsy folk tumbling, so add LED strip lights to the front, back, or side edge of each step to light the way as you walk. This way, each step is clearly seen and cannot be missed.

Try these affordable LED tape lights for your staircase

Outdoors

With the right outdoor LED strip lights, you and your loved ones can enjoy the evenings with the confidence that you are protected from falls, burglars, and even unwanted pests. Place the lights around a central structure like a grill, or use multiple strips to illuminate the ceiling, posts, and steps of your patio.

Find great deals on outdoor lighting here

Walls and Ceiling

The space where your wall and ceiling meet may not be very hidden per se, but is not immediately noticeable at first glance. By placing LED strip lights around this perimeter, you can essentially light the entirety of the room in a fairly discreet way.

Light your home with this LED strip

Staying Safe

LED lighting is a life-changing invention for the vision-impaired. LED lights are bright while still being easy on the eyes and present a lower fire hazard than other lighting options. With such a high risk of falls among the elderly, and dangers lurking in every dark corner, lighting your home for safety and efficiency must be a priority. Quickly add an LED strip anywhere more light is needed and reduce the risk of accident for the people you care about.

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If you’re looking to add some atmosphere or a little more “IT” factor to your living spaces, new and ultra-versatile LED strip lighting may be the perfect thing for you. Sized smaller than your pinky finger and capable of infinite adjustments in color, length, lumens, and voltage, LED strip lights like these can hide, and transform, just about any space you can imagine.

As a general rule, LEDs at 3000 kelvins (the ranking for light color) feel warm, cozy, and atmospheric, making them preferable for residential uses. These LED strip lights can transform virtually any space, so long as they can still connect to a power source. Ready for some of our favorite examples?

1. Kitchen Cabinets

Use LED strip lights under cabinets as trendy task lighting. It’ll illuminate your counters and your beloved backsplash. For extra pizzazz, add a strip under your bottom cabinets as well—it’ll add more dimension to your room and give you several good options for night lighting!

2. Hallways and Bookshelves

For some subtle lighting in the hallway, apply the strip lighting under the trim piece that is dropped from the ceiling. As for bookshelves, line them inside, under, or above shelves to dress then t up and make them extra inviting. 

3. Artwork

In addition to spotlights or general lighting, lining the back or sides of a frame really makes artwork pop!

4. Master Bedroom

LED strip lights are a low-cost way to bring some soft mood lighting to your most relaxing space. Line them along your headboard, around artwork, or bordering your doors.

5. Night Light

Use a similar trick for small children up to teens, turning strip lighting into a fashionable, functional nightlight.

6. Bathrooms

Add LED’s behind your bathroom mirror for an extra glow, or consider one of their most functional uses ever—under the cabinet lighting! Prevent middle-of-the-night toe injuries by using subtle strip lights to illuminate the space. 

7. Stairs

For extra convenience and safety, LED’s fit on the underside of a hand rail for night-time access or under the lip of each step. Say goodbye to stubbed toes and awkward stumbling!

8. Mirrors

Hanging mirrors have a gap that provides easy access for LED’s! You’ll love the extra task lighting for shaving, applying makeup, or just getting a good view with that extra glow.

9. Outside

So many great uses here! LED strips add some atmosphere to any patio, pool ledge, or pergola.  Line outdoor pathways or stairs with these tiny lights and enjoy their practical side as well.

If you’re feeling excited by these possibilities, reach out to us to learn more! As your local lighting showroom, we know the ins and outs of quality, affordable lighting in all shapes and sizes. Hobrecht Lighting is here for all your project needs!

During my time in the lighting industry, I’ve received countless questions about LED lights. What are they? How are they different from traditional light sources?  How do they work? Why are they more expensive? And the list goes on…

This guide will teach you the ins and outs of LED lighting and how to use this innovative technology to your benefit. We’ll cover the very basics and some more advanced concepts, so buckle up and get ready to see how LED lighting could transform your home lighting!

1. Yes- They Use Electricity

Electricity is created by the flow of electrons from a positive end of a power source (such as a battery), through a conductor (usually copper wire), through the item that is being powered (in this case a lightbulb), and then back to the negative end of the power source. This is called an electrical circuit, because the electrons ultimately end up in the same place they started.

This method of transferring power applies to household appliances, cell phones, modern cars, and LED lights.  With any of these devices, functionality depends on an unbroken circuit, and usually, a switch to control it.

2.  They’re Not Like Incandescent Bulbs

Our idea of light bulbs stems mainly from the traditional incandescent bulb. Let’s imagine one like this image, which is a medium base, A-style lamp. The light bulb threads into a phenolic lamp socket, more commonly referred to simply as the “light bulb socket”. As the bulb is placed inside the socket, the lamp holder connection makes contact with the leads inside the socket. Turn the power on, and an electrical current flows through that connection to the tungsten filament, heating the metal and causing it to release energy in the form of light. 

This heat energy inside the pressurized globe of the bulb creates the light that shines from incandescent bulbs. Most of them require roughly 40-100 watts to produce light, but this obviously depends on the brightness of the bulb. LED’s function quite differently, so let’s take a look at how an LED will react to the same electrical current.

3. They’re Built to Create More Light

LED stands for Light Emitting Diode. The science here is a little dense… But I’ll do my best to cover the basics. A light emitting diode is made by pressing three layers of semiconductor material together. These materials vary in composition depending on the application, but often include zinc and nitrogen (as opposed to tungsten carbide in incandescent bulbs).

When an electron enters the diode, it is charged with more energy than it originally had. This is called electronic excitement. While it is still inside the diode it passes through the diode’s layers and releases this excess energy in the form of light!

4. They Come in Infinite Shapes, Sizes, and Colors

Because of the way they are made, diodes come in practically any shape and size. They can be stretched out to look like a filament inside of a traditional glass light bulb or formed into a small square. Quantity of light also varies, and many LEDs use multiple diodes to produce even more light. It’s amazing technology—even in these various shapes and sizes, most LEDs also contain a transformer, or voltage regulator, inside the bulb or fixture to regulate their energy usage.

5. They Last a Long Time

One of LED’s many benefits is their long life. They last much longer than traditional bulbs because they don’t produce nearly as much heat as their more traditional counterparts. With LED lights, you can practically say goodbye to burnt out bulbs! This explains why their upfront cost is slightly more than older bulbs—with LEDs, you won’t be purchasing new ones very often, and the money you spend on the bulb is quickly recuperated in saved energy costs.

6. That’s Right—They Save You Money

As mentioned, the process of electronic excitement uses far less energy than heating the filament in a traditional bulb. In fact, an LED light bulb uses as little as 14% of the energy burned by an incandescent bulb! This means that by changing home light bulbs to LEDs, the average American will save over $1,000 in a 5-year span. If you have other types of lights in your home, such as halogen bulbs, you can save even more than that!

7. LEDs Maximize Existing Fixtures

Another overlooked benefit of LED bulbs is their ability to effectively exceed the maximum wattage of light fixtures. Sounds crazy, but it’s something you’ve probably thought about before! When a room in your home feels dingy or underlit, it’s probably not because the fixture is old or inadequate. More than likely, the bulbs simply aren’t providing enough light for the room.

Typical light fixtures can power a 60 watt incandescent bulb, but because LED bulbs are so much more efficient, that same fixture could power a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb! This provides much more light than the fixture could normally provide, and allows the flexibility to choose from various light colors. Not only will LEDs save you on your utility bill, but they can also save you from buying new fixtures.

8. The Sky Is the Limit!

Now that you’re an expert on LED lighting, start imagining the infinite ways they could light up your home! Because they are so small, they hide easily under kitchen cabinets or alongside a staircase to light up the steps. They could add a dramatic flair to a theatre room or simply update the recessed lighting in your home, providing a more consistent brightness. My favorite LED distributor, Alloy LED, provide a wide range of products for almost any lighting project, and they might spark some ideas for your home. And as always, we’re here for any of your lighting needs! Stay lit, my friends!