5 Mistakes You Can Avoid When Upgrading to LED
It is common knowledge that LED lighting is a great energy and money saver with a long-lasting lifestyle. But upgrading from traditional lighting to LED technology can create a few issues. If upgrading to LED lighting solutions is something you’re planning to do, here are few commonly made yet easily avoidable mistakes to look out for.
1. Different Lighting Distribution
One of the most important aspects that can either make or break the functionality of lighting is none other than proper light distribution. The arrangement of the diodes in LEDs makes them very directional. Due to this, it is necessary that you note specifications such as beam angle and light distribution type. If you’re planning on getting an incandescent lamp changed into LED lighting, make sure to purchase an A-shape LED so that any downward lighting would not be lost after the change. Omnidirectional A-shape LEDs are a great replacement for traditional lamp lights.
When it comes to directional lighting, area lights and wall packs are great LED options. Omnidirectional HID bulbs are usually used in wall packs and area light fixtures. These fixtures lose a lot of the emitted light inside the fixture itself. However, the light lost as Lumen bounce is still considered in the initial Lumen rating of the bulb. Since LEDs are built differently, all the light is emitted outward instead. The Lumen ratings of similar fixtures might be different on paper, but the LED fixture will still carry the same brightness. For example, a metal halide bulb with an initial Lumen rating of 34,000 Lumens and a wattage of 400W will have an LED equivalent of an output of 9000 Lumen.
Even after time, the LED fixture would still be visually brighter retaining its Lumens. However, the 400W metal halide bulb will lose its initial Lumen rating due to Lumen degradation to about 26,000 Lumen.
2. Determine The Required Brightness
When you are planning to upgrade to LED, it is a good practice to compare your current bulb’s Lumens with the LED replacement. A comparison of the wattage with the LED’s equivalent wattage is a good way to start, but you will get a better understanding of the LED’s brightness by comparing the Lumen output. This method can be practiced with most of the lights with the exception of HID fixtures. Since HID fixtures are omnidirectional unlike LEDs, comparing the wattage equivalent rating would be much helpful than the Lumen rating.
3. The Right Color Appearance
One of the commonly made mistakes during upgrading to LED is to choose the wrong color temperature. The color appearance of LED lights is measured in Kelvin. If you require a similar color to your current bulb, checking the LED’s Kelvin temperature is important. Getting a color match to fluorescent lights is simple, as most of these tubes have a stamp on the side with the details of color temperature and the part number.
However, this will not be the case with incandescent and halogen bulbs as their Kelvin color is not listed. All incandescent bulbs would be around 2400-2700K and all halogen bulbs would have a color temperature of about 3000-3200K. If you plan to continue with the same color appearance, make sure that your LED lighting ranges within these figures.
4. Using An Incompatible Dimmer
Dimmers are not created equally, therefore all dimmer switches will not be compatible with LED lights. You might have noticed that installing an LED bulb with a standard incandescent dimmer produces flashing, flickering, buzzing or humming. Make sure to use a compatible LED dimmer switch if you are planning to install dimmable LEDs.
5. Lighting With Dull Colors
The CRI (color rendering index) of an LED light helps us understand the accuracy of the color display compared to the midday sun. A higher CRI rating will display more accurate colors. Certain applications require a high CRI rating, especially at art installations, retail displays, jewelry counters, and museums. A CRI of 100 can be found in incandescent and halogen bulbs. Although LEDs does not reach that level, they are available in the range of 90s which is still considered as excellent lighting.
LEDs are great lighting solutions, be it industrial or commercial. Why not become a distributor to our energy-saving and revolutionary products? Contact us now for more information about our products.
