Everyone knows that LEDs are more energy-efficient than all other forms of lighting, including (unsurprisingly) incandescent, halogen, and HID lamps, and (somewhat surprisingly) fluorescent lights, such as CFLs.
They’re up to 75% more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs which are commonly used to light domestic interiors, which can save homeowners substantial amounts of money on energy.
But that’s far from the only draw of light-emitting diodes. If you’re thinking about upgrading your home’s interior design with an LED torchiere floor lamp for your living room, let these additional benefits of LEDs sink in!
Keep a Lid on Cooling Costs
The fact that LEDs use more of the energy they consume to produce light means also that they use less of it to produce “everything else,” namely, heat.
LEDs are substantially cooler to the touch than incandescent bulbs (which can get hot enough to cause burns).
For some homeowners, this means keeping cooling costs down, especially during the summer months. That incandescent floor lamp might raise the temperature in the room 1 to 2 degrees – an LED lamp won’t.
No More Seasonal Bulb Replacements
The energy efficiency of LED lamps extends beyond energy savings on electricity and home cooling. Consider also the cost of replacing light bulbs!
Your incandescent bulbs? They’re going to last about 1,000 hours – maybe even less. Halogen lamps last nominally longer but about the same. CFLs will last about 8,000 hours. It’s normal to have to replace incandescent bulbs every year – sometimes more frequently.
LEDs, by contrast, last 25,000 hours – on the low end. Many of them will last 50,000, and some closer to 100,000. It is customary not to need to replace LEDs for years, and in fact, they often long outlast the fixtures in which they’re used.
Low Fire Risk
Since LEDs use less electricity and produce less heat, it should follow that they also present a much lower risk of fire.
Incandescent and halogen bulbs, which burn very hot, can cause burns or start fires if the lamp falls over or if they are placed too close to curtains. While some LEDs get warm to the touch, they get nowhere near as hot as their predecessors.
No Toxic Components
For a long time, CFLs were touted as the “bulb of the future” and homeowners were strongly encouraged to replace their incandescent bulbs with them.
They are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and burn less electricity – which is good for the environment.
However, CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and phosphor powder, complicating disposal, and, as you might imagine, which are not good for the environment.
And while incandescent bulbs do not contain mercury, they do fail at a rate much higher than LEDs, which results in vast quantities being thrown away every year.
Contrast this with LEDs, which have no toxic components and can generally be recycled.
They’re Dimmable
Early in the history of LEDs, they were expensive and, inconveniently, not easily dimmable. However, modern lamps and LED bulbs offer dimmable functionality which enables them to be used for mood and accent lighting as well as task lighting.
They’re Available in a Staggering Assortment of Color Temperatures
If you think of “cool blue-white” lighting when you hear “LED,” you need to come into the modern era. The LEDs of today are capable of producing a wide range of colors and color temperatures, making them useful for everything incandescent and halogen lights have been used for.
Maybe It Is Time to Upgrade to LEDs!
The time to upgrade to an LED torchiere floor lamp was last year – but this year is a close second. If you’re interested in lighting that is cost-effective, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, long-lasting, and dimmable, upgrade your home’s incandescents to LEDs today.
