WHAT IS LED?
The acronym LED stands for light-emitting diodes. LED is a semiconductor (electronic component) that will emit light radiation when an electric current pass.
LEDs have been used in our home and car appliances for about 40 years.
There is no filament or gas used, only chemical elements. In addition, LEDs do not contain polluting gases, heavy metals (such as mercury), and do not emit electromagnetic radiation.
LEDs do not emit any UV or infrared rays. They are very insensitive to vibrations, insensitive to repeated ignitions and low temperatures, have a long life and are energy efficient.
They emit 100% of their output as soon as they are switched on and more than 80% of the energy absorbed is returned in the form of light radiation.
WHAT IS THE LIFETIME OF LED?
Generally speaking, the life of LED varies between 20,000 and 100,000 hours, which is 10 to 50 times longer than other lighting products on the market today. The design of the light bulb or luminaire in which the LED is located and where the luminaire is used can have a significant impact on the service life and efficiency.
WHAT IS COLOR TEMPERATURE?
The color temperature of a lighting product is a measure of the amount of yellow or blue to white light that it produces. This measurement is expressed in Kelvins. A higher Kelvin number means that the light is colder (more blue) and a lower number means that it is warmer (more yellow).
WHAT COLOR OF WHITE SHOULD I CHOOSE: WARM WHITE, COLD WHITE OR NEUTRAL WHITE?
Warm white LEDs have a slight yellowish tint, making the light they produce warmer. It is similar to the conventional lighting of an incandescent bulb and is the most popular option for all types of interior lighting. However, at a given power, warm white LEDs have a slightly lower light output. Cold white LEDs have a slight bluish tint, similar to compact fluorescent light bulbs and / or traditional neon tubes. The neutral white LEDs are in between, without yellowish tint or bluish, they are bright white. The choice of colour should be made according to your project and the desired decor.
WHAT IS CRI?
The color rendering index or CRI is the ability of a light source to render the different colors of the visible spectrum without changing the hues. So the bigger the IRC, the more the color of the illuminated object represents the reality. Incandescent and halogen bulbs generally have a CRI very close to 100, the maximum score, while fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs are often between 70 and 90. At the LED level, this factor is very important because the difference is much larger, in the range of 70 to 95. It is therefore important to look carefully at this criterion when buying LED products.
CAN THE LEDS BE USED WITH A DIMMER?
In most cases, yes. In most cases, 120VAC LED luminaires can be used with conventional dimmers. Products in 12VDC or 24VDC must be paired with a 12VDC or 24VDC dimmer or with a dimmable transformer with a compatible 120VAC dimmer. For some other products, a specialized dimmer must be used. Consult the technical sheet of each product for more details or contact us.
WHAT IS AN IP PROTECTION CODE?
The IP CODE is a sealing index. This index classifies the level of protection that a material offers to intrusions of solid and liquid bodies. The format of the index is IP XX, where the letters XX are two digits and / or one letter. The higher the numbers, the more the product is waterproof. This code is particularly important for products that will be exposed to significant dust or moisture. For example, a bulb used in an indoor floor lamp may have an IP 20, a landscape lamp must have at least one IP 65 and a floodlight fully immersed at least one IP 67.
WHAT IS A LUMEN?
The lumen is a unit of measurement of light output. The larger the area to be illuminated, the more lumens must be required. Do not confuse the lumen with lux or watts. Lux, in a simplified way, is the amount of light received at a specific location while the wattage represents the power consumption.
Since LEDs are more energy efficient than conventional bulbs, it’s no surprise to find LED products with the same number of lumens produced, but with a wattage rating of up to 10 times lower.