One of the greatest inventions that man has come up with to improve his quality of life has got to be the light bulb. Since it's inception there have been vast improvements in the world of light bulbs. Two of the most recent developments, fluorescent and halogen bulbs, are among the most durable and cost effective forms of light bulb. The newest light bulb type to hit the headlines is the LED light bulb. The LED light bulb has the advantage that it is approximately 10 times more efficient than a fluorescent light bulb and a massive 40 times better than a standard incandescent bulb. LED bulbs come in a range of different colors that can add a new dimension to any lighting application. They cost a fraction more than the more popular light bulbs but the benefits far outweigh the cost.
LED stands for light-emitting diode and it is a semiconductor device that emits light when a voltage is applied correctly across it. The color of the light that is given off by the LED bulb depends on the material that is used to create it and it can range across the entire light spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet.
There are many advantages to using LED bulbs. The colored ones are much brighter than standard colored bulbs and, although they are brighter, they give off less heat. This means that LED bulbs use approximately one tenth of the energy used by a standard bulb.
LED bulbs are available in a wide range of colors. The most common are red, orange, green, yellow and infrared. They are also available in pink, purple, white, blue and ultraviolet but these are more expensive because they are less commonly used commercially. As well as a choice in LED bulb color there is a choice in the power and voltage of LED lights. The most common voltage is 12 and these led lights are known for their long life expectancy, they can work for over 100,000 hours before failure. The most common application for LED bulbs is in car electrics. They can be found in indicator and brake light clusters as well as providing a replacement function in 6V vintage automobile applications. Their popularity in vintage automobiles is explained by the fact that they draw less current that standard bulbs and thus put less of a strain on tired charging systems. The 6V led replacement bulbs plug directly in to the old sockets. They generate far less heat than their incandescent ancestors and thus are a lot kinder to old light fittings that may have already become brittle through ageing. Because they use less power there is not as much evidence of lights going dim when the engine is ticking over, thus reducing the need to keep the revs up when stationary.
LED bulbs are gaining market share all of the time. At present they may be more expensive than incandescent bulbs but increasing popularity and their appeal to the green market means that this won't be the case for long.
LED bulbs use approximately one tenth of the energy used by a standard bulb