Lighting Introduction
Here at Pure Energy we get a lot of questions about our LED
lighting products, but several in particular come up more often than not, "Can
and should I replace all of my lighting with LED bulbs and what kind do I use."
Well the short answer is yes usually you can replace them all, but no you
probably don't want to replace every last one. it depends on the application. As far as what bulb to use, well that's why we wrote
this guide to LED lighting.
First let's start by saying unlike most websites that carry
the same products from many many different manufacturers. We try to carry only a
few for each class of products we sell. Why? Well let's face it, there are a
couple of good brands in any category of retail items, the rest of them are
either going to be overpriced or just too cheaply made. We test products from several
manufactures to determine the best value and quality for our customers.
Currently our lighting line is from a company called FEIT Electric. The lighting
is of good quality and you will find we provide the lowest pricing in the U.S.
So you can shop with confidence that you are getting a good value for your
money.
Color Rendering Index (CRI) and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT)
To figure out what type of light a person wishes to use for a
particular application, let's give short explanation of both the CRI and CCT.
The
color rendering index (CRI),
sometimes referred to as the color rendition index, is a quantitative
measure of the ability of a light source to reproduce the colors of various
objects faithfully in comparison with an ideal or natural light source such as
sunlight. It is defined by the International Commission on Illumination as
follows: Color rendering: Effect of an
illuminant on the color appearance of objects by conscious or subconscious
comparison with their color appearance under a reference illuminant.
Basically the higher the CRI, the more accurate the color of an object will be
represented. Incandescent and Halogen
lighting have the highest CRI with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and LEDs coming in
second and third. So if you are engaging in activities such asphotography,
cinematography or gemology, light sources with a high CRI are desirable in these
color-critical applications.
The CRI by itself doesn't tell us what the
color temperature of the reference light source is; therefore, it is best to
look at the correlated color temperature (CCT).
Color temperature is a
characteristic of visible light that has important applications in lighting,
photography, publishing, manufacturing, astrophysics, and other similar fields.
Higher color temperatures (5,000 K or more) are called cool colors
(bluish white); lower color temperatures (2,700 to 3,000 K) are called warm
colors (yellowish white through red). For reference, the old style
incandescent light bulbs have a CCT of around 3000K. Daylight has a CCT of about
6000K. If you are not engaging in the application above, selection of whether
you want a higher or lower CCT in your home or business is personal preference.
Accent vs High Power LED
Our LED Lighting generally falls into two
categories
Accent (less than 4 watts) and
High Power
(over 4 watts) Typically Accent lighting is best for accent lighting and for near distance
illumination. The more lights in a fixture though will increase the throw
distance of the lighting. High Power LED Lighting is considered a one for one
direct incandescent or CFL replacement. Feit
Electric is very conservative when it comes to rating their high power bulbs
incandescent equivalence ratings. In short these bulbs put out A Lot of light.
LED Lighting Descriptions
The product names and descriptions of LED
lighting can be a bit confusing such as a
BPCFC/LED 28-LEDs 120-Volt Accent Clear Bent Tip, Candelabra Base bulb
or a
PAR30/HP/LED 120V High Power LED Flood Reflector. Whoaaa those are
some mouthfuls. Let�s go through those product listings. Think of the BPCFC as
simply a product name lighting guys use; you really need to look at the
description to see the use of the bulb. The PAR 38 on the second listing refers
physical size of the light. The bigger the PAR the bigger the size. HP refers to
the second bulb being a high power direct incandescent or CFL replacement. LED
means they are using Light Emitting Diodes. 120v is for standard household
lighting and Candelabra Base is the size of the base where you screw it in.
Lastly, don't get hung up over the number of LEDs in a light. They come in
different sizes and emit different amounts of light. For example our 28-LEDs
Candelabra bulb puts out alot less light than our PAR/30/HP Reflector with only
five LEDs.
Candelabras
are usually found in some chandeliers, ceiling fans and nightlights. Standard
bases are the ones you are used to seeing in most of your lights. The MR16 have
pin bases used in some recessed and landscape light fixtures. The GU10 are used
primarily in track lighting. Also if you are using a dimmer, most LEDs and CFLs
are not designed to work with them.
Buying the Right
LED Light
Appliance Lighting: Stick with OEM or
equivalent lighting products for these applications.
Kitchen Lighting: You want a high CCT for
kitchen light and hands down we recommend LEDs. The
right led depends on the fixture. Here are some general recommendations: For
ceiling track lighting go with the
MR16/GU10/HP/LED 120V High Power MR16/GU10 Base. For under cabinet track lighting
you can choose the previously mentioned light or select the
BPMR16/GU10/LED
21-LED 120V GU10 Base.
Recessed Lighting: First keep in mind you
don't want an air tight fixture to use an LED in. Second it depends on the size
of the fixture or "can". Here are the widths of our lights as related to their
PAR size. PAR38 = 4.5" PAR 30 = 3.6" Par20 = 2.4". It depends on how much light
you need in the area. If you are not doing direct work under them you can choose
an accent light. Our accent PAR38 Flood Light does put out a lot of light for
its class. If it's in the kitchen or living area you will probably want a High
Power LED such as a
PAR38/HP/LED 120V High Power LED Flood Reflector.
Chandelier: LEDs will work fine in a chandelier. Check to see what
kind of base you have. We carry the small candelabra bases as well as the
standard bases. Visit our
chandelier LED section to determine what is right for
you.
Reading Lights: If you have a table lamp that you work, read by or
is the only light used in the room, we suggest sticking with a CFL with a low
(warm) CCT rating.
Ceiling Fans: You have a couple of choices here, however if there
is only one central light in the fan you should choose one of our
High Power
LEDs. Our
chandelier, A15 and A19 LEDs will each be equivalent to about a 20 to
30 watt bulb. For more light or a lower CTT you can mix and match them using two
LEDs and two CFLs. The color of the light themselves will be different, but you
will get more light, color and energy savings this way instead of going with
straight CFLs. If maximum visibility is needed then all High Powered LED bulbs
can be utilized.
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