LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers

LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps

What is LED lighting A LED light is a light-emitting diode (LED) based product that is fixed into a light bulbs for use in lighting sources. They utilize slightly less energy than CFLs and lighting brands claim LEDs last 20,000 to 50,000 hours. That is around 18 to 46 years when used three hours a day. LEDs right away light up, even in sub zero temperatures, and lifespan is not affected by regularly turning them on and off. Some of the LED light bulbs can dim as low as good old incandescent bulbs. Benefits in using LED lighting In the recent days with the significant price drops on LED lights it positions itself as the best lighting alternative over other lighting technologies in the market. Let’s look at few major benefits of LED lighting here.        

LED light bulbs are 90 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs Available in a variety of colour temperatures Not sensitive to cold environments Produce next to no heat or UV emissions Available in dimmable variants Able to withstand heavy vibrations and rough handling due to the lack of a sensitive filament Can be cycled on and off frequently without shortening the lifespan Longest average life expectancy of all incandescent replacements, lasting up to 25 to 50 times longer

Comparing LED lights lifespan with other technologies Long lifetime stands out as the number one benefit of LED lights. LED bulbs and diodes have an outstanding operational lifetime expectation. Lighting diodes emit lower output levels over a very long period of time and become less bright while LEDs maintain their original brightness throughout

1 View this Guide online @ LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps Prepared by LightOnline Team, last updated 10 December 2015

LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers their lifespan. Therefore surely it will add up to the economic side at the end reflecting on energy bills. Let us compare below various lighting technology bulbs lifespan with LED lighting.

Incandescent

Halogen

CFL

LED

Average lifespan

1,000 hours

4,000 hours

10,000 hours

25,000 hours

Watts used

60W

35W

14W

10W

Bulb lifetime in years @ 6 hours/day 0.46

1.83

4.6

11.4

Comparison based on 6 hours use per day (43,800 hours over 20 yrs)

Alternate lighting technologies Incandescent Light bulbs Incandescent lights are your inexpensive, tried-and-true light sources. However, they are very energy-inefficient compared to newer fluorescent or LED lights, and as you may have noticed, they don’t last very long. Perhaps the most popular incandescent light bulb is a 60-watt bulb with a medium base, which is typically used in a ceiling fan or lamp. Due to government regulations, you are no longer able to easily purchase standard incandescent globes in the market. Halogen Light Bulbs Halogen lights are most popular in landscape lighting or automotive headlights. They produce bright, far-reaching light, and they also tend to emit a lot of heat. They are often used as outdoor reflector bulbs or infrared lights in heat lamps. Fluorescent & Compact Fluorescent Lamps Fluorescent lights are often made in a tube shape and used in commercial ceiling fixtures. Sometimes, fluorescent tubes are also used residentially in kitchens or garages. Since fluorescent lights are much more energy-efficient than incandescent lights, compact-fluorescent lights (the swirly light bulbs) have been made to replace them. Fluorescent lights come in special plug-in styles too, which are usually used commercially or outdoors.

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LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers

Benefits & Advantages of using energy efficient LED Lighting

Although not many people have made that shift from CFL's to LED light bulbs, in the long run, it is expected that many would go with this option looking into the benefits. This concept of using LED lights came into being with intent to act responsibly towards the environment but in the past few years there are several other factors that have contributed to the increase in demand. More and more people are on the lookout for quality LED bulbs that would not only give ample lighting but save on power and longevity too. The very first thing that makes up the most impressive benefit of using an LED bulb is that it consumes less power as compares to other fixtures and thus would make one save on the power bills. Another benefit that is making those go green initiatives take a new shape is that LED fixtures do not emit anything that is harsh on the environment, no rays, no heat and no toxic elements. An LED bulb purchases from Light Online would stay in that perfect working condition for around 10 to 11 years and this would make the purchase go worth. If we take a rough estimate, an LED bulb lasts at least 7 to 8 times longer than those traditional lighting fixtures such as CFLs. LED bulbs are far more durable and rugged as compared to other lighting options and this clearly states that these are easy to manage and maintain. The light comes from a tiny chip that is enclosed in a solid casing that has the ability to withstand shocks, vibrations and even extreme climatic conditions. Safety is yet another feature adding to the advantage & benefits of LED bulbs. There is not much heat generated therefore it is not prone to burns and fires, thus making these bulbs safe to use. Let’s look at few major benefits of LED lighting here. • LED light bulbs are 90 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs • Available in a variety of colour temperatures • Not sensitive to cold environments • Produce next to no heat or UV emissions • Available in dimmable variants • Able to withstand heavy vibrations and rough handling due to the lack of a sensitive filament 3 View this Guide online @ LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps Prepared by LightOnline Team, last updated 10 December 2015

LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers • Can be cycled on and off frequently without shortening the lifespan • Longest average life expectancy of all incandescent replacements, lasting up to 25 to 50 times longer If you are the one who wants to buy a fixture that adds to the décor of the room or home, going with LED bulbs will be a fine decision as they are available in a wide variety of colours and designs. Looking at all these benefits, it can be surely commented that these LED bulbs would act as a wonder replacement to incandescent bulbs right now. For the ones planning to invest in high-quality LED bulbs, products coming from Compact would be a nice pick as they come with interesting features and comprehensive warranty support. You can go with your requirements and with Compact you can easily find something that falls within your budget.

How LED Lighting compared with Fluorescent Lamps

LED lighting is truly the next generation technology which features various benefits to not only buyers for Home LED Lighting, but companies also, with LED Downlight products and LED Tubes which can replace out-dated, flickering fluorescent lighting. LED lighting allows such benefits as a higher energy efficiency than CFLs and fluorescents, lower power consumption, lower maintenance costs, longer lifetime, durability and brighter light output than traditional fluorescent lighting. LED lighting is slowly filling the Home Lighting and Business Lighting marketplace with such innovative products as LED T5 and LED T8 Tubes, Flexible LED Lighting and LED Downlights. Fluorescent lighting contains toxic materials such as mercury which is harmful to environment and human body. Did you know that if you drop or break a fluorescent bulb you must leave the room for 4 hours, due to the toxic materials floating in the air, which could cause respiratory damage, or Asthma in the long run for workers who have to deal with these fixtures regularly. For workers and personnel who replace fluorescent tubes at work such as electricians are the most impressed by LED tubes, since they are not only easier to install, requiring no ballast, but they are worry-free, as they can last upwards of 10 years, on for 24 hours a day, and do not contain any toxic materials like mercury dust that fluorescents do. For quick installation, LED tube lighting can be placed and installed directly into existing fluorescent T5 and T8 sized sockets, you only need to remove the 4 View this Guide online @ LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps Prepared by LightOnline Team, last updated 10 December 2015

LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers ballast, plug the LED bulbs in, and you're done! Contrary to popular belief, LEDs are very easy to install in this day and age, and the most LED products are now "plug-and-play" while still offering a slick look with unmatched energy savings. Although fluorescent lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent lighting, it is still an energy wasting monster when compared with LED lighting. For businesses who have a large electric bill, switching to LEDs could cut your energy bill in half, while still keeping all of the brightness, and no fluorescent flickering! Even with the most advanced state of the art CFLs, fluorescent lighting accounts for a high percentage in existing lighting all over the world, switching from fluorescent lighting into LED lighting can greatly reduce the global lighting power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Now let's do some detailed analysis to compare LED and fluorescent lighting, and there is no doubt that LED will defeat fluorescent lighting. In contrast, LED lighting is solid-state lighting which does not contain any filaments that could break or hazardous materials like CFLs. The upfront costs of LED lighting are too high, due to the technology used to achieve such a high lumens per watt rating, it is true. However, think about the long-term energy conservation, and savings you will get from not needing to replace the lights, for up to 5 or 10 times as long, depending if the light replaced was incandescent or fluorescent. Either way, the more high-energy halogen, incandescent, or fluorescent lights you replace, the more money you will save every month. Check with your state, half the bill could be on them due to recent energy grants and programs set up by Government energy policies introduced in early 2010. Over the full life of the LED tube or bulb, the money saved by using LED lighting will be tremendous. When factoring in the true price of lighting, you must include all three variables such as Initial investments, maintenance expenses, and a maintenance to routinely replacing lights. Light Online is an Australia's leading provider of home and office LED lights with high efficiency and eco-friendly technology and a professional supplier of Flexible LED globes, LED Down lighting, LED tubes containing no toxic mercury with more efficiency and longer lasting life than both incandescent and Compact Fluorescent lamps .

How to choose the right LED light bulb for your Fixtures

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LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers Every light fixture benefits from a well-chosen bulb whether it is a Downlight or LED Tubes, innovations over the past few years made LED light bulbs a very good choice. LED bulbs offer both practical and aesthetic advantages over incandescent and fluorescent lights. They are energy efficient, long-lived, and give clear consistent light. Choosing the right light bulb can be difficult, especially when it is for an uncommon fixture. The good news is we can make it much easier. Since top considerations for choosing a new bulb include fixture, technology, wattage and colour temperature, answering these few questions will give you a strong foundation for your search. 1. What kind of limp base and shape you are after ? Naturally when we choose a light bulb we consider the base of it by thinking about the fixture being used. If it is replacing an old light globe after unscrewing your burned-out bulb and examining it for relevant information such as lamp base, brand name or wattage, you’ll need to consider its application and check the requirements of the fixture. At some cases you may think about using a new light fixture or replacing the faulty ones before using the new bulbs. Popular household bulb shapes include A19, decorative chandelier in candle shape, and outdoor reflector such as PAR, MR, and BR type bulbs. Moreover, having the right base type on your bulb ensures it will screw into your fixture properly. Depending on the application, light bulbs can be wide and varied. If you need further help to identify your bulb, ask one of our lighting experts here at Light Online, We’re always happy to help! 2. What wattage do you need? Again, if the wattage you need isn’t specified on your old bulb, you can always check your fixture. Fixtures such as ceiling fans, lamps, or general overhead lights are rated to accept a certain wattage, which you can look up on the manufacturer’s website if it’s not printed on the fixture. When replacing an incandescent with an LED or CFL bulb, however, they will typically be labelled in terms of wattage equivalence; “60W equal” bulbs, for example. These 60W equal bulbs may use as little as 8 watts to actually operate—this rating simply means that they produce as much light as 60W incandescent and will work fine in fixtures rated to accept 60 watts. 3. Do you want bright, white light or comfortable, orange light? The colour of light, ranging from the orange glow of a candle to the bright blue light of the sun, is called colour temperature. Colour temperature has nothing to do with physical heat. The colour temperature scale is even backward from an ambient temperature scale: the lower the colour temperature, the warmer (or more orange) the light is; the higher the colour temperature, the cooler (or more blue) the light is. Measured in degrees Kelvin, most lights have colour temperatures between 2700K and 6500K, and the particular colour temperature you need depends on your room and application. Check out choosing colour temperatures for more advice. 4. Need a dimmable option? There are more dimmable LED lamps in market right now and you have the variety of options to choose when it comes to dimmer controls. Each bulbs and brands may differ in this area therefore careful considerations from the manual is recommended to know further about the selected lamp. 6 View this Guide online @ LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps Prepared by LightOnline Team, last updated 10 December 2015

LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers 5. What lumen do you need? Lumen is the standard unit for measuring the amount of light produced by a light source. It is equal to the amount of light hitting one square foot of surface one foot away from the light. Essentially, the higher the lumens, the brighter the light. 6. Have any Beam angle considerations? The beam angle is something you need to pay attention to when choosing the right LED lighting for your space. This is as important as the Lumens. Beam angle indicates the spread of light from the light source. A narrow beam gives a strong light which is better for accent lighting. A wide beam gives a more general, softer light.

Dimmable or Non-Dimmable options in LED downlights

Many retrofit LED lamps are sold in two varieties - dimmable and non-dimmable. You will need to choose the right type for your fixture when you buy. There are more dimmable LED lamps in the market right now and you have the variety of options to choose when it comes to dimmer controls. Each bulb and brands may vary in this area, therefore, careful consideration from the manual is recommended to know further about the selected lamp. Most dimmers, which were likely designed to work with incandescent, work by cutting off the amount of electricity sent to the bulb. The less electricity was drawn, the dimmer the light. But with your newly acquired knowledge of LED lingo, you know that there is no direct correlation between LED brightness and energy drawn. If you'd like your LED to be dimmable, you need to do one of two things: find LED bulbs compatible with traditional dimmers, or replace your current dimming switch with an LED compatible dimmer. When shopping for LEDs, it helps to know what kind of dimming switch you have, but if you don't know, simply search for LED bulbs compatible with standard incandescent dimmers. To make things easier for you.

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LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers LED currently have a lower dimming range than a filament lamp – LEDs currently dim down to about 10% of the total light output whereas filaments may go down to 1-2%. Low-voltage transformers as used with MR16 12V spotlights also add to the complexity Some of the issues that may occur when a dimmer is incompatible with an LED lamp are:        

Flickering - Lamps will flicker (can also occur if a non-dimmable lamp is used) Drop-out - No light output at the end of the scale Dead travel - When the dimmer is adjusted there is no matching change in light output (light may not dim to acceptable level) Not smooth - Light output may not go from dim to bright linearly Multiple lamps - issues may become apparent when multiple lamps are added Damage or failure - LED driver, circuit or LED is damaged or fails. Load below minimum - The power load of the LED lamp is below the minimum required by the dimmer Mixed models- Different models of LED will likely have different drivers - since drivers behave differently this could result in dimming issues.

What can I do about dimming LED bulbs? Ideally, upgrade your dimming circuit with good quality dimmers designed for LED - easy to do for new LED installations. This is a good investment for the lifespan of your LED lamp. Make sure you purchase the correct dimmable or non-dimmable LED for your type of circuit You should consider buying the same model and brand of LED lamp for all the fittings in an area of a room. It would also be a good idea to buy spares - LED technology is always improving and changing. Please consult a qualified electrician to make any changes to your circuit.

DIY Replacement LED downlights - Points to Remember

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LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers Right, you are now ready to install your LED downlight yourself. Interesting fact is still many folks opt for halogen or compact fluorescent downlights, however we must consider LED downlights consumes less power as compares to other fixtures and thus would make one save on the power bills. Another benefit that is making those go green initiatives take a new shape is that LED fixtures do not emit anything that is harsh on the environment, no rays, no heat and no toxic elements. Also, LED downlights are a better option than other lighting as they are designed to last. Different downlight fixing options We stock different downlight fixture options such as   

In a downlight with spring clips In a downlight with twist front face plate/ flexible push in clips In a downlight where the face plate comes off

Few points to remember before start replacing your LED Downlights       

       

Always switch off power supply before commencing work. Operating temperature range of the lamp should be between -20°C and 45°C ambient. Overheating can affect lamp performance. Only use in indoor applications and in open fixtures providing 10mm free air space. Ensure the fixture has the appropriate lamp-holder. Do not use or install the lamp in highly dusty or smoky environments. It is recommended that you install the lamp only after construction is completed. Input voltage should be +/-10% the amount stipulated in the specifications. If LED lamps are dimmable with compatible mix of transformers and dimmers, actual dimming performance depends on dimmer type (refer to the recommended dimmer & transformer list). Please note the different combinations based on the type of lamp and number of lamps. Not intended to use with emergency light fixtures or exit lights or DC transformers. Customer may notice a one second flicker during star tup. This is normal and will not affect lamp performance and lifetime. Relative humidity in the installation should not exceed 80% Relative Humidity. Do not install in bathrooms, kitchens and wet areas. These lamps have no tolerance to water. Lamps must be protected from the ingress of salt air. Do not install the lamp close to medical equipment/televisions/studios/radio areas. Certain lamps include a fan to assist performance. Noise might be audible in silent environment. (Applicable only to a range of dimmable lamps) Products are not subjected to more than total of 20,000 fast switches (time between “on” and “off” should be less than 10 minutes). Electrical installation in which the product operates must not be subjected to voltage fluctuations. The mains supply should have surge or over voltage protection equipment. 9

View this Guide online @ LED Lighting – the lighting guide for energy saving lamps Prepared by LightOnline Team, last updated 10 December 2015

LED Lighting Guide for LightOnline Customers 

It is also recommended that all lamps on one transformer share the same brand.

How about installing the downlights All of our LED Downlights are coming with DYI installation guides, you may be easily find how to install them in place of your existing downlights.

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