LED light bulbs: description, advantages and disadvantages

For electricity, electricity has been used for a long time. For a long time, only incandescent bulbs were used in apartments, offices, shops, houses, etc.. These small devices are still appreciated mainly for a fairly powerful stream of light, which has a pleasant natural eye for everything else. However, incandescent bulbs have several significant drawbacks. First of all, it is high in terms of electricity consumption and a short service life. Therefore, in recent years more and more popular are lighting devices of other types - economical and durable. Among the latter are and invented not so long ago LED light bulbs.

A bit of history

For the first time the LED was manufactured by the famous engineer Nick Holonyak in 1962. The device designed by him radiated a visible red light. Soon after the appearance of this interesting invention, the American company Monsanto put its production on stream. The first device of this type came off the assembly line in 1968. The bulbs produced by Monsanto were intended for use in digital digital clocks and calculators. Several subsequent decades, LEDs were used only in industrial and consumer electronics.

LED-lamps 220V, emitting bright white light and intended for lighting of premises for different purposes, began to be produced only in 1997. The creator of the first such device was the American Fred Schubert. Nowadays, such devices are already used in many industrial and residential buildings.

Basic structural elements

Modern LED light bulbs are assembled using the following components:

• The socle. As in incandescent lamps, this element in this case is intended for screwing the device into the lamp holder.

• Drivers in a plastic case with ventilation holes. This node is designed to convert AC to DC. In addition, its design includes special capacitors necessary for cooling the lamp. Another element is the zener diode, which is used to equalize the voltage drops in the network.

• Radiator. This assembly is made of aluminum and has a very large number of ribs. It is also necessary for cooling the LED.

• Made of aluminum board. On its side, which faces the radiator, a special thermal paste is applied. The card transmits about 90% of the heat emitted by the LED.

• Diffuser. LED lamps give a narrow beam. This element in their design is designed to dissipate it in order to uniformly illuminate the room.

• The LED itself.

As you can see, compared to conventional incandescent lamps, the devices we are considering have a more complex construction.

What is LED

Of course, this is the main element in the lamp. Actually a LED is called a special semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. The main elements of the design of this device are:

• A substrate carrying a current.

• Fitted with a LED crystal.

• The enclosure in which both elements are enclosed. On one side, contacts come out, and on the other hand a lens is located. Between the last and LED crystal silicone is poured.

• Aluminum base on which all elements are fastened.

Principle of operation

The LED operates due to a special process of electron recombination between two contacts with different degrees of conductivity. At the exit points of the latter, the crystal on one side undergoes doping with an acceptor impurity containing a small number of electrons, and on the other, an increased one. Recombination occurs immediately after the lamp is turned on. As a result, there is excess energy, which is converted into a light stream.

Main characteristics

The owners of houses, offices, shops and apartments, choosing LED light-emitting diodes, first of all pay attention to three main parameters:

1. Degree of heat flow. Lamps of this type can give light of different shades. Instruments emitting a cold stream are used mainly in public institutions. For apartments and houses more often choose lamps with "warm" light. The most popular species, therefore, are the 2700, 3000 and 3300 K models.

2. Type of cap. The standard option is the LED-lamp E27. Models with such a base are suitable for all household lamps. On sale there are also light-emitting diode-minions, marked E14.

3. Device power. As you know, the most popular are incandescent lamps at 60-100 W. These indicators correspond to 7-13 W of LEDs.

Which device to buy for an apartment?

Thus, the answer to the question of how to choose a LED light bulb for the home is not complicated. The best option for a dwelling will be a device with a E27 base and a warm heat flux of 2700 K.

As for the power, in this case the choice mostly depends on what specific purposes the device is supposed to use. So, for a living room or an office, the thirteen -lamp E27 lamp (similar to a 100 W incandescent device) is best suited. For a bedroom it is better to choose a model for 7-10 W. The same lamps are suitable for the kitchen and a small hallway.

Advantages

So what exactly are the advantages of a LED lamp? Reviews about devices of this type are mostly good. According to consumers, they are:

1. Economical. The device of this version consumes energy 20 times less than an incandescent lamp at the same intensity of illumination.

2. Have a long service life. Use LEDs without the need for a replacement can be up to one hundred thousand hours.

3. Resistant to shock, vibration and low temperatures. Thanks to this, LED lamps can be used even for street lighting.

4. Environmentally safe. Unlike conventional energy-saving, LED lamps do not have mercury. This increases the degree of lighting safety and facilitates the disposal procedure.

5. Do not give UV radiation. With the use of lamps of this type, there is no burning out of furniture upholstery, paint in pictures, etc.

Disadvantages of LEDs

Thus, there are many advantages to the lamps of this variety. But they, of course, also have certain drawbacks. High cost - this is what primarily relates to the minuses of such a device, as an LED-lamp. The price of household LEDs can range from 600 to 3000 rubles. On sale, of course, there are cheaper options made in China. However, they should be purchased with caution. The fact is that cheapness in this case can be explained only by saving on components.

The second significant disadvantage of LED lamps is their sensitivity to voltage drops. Sometimes residents of megacities, who own small land allotments, are interested in how to choose an LED light bulb for a house in the country. Unfortunately, in the country, such devices can not always be used, and all because of frequent voltage drops.

Another disadvantage of lamps of this variety is that they can not be screwed into closed lamps. With constant overheating, such devices very quickly become unusable. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use LED lamps in specialized rooms with too high air temperature. After a few months of operation under similar conditions, the device will give an unacceptably dim light.

The fact that lamps of this type emit a narrowly directed flow can also be attributed to their minuses. Using a lens increases the cost of the device. In addition, when it is used, the power of the light emitted by the lamp is significantly reduced.

Most Popular Manufacturers

There are many brands of devices of this type in the modern Russian market. Which manufacturer should you prefer, choosing a device such as an LED lamp? Reviews about devices of this type are generally positive. However, the greatest reliability, according to customers, is the products of European brands. Chinese lighting, as mentioned, can not always boast of quality. The same is true for the products of domestic producers.

Of the European brands, the most popular, judging by the reviews, use LED LED lamps Artpole, ASD and Navigator. The most expensive at the same time is the products of the firm "Artpole". ASD and Navigator are cheaper, but give a slightly dim light. Quite a lot of lamps of these manufacturers differ in design. But in this case, the choice, of course, will depend on the personal taste preferences of the buyer.

Thus, the main advantages of LED lamps can be attributed primarily to economy and long life. Unconditional plus is also ecological cleanliness. And which LED light bulbs are best for home or office? According to consumers, it is better to purchase models from a well-known manufacturer. High cost will justify - at the expense of economy - only a quality device. A cheap Chinese lamp, most likely, will very quickly fail.