What the Big Box Stores Won’t Tell You About LEDs - The Lightbulb Co. UK (2024)

FAQs

What is bad about LED light bulbs? ›

Compared to compact fluorescent bulbs, LEDs are mercury free, but they do contain arsenic and lead, which researchers suggest carry a higher toxicity potential.

LEDs use about 10% of the energy that incandescents do, and Akins notes, most incandescents are being phased out. He called LEDs a huge improvement over compact fluorescent lights, which are energy efficient but can make people look kind of washed out.

Most LED bulbs are designed to disperse this heat into the air around them. An enclosed fixture makes this difficult and can lead to overheating. An LED bulb operating above its rated operating temperature will have a much shorter lifespan, which can increase your costs by having to replace them prematurely.

Why certain light bulbs are now banned. General service lamps, or lightbulbs, are now being regulated to conserve energy and help consumers save on their energy bills, according to the Department of Energy. New technology, such as LED lights, are proving to be much more efficient at lighting homes.

If cheap lighting has poor wiring you run the risk of electric shocks. The lighting may also have poor insulation which means there is a risk of burning when you touch or go near the light. In extreme cases, cheap lighting may overheat and catch fire which could have catastrophic consequences.

A 2019 report by The French Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) found the blue light emitted from LEDs can harm the human eye. Blue light, common in LED devices, has a phototoxic effect. This means repeated exposure can make our skin and eyes extremely sensitive to light.

While other light bulbs can get extremely hot when you turn them on, LED lights usually only get slightly warm, if at all (they may even feel cold to the touch). It is because LEDs use less energy than other bulbs, which means they don't waste as much energy producing unnecessary heat.

As you can see, there are many factors that make up the quality of LED lights, and can impact both the short and long term costs. A higher initial investment for quality LED's can save actually save more in the long run that using so-called "cheap" LED's.

While both OLED and LED lights can be Energy Star rated, OLED lights are slightly more environmentally friendly than LED lights. They are entirely made of carbon-based organic materials and ultimately biodegradable.

Having bright lights on all night long can disrupt your natural circadian rhythms and make it harder to fall and stay asleep. The blue light emitted from LEDs is especially problematic for sleep. Consider turning strip lights off in bedrooms and living spaces at night.

What happens if you leave LED lights on all night? ›

LED lights may be left on all night without causing any safety risks, but doing so has certain advantages as well. For example, LED lights are perfect for use as nightlights since they emit a soft, calming glow that may help you safely explore your house at night.

LED lights and our devices do contain a significant amount of blue light (but with important caveats and qualifications - see below), and the concern is that excessive use during evening hours will cause our bodies to continue the production of melanopsin, making it harder to fall asleep naturally.

LED headlights require different lenses to halogen bulbs—basically a whole different technological system—and need to be correctly aligned to make them safe on the roads. And at the moment there's no way of regulating aftermarket LEDs.

LeRoy Angeles, Senior Compliance Engineer at NHTSA, wrote a letter in 2021 explaining that not a single aftermarket LED bulb has ever been approved by NHTSA. This means that every single aftermarket LED replacement bulb on the road is illegal, and yet no government agency is doing anything about it.

The overheating capabilities of both incandescent and halogen bulbs make them frequent culprits of house fires. In fact, 97% of the electricity they use becomes heat that poses serious risk to everyone in your home.

Disadvantages of LED Bulbs

Most white LED bulbs emit a cooler, blue-tinted light — rather than the “warmer” glow that is associated with incandescent bulbs. Some people prefer “daylight” or “natural light” LED options. Some LED fixtures may create sharp shadows that may not be desirable in certain places in the home.

LED bedroom lights are considered green lighting devices that are safe for users' health. The product does not contain mercury, nor does it emit any harmful infrared or ultraviolet rays. Therefore, users can completely feel secure when using it for a long time without being affected.

LED is a highly energy-efficient lighting technology, and has the potential to fundamentally change the future of lighting in the United States. Residential LEDs -- especially ENERGY STAR rated products -- use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.