More and more users are striving to replace classic incandescent bulbs with energy-saving ones. Considering that with an increase in demand, a decrease in cost occurs, LEDs are becoming available to the mass consumer. How to choose the best LED bulbs for your home, save money on electricity and provide comfortable light, you need to decide before the time of purchase. Otherwise, there may be problems with wiring and lighting.
- The principle of operation and the device of the LED lamp
- Benefits of LED bulbs
- Types of LED lamps
- Standard
- RGB lamps
- Rechargeable
- LED lamps with remote control
- Parameters for choosing a led lamp for home
- Power and luminous flux
- Colorful temperature
- Base type
- Scattering angle
- The presence of a radiator
- Dimmable
- What parameters need to be considered
The principle of operation and the device of the LED lamp
For the operation of the devices, a more complex circuit is used than in standard Ilyich lamps. After applying an electrical impulse, the chemical elements of two dissimilar substances are activated, and at the moment of their contact, a glow arises.
The main nuance of the interaction scheme is that the materials used are not full-fledged conductors of electricity, but only semiconductors. The current is passed in the right direction only if the active elements of each of the substances are connected. In addition to the production of light, the interaction of substances contributes to other processes, for example, the release of heat.
The appearance of LED bulbs is reminiscent of classic incandescent bulbs. But the components are somewhat different. A standard LED lamp is assembled from the following elements:
- diffuser;
- Light-emitting diode;
- radiator;
- driver;
- contact base.
Conventional LED devices cannot work with a household voltage of 220 V - the lamps instantly burn out. To remedy the situation, power and control units (microcircuits) are additionally installed, which can reduce the voltage and straighten the direction of the incoming current.
Benefits of LED bulbs
- high brightness of lighting;
- low power consumption;
- low sensitivity to drops and frequent switching on / off.
The best LED bulbs for the home have each of these advantages in full. But manufacturers every year release new models of devices with additional functions and innovative solutions.
Types of LED lamps
To choose an LED lamp, you need to familiarize yourself with the main classification and the key differences of each variety.
Standard
Classic models with a power consumption of 30-40 watts, but the average value is about 5-12 watts. The devices work long enough, under certain conditions they can last more than three years. A distinctive feature - in the process of work, they practically do not emit heat, therefore, they do not pose a danger to fusible materials around.
There are no harmful vapors (for example, mercury vapor) inside the glass bulbs of such bulbs. The fragile filament is also absent, so that the mechanism will not fail due to shaking. An additional advantage is the variety of shapes, sizes and styles of lamps.
RGB lamps
The abbreviation is formed from the first letters of the three color names in English - red, green and blue.Bulbs with this mark can shine in any shade, which are made up of three main ones (red, green and blue). There are no other differences between RGB bulbs. For household premises, it is used only for decoration - they cannot shine with ordinary light.
Rechargeable
The main difference between lamps is the presence of a battery. These devices are of two types:
- work from the network, switch to a spare unit in the event of a power outage;
- completely autonomous, they shine only from the supply element.
Battery lamps respond well to aggressive climatic conditions, such as sudden temperature changes. They work on average from three to five years.
LED lamps with remote control
They are considered the most comfortable to use. The remote control works via infrared or radio signal. An additional control device helps to solve several issues - to adjust the brightness of the glow, turn on / off the circuit in a remote manner, activate some programs (rhythmic or colored blinking).
The main disadvantages include the high cost of light bulbs, the complexity of installation and the appearance of another remote control in the room. Otherwise, the lamps are economical, they shine brightly, they work for a long time. In addition to the remote control, they use Wi-Fi - special models for smart home technology.
Parameters for choosing a led lamp for home
Power and luminous flux
The power of an LED lamp indicates how much electrical energy the lamp consumes. Most consumers, when replacing Ilyich's devices, are primarily guided by this indicator.
When buying, you must be guided by specially developed relationships and tables. The values of power and other characteristics can differ significantly with the same external indicators.
For example, a 100 watt incandescent bulb corresponds to a 12 watt LED bulb. Therefore, it is better to check the indicators several times before buying.
The luminous flux level indicates how bright the light emitted from the bulb will be. Even the best manufacturers rarely indicate this on the packaging.
Colorful temperature
The value is expressed in Kelvin and indicates the hue of the light bulb. LED devices can be purchased with warm or cold type of light. The higher the number, the closer the indicator is to the daily level. Below the light is warm, closer to the candle flame. Natural white light is indicated at 4200K (plus / minus).
Base type
The base is a part that allows you to switch a light bulb with an electrical circuit and fix it in the socket. There are a large number of sizes and diameters, but several are suitable for domestic use:
- E14 - "candle", "minion";
- E27 is a standard light bulb, most of the products are manufactured in this version;
- E40 - enlarged base for street lighting fixtures.
Lamps marked with the letter G are analog, suitable for replacing halogen, tubular and other types of bulbs.
Scattering angle
The indicator will help you navigate the area of the area illuminated by the bulb. The higher the value, the greater the capture of the territory. Lamps at 30 ° work like a large flashlight, rarely suitable for home (unless in a narrow corridor or bathroom). 90 ° bulbs are used in large rooms and outdoors.
The presence of a radiator
Radiator - an aluminum sleeve between the base and the LED bulb. It is responsible for removing excess heat, thereby extending the life of the lighting fixture.The absence of this element or its replacement with a decorative plastic nozzle is the first sign that this is a fake or just an illiterately designed light bulb that will not last 3-5 years.
Dimmable
Dimmers are small devices that allow you to control the brightness of the lamp. The device of a classic LED lamp does not include additional regulators and cannot work with them - a low voltage with minimal illumination will not start the supply of electric current to the LEDs (an obstacle is built-in drivers).
The solution was the creation of special dimming LED bulbs, the operation of which is provided by a modified driver (a board inside the device). The package must indicate that this lamp can work with dimmers.
Dimming occurs by controlling the frequency of the glow, which inevitably causes flickering and pulsation on the lamp. You can exclude the appearance only by completely abandoning the use of dimmers.
What parameters need to be considered
To choose an LED lamp for your home, you need to take into account several parameters that provide comfortable lighting in a residential area:
- Color spectrum - lamps with a yellow tint of the emitted flux are suitable for residential premises, the color temperature for recreation areas should be 2700-2800K, for a desktop - with warm white light and a temperature of 3000K; voltage spread - 110-230 V.
- To preserve the natural colors of all objects in the room, LED lamps with a color rendering index of 80 CRA are chosen.
- Depending on the location of the lamp, a directional or diffused light stream may be required. These effects depend on the scattering angle, which can range from 30 ° to 360 °.
- Only lamps with a ripple range of 5-15% will have an imperceptible flicker.
Also, when choosing lamps for residential premises, it is convenient to use the SNiP recommendations regarding illumination standards (lm / m2):
- bedroom, kitchen - 150;
- children's room - 200;
- toilet, bathroom - 50;
- office - 300-500.
It is also important to consider the manufacturer. The most reliable brands are considered to be from Europe and Japan. The cost is higher than the Chinese, but the likelihood of counterfeiting and buying a low-quality product is much lower. Philips, Nichia, Osram are considered the best on the market.
