Excited about the energy savings and lifespan of LED lighting, yet unsure about replacing all your incandescents? The great news is that LED bulbs have leapt forward in technology and quality — for every location, there’s an LED bulb that fits and works perfectly. You just need to find the right type, brightness, and color for lighting different locations in your home.
First, keep these LED basics in mind when choosing where and how to replace incandescents with LED lighting:
- Find the right colors. LEDs have color ratings in kelvins — around 2500 for yellowish light and around 5000 for brighter white light. Find the right color to match your expectations and preferences.
- Brighten up. Everybody is still getting used to measuring brightness in lumens rather than watts. A 60w incandescent produces about 800 lumens, so don’t go below 800 unless the fixture calls for less than 60w.
- Fixture compatibility. Most common LED bulbs work with traditional light fixtures, but make sure before you buy! You’ll need special LED lighting for recessed cans and completely enclosed fixtures.
Function Lighting: Closets, Laundry Rooms, Refrigerators
Small, functional spaces like mud rooms, laundry rooms, or even your refrigerator and freezer make the perfect spots for LED lighting. While it’s true that LEDs can provide exactly the color and brightness you want, it’s easy to make the transition in places other than your main living room lighting.
Overhead Lighting: Chandeliers, Ceiling Fans, Recessed Cans
Early LED lighting consisted of mostly single-direction lights — a beam of light rather than evenly distributed light. However, “omnidirectional” LED lights are now available to fully brighten up even your largest living spaces. Some things to keep in mind when switching to LEDs for important overhead lighting purposes:
- When unsure about brightness options, go with the brighter varieties (more lumens).
- If you want to use a dimmer switch, make sure your LED lighting is compatible. You may need to change the switch.
- Recessed lighting sometimes poses a problem for LED lights, because they need space to dissipate heat. Look for LED bulbs that are specifically recommended for recessed cans.
Track Lighting: Changing Style When You Change Bulbs
Available in a wide variety of shapes, LED lighting can blend in quite well with your existing fixtures. But why not rethink your lighting design and style while making the switch? LED track lighting looks modern and functions wonderfully for lighting hallways, walls of artwork, kitchen and bar areas, and narrow spaces.
Install LED Lighting Anywhere You Want!
The big takeaway here: you can use LED lighting anywhere. If you want to replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs, you can do so as long as you find the right LEDs. And if you want to overhaul your home lighting solutions, now is the perfect time to do so. A lighting scheme designed with LEDs in mind will produce the best light quality and placement.
In some cases, adding LEDs will require some light electrical work — wiring recessed lights, adding wiring to new locations, or repairing frayed old wires that you may discover when replacing light fixtures.
For help getting the most enjoyment, style, and functionality out of your new lighting, contact us for information about home electrical wiring for LED lighting.
