If your traditional incandescent light bulbs are on their last leg of life, you might be interested in switching your bulbs over to the LED variety. While these light bulbs do boast a longer life, they can be tricky to buy. Fortunately, you can make shopping a little easier by following these four tips:
1. Bring Your Old Bulbs Along
It can be tricky to purchase new bulbs for old spaces. Fortunately, you can make your task a little easier by bringing along the old bulb. Comparing old with new will ensure that the new LED bulbs you purchase will fit your current lighting fixture. It will also ensure that it will fit within the same style, so that you won't have a light bulb bulging out of your fixture. So bring along your old bulbs when you go shopping for new ones. You'll be happy you did.
2. Shop For Lumens
Traditionally, when shopping for light bulbs you look for their wattage as an indicator of their brightness. Unfortunately, this tactic does not work for LED bulbs. This is because LED lights use varying degrees of energy to illuminate, which means that the wattage does not indicate its brightness. In order to determine how bright the light will be, you will need to look at the lumens. As you might expect, a brighter light will have a higher lumen rating. So make sure you keep this in mind, otherwise you might wind up with darker or brighter lights.
3. Consider Light Colors
Another feature you might not be familiar with are LED light colors. While these lights come in a variety of shades, the most common ones are soft white and bright white. Light bulbs with soft or warm descriptors will have a more yellow color, which is similar to traditional lights. However, bulbs with bright or daylight descriptors will have brighter lights that resemble those inside stores. So keep this in mind when selecting LED lights.
4. Be Mindful of Dimmer Switches
Finally, make sure you are mindful of any dimmer switches in your home. Some LED lights will not work well with these types of lighting fixtures. If you purchase the wrong type of bulb, you might notice that it flickers or produces an odd noise. So when shopping, make sure the package says that the light is compatible with dimmer switches.
While LED lights do have a longer lifespan and do offer energy savings, they can be tricky to buy. Fortunately, you can make your shopping experience easier by following these tips. If in doubt, ask a sales associate, like one at Outdoor Accents, for help.
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