LED lamps have been positioned on the market for several years as the most modern devices for organizing lighting. Progressive LED technology finds its place in industry, in the provision of public buildings and, of course, is widely used in private homes. The popularity of such devices is facilitated by aggressive advertising, in which manufacturers list their many advantages. However, in some parameters and performance properties, LED-light bulbs are still inferior to traditional means of lighting. Even incandescent lamps are more attractive in some cases.
LED lighting features
Standard format LED lamps are a complex structure that includes several functional elements. These can be radiators, capacitors, and even drivers that control the characteristics of the radiation. By themselves, 220V LED light bulbs consist of three components - a diffuser, a chip and a printed circuit board.
Diffuser - the simplest structural element, which is made in the form of a hemisphere, serves to increase the angle of the light flux. As for the material for diffusers, they are usuallyare made of polycarbonate or other types of transparent plastic. An LED chip can be called a radiation source. One device can have from one to hundreds of such elements. But most often LED-light bulbs for the home contain no more than a dozen chips. Thanks to the printed circuit board, the design does not heat up. Its aluminum base conducts heat to the heatsink, which ensures the safety of such devices.
Types of devices
There are quite a few classifications of LED devices. First of all, it is worth highlighting the difference in lamp power - this is the range from 1 to 7 watts. Like halogen devices, LED models can be powered both from a 220 V network and from controllers with a low voltage of 12 V. The lamps also differ in the type of cartridge. Manufacturers produce devices designed for base structures of E14, GU10 and MR16 formats. The most common are E27 LED bulbs, which just support advanced control options due to the integrated driver. Ceiling lamp models can be attributed to a special category. They are calculated specifically for installation in suspended structures with point placement.
Advantages of LED bulbs
Marketing campaigns that popularize LED lighting, of course, can exaggerate the advantages of this lighting technology, but in most cases, positive positioning has real grounds. So, LED-devices have the following advantages:
- Smallpower consumption. Compared to conventional lamps, savings can reach 20-30%.
- Durability. The average service life is 40-50 thousand hours.
- Sustainability. If you break an LED bulb, it will not emit fumes that are dangerous to humans.
- Aesthetic appearance. The absence of massive radiating elements opens up ample opportunities for manufacturers to experiment with cases, which leads to a variety of design solutions.
- Safety. In addition to environmental safety, it is worth emphasizing the minimum risk of fire due to thermal contact with closely spaced surfaces. Again, due to the specifics of the internal device, the dissipating bulb does not heat up.
Disadvantages of LED bulbs
Significant advantages still failed to make LED technology indispensable and universal in all areas. This was prevented by the following shortcomings:
- Unnatural color spectrum. This is an ambiguous parameter of LED lamps, but many users consider the nature of the glow as their weak point. The spectra can vary, but most often the lamps emit either blinding white or yellow light. This is a plus in terms of lighting quality, but such a beam is tiring for the eyes.
- Design flaws. This applies to models with flat surfaces. As a rule, such LED bulbs have a narrow dispersion angle - 120 degrees.
- Difficult to install. To implement a complete LED lighting system withthe ability to control parameters requires a large number of electrical operations.
- Risk of acquiring a fake. You can count on the benefits of LED devices only if you buy a quality copy, which is also not easy.
How much do LED bulbs cost
Actually, the high cost and causes the widespread use of low-quality fakes. Initially, experts recommend focusing strictly on OSRAM and Philips products. These companies offer standard household lamps with price tags ranging from 500 to 1000 rubles. But this is not the limit - large-format lamps can be sold for 3-4 thousand. There is also a wide segment of budget LED LED bulbs, where you can run into a fake. As a rule, little-known manufacturers produce such models, asking for about 200-300 rubles for a lamp. Devices of a similar price level are also offered by many domestic manufacturers who use the element base of the same OSRAM and Philips brands in their designs. But, of course, the performance properties in this case will be far from those promised in advertising booklets.
Conclusion
As you can see, the expediency of switching to LED technology is not yet so obvious. On the one hand, unnatural and tiring light, which office workers complain about, can scare away. On the other hand, the high cost does not allow large enterprises to re-equip their lighting communications. And yet the popularity of LED bulbs on220V is steadily rising. This choice is made for various reasons. Ordinary homeowners value reliability, durability and original design in LED devices. Utilities are upgrading old lamps to LEDs due to low energy costs. Still, large floodlights in the conditions of complex lighting of objects often form the first lines in the cost of electricity, so even a small percentage of minimizing consumption provides significant savings.
