Electricity has been used for a long time to illuminate rooms. For a long time, only incandescent bulbs were used in apartments, offices, shops, houses, etc. These small devices are still appreciated mainly for a rather powerful stream of light, which, in addition, has a natural shade that is pleasant to the eyes. However, incandescent bulbs have several significant drawbacks. First of all, these are high indicators in terms of electricity consumption and short service life. Therefore, in recent years, other types of lighting fixtures have become increasingly popular - economical and durable. Among the latter are the invented not so long ago LED LED lamps.
A bit of history
The LED was first made by a renowned engineer Nick Holonyak in 1962. The device he designed emitted visible red light. Shortly after the advent of this interesting invention, the American company Monsanto put its production on stream. The first device of this type came off the assembly line in 1968. The light bulbs produced by Monsanto were intended for use in mainly digital watches and calculators. For the next several decades, LEDs were used only in industrial and consumer electronics.
220V LED lamps emitting bright white light and intended for lighting premises for various purposes began to be produced only in 1997. The American Fred Schubert became the creator of the first such device. Nowadays, such devices are already used in many industrial and residential premises.
Basic structural elements
Modern LED LED lamps are assembled using the following components:
Basement. As in incandescent lamps, this element in this case is designed to screw the device into the lamp holder.
Drivers in a plastic case with ventilation holes. This unit is designed to convert AC to DC. In addition, its design includes special capacitors needed to cool the lamp. Another element is the zener diode, which is used to equalize the voltage drops in the network.
Radiator. This assembly is made of aluminum and has a very large number of ribs. It is also needed to cool the LED.
Made of aluminum board. On its side that faces the radiator, special thermal grease is applied. About 90% of the heat emitted by the LED is transferred to the board.
Diffuser. LED lamps give narrow light. This element in their design is intended for its dispersion in order to uniformly illuminate the room.
LED itself.
As you can see, compared to conventional incandescent lamps, the devices under consideration are more complex in design.
What is a LED?
Of course, this element is the main element in the lamp. The LED itself is a special semiconductor device that converts electrical energy into light. The main structural elements of this device are:
Current conducting substrate.
The LED crystal laid on it.
The case in which both elements are enclosed. Contacts come out on one side, and a lens is located on the other. Between the last and LED crystal silicone is poured.
Aluminum base on which all elements are fixed.
Principle of operation
The LED functions due to a special process of recombination of electrons between two contacts with different degrees of conductivity. On the one hand, doping with an acceptor impurity containing a small number of electrons, and on the other hand, an increased doping crystal, takes place at the exit sites of the latter. Recombination occurs immediately after the lamp is turned on. As a result, excess energy arises, which is converted into a luminous flux.
Main characteristics
The owners of houses, offices, shops and apartments, choosing LED LED lamps, first of all pay attention to three main parameters:
The degree of heat flow. Lamps of this type can give light of different shades. Devices emitting a cold stream are mainly used in public institutions. For apartments and houses more often choose lamps with a "warm" light. The most popular types, therefore, are models at 2700, 3000 and 3300 K.
Type of cap. The standard option is the E27 LED lamp. Models with such a base are suitable for all household fixtures. There are also minion LEDs labeled E14.
The power of the device. As you know, the most popular are incandescent lamps at 60-100 watts. These indicators correspond to 7-13 watts of LEDs.
What device to buy for an apartment?
Thus, the answer to the question of how to choose an LED light bulb for the home is not complicated. The best option for a living room would be a device with an E27 cap and a warm heat flux of 2700 K.
As for power, in this case, the choice largely depends on for what specific purposes it is supposed to use the device. So, for a living room or office, a thirteen-watt E27 LED lamp (analogue to a 100 W incandescent device) is best suited. For the bedroom, it is better to choose a model for 7-10 watts. The same lamps are suitable for the kitchen and a small hallway.
Device benefits
So what are the specific advantages of an LED lamp? Reviews of devices of this type are mostly good. According to consumers, they:
Economical. A device of this kind consumes energy 20 times less than an incandescent lamp at the same light intensity.
Have a long service life. LEDs without the need for replacement can be used up to one hundred thousand hours.
Resistant to shock, vibration and low temperatures. Thanks to this, LED lamps can also be used for street lighting.
Environmentally friendly. Unlike conventional energy-saving, LED lamps do not have mercury. This increases the safety of lighting and facilitates the disposal process.
Do not give UV radiation. When using lamps of this type, furniture upholstery, paint in paintings, etc. do not burn out.
LED disadvantages
Thus, there are many advantages to lamps of this variety. But they, of course, have certain disadvantages. High cost is what primarily relates to the disadvantages of such a device as an LED lamp. The price of household LEDs can range from 600-3000 rubles. On sale, of course, there are cheaper options made in China. However, they should be purchased with caution. The fact is that cheapness in this case can be explained only by savings on components.
The second significant drawback of LED lamps is their sensitivity to voltage surges. Sometimes residents of large cities who own small land plots are interested in how to choose an LED light bulb for a house in the country. Unfortunately, in the country, such devices can not always be used, and all because of frequent voltage drops.
Another disadvantage of lamps of this variety is that they can not be screwed into closed fixtures. With constant overheating, such devices very quickly become unusable. For the same reason, it is not recommended to use LED lamps in specialized rooms with too high air temperature. After months of use under such conditions, the device will begin to produce unacceptably dim light.
The fact that lamps of this type emit a narrowly directed flow can also be attributed to their minuses. Using a diffuser makes the device more expensive. In addition, when applied, the power of the light flux emitted by the lamp is significantly reduced.
Most popular manufacturers
There are many brands of devices of this type in the modern Russian market. Which manufacturer should be preferred when choosing a device such as an LED lamp? Reviews of devices of this type are generally positive. However, the highest reliability, according to customers, has products of European brands. Chinese lighting fixtures, as already mentioned, can not always boast of quality. The same is worth saying about the products of domestic manufacturers.
Judging by the reviews, the most popular European brands are the LED Artpole, ASD and Navigator LED lamps. The most expensive at the same time is the products of the company "Artpole". ASD and Navigator are cheaper, but give a slightly dimmer light output. The lamps of these manufacturers are quite different in design. But in this case, the choice, of course, will depend on the personal taste preferences of the buyer.
Thus, the main advantages of LED lamps can be attributed primarily to efficiency and long life. Their undoubted advantage is environmental cleanliness. What LED bulbs are best for home or office? According to consumers, it is better to purchase models from a well-known manufacturer. High cost will be justified - due to cost effectiveness - only a high-quality device. A cheap Chinese light bulb is likely to fail very quickly.