I am very into LED light bulbs because they are amazingly efficient. I think it is crazy to use incandescent or fluorescent if LED is an option.
LED light bulbs are much more energy efficient than incandescent or CFL light bulbs. You can save a lot of money in the long run by using LED lights instead of other types of lighting.
But some people wonder if LEDs get hot like other kinds of light bulbs do. The simple answer is no, they do not. In comparison, they emit a smaller amount of heat thanks to the heat sink feature they have. LED lights stay cooler and draw very little energy from the circuit.
Keep reading this article to find out more about LED light bulbs and how they work.
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Is it normal for recessed LED lights to get hot?
I am inspired by how often led lights get pushed to their limits.
It’s not uncommon for LED lights to get hot.
Because LEDs are solid state devices, they give off heat when operating at high currents.
I want you to be aware that this is something that is normal and expected.
However, it can cause problems if the device is being used in an enclosed space with no cooling mechanisms (like a car).
For example, many other LED lights feature heat sinks to keep the temperature down in closed spaces.
The heat that is generated from an LED light is low and it cools down quickly as the heat goes into the object rather than dispersing elsewhere.
The heat is a by-product of the LEDs and it is not dangerous.
I had installed some LED light bulbs and the heat they generated was completely normal and harmless.
Therefore, you should not worry about your LED lights getting hot. You can even touch them after they are switched on for long hours to see that they have cooled down significantly.
A number of past researches suggest that most people would experience skin sensation within one second when they touch a 150-watt incandescent lamp that has been switched on for 15 minutes.
However, it takes more than 6 seconds to feel the heat coming from the same power LED light.
Consider the light bulb temperature?
This is not a rave review. This is something I hope we all can agree on.
We know that CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) use less energy and last longer, which should make them better for the environment.
But there is a third type of bulb to consider—the LED (light-emitting diode) bulb.
I have to say I was quite astonished by all LED bulbs I’ve tested. More so than any other types of bulbs.
LEDs use even less energy than CFLs and can last up to 25 times as long!
Why?
Because they produce much more light per watt of power consumed, plus their lights don’t contain mercury like CFLs do.
LEDs also have a very long lifespan: about 100,000 hours or 11 years if you leave it on for 10 hours each day!
All I’m saying is that LED lights are amazing.
So, if you want to protect our planet from global warming while saving money, LEDs are the way to go.
But how do they compare to incandescent or CFL light bulbs on other points of comparison, such as light temperature?
What is a light bulb’s color temperature?
It’s hard to explain without the help of color, but I’ll try my best.
Light bulbs can be categorized in various colors as well but not everyone understands how they differ from each other.
You might know that incandescent bulbs have a bright-yellow color and fluorescent lights are more white, but what do those colors actually mean?
That’s the “color temperature”—the temperature in degrees Kelvin (K), or how hot something is.
For reference, a candle flame runs at about 1500 K and the sun at about 5500 K. According to experts, in the Color Rendering Index (CRI) the sun is the best with a CRI of 100 while a candle has a CRI of about 20.
What do different temperatures mean?
When choosing lighting, it’s important to know whether or not the light bulb produces “warm” or “cool” light.
That is, does it have a high color temperature (a “warm feeling”) or a low one (a “cool feeling”)?
Let me explain what this means.
The warmth of the light depends on the amount of red in the spectrum, so a “warm” light is one with more red in it.
The closer the Kelvin value is to 2700 K, which is what incandescent bulbs produce, the “warmer” the light will look to our eyes.
Warm vs cool white lights
Why does this matter?
Warm lights make colors look warmer in tone and give an inviting, comfortable feel.
Cool lights can have the opposite effect: they create a feeling of coldness or even hostility. Perhaps that’s why many people (including me) enjoy the warm glow of a fireplace…
There are many different types of “cool white” light bulbs on the market today, and it can be confusing to figure out which is best for you.
Ironically, cool lights are not necessarily “cool” at all—they just have less red in them.
Light temperature matters because it affects how a room feels.
Last year, I turned on warm lights in the living room and the orange wall made colors look warmer with a very comfortable feel.
Warm light is best for rooms used for relaxing, playing or spending time with family and friends—basically anywhere that you want a warm feeling.
Light bulbs that produce a “cool white” light are best to use in rooms where you don’t want people getting sleepy, such as kitchens and garages.
Causes of LED light heating
How can you be sure that your led lights are safe?
Led lighting is a new and very popular form of residential lighting which has some unique characteristics.
One such characteristic is the ability to produce large amounts of light with low levels of heat output.
But this doesn’t mean they’re completely safe from getting hot, nor does it guarantee how long they will last.
This section will help shed some light on what factors contribute to making LED lights safe, as well as those that make them unsafe.
What makes LED lights hot?
Due to the lighting setup and power consumption, both LEDs and incandescent lights produce some heat.
But LEDs produce less heat because of the way lighting is laid out.
What causes them to get hot?
The primary cause is the amperage (amperes) of power going through it.
When you’re putting too much amperage in an LED lamp it can result in the following:
- Increased heat generation (excess power creates waste energy, which is converted to heat)
- Diminished efficiency and lumen output (if you put too much current through an LED bulb it will cause the lifespan to decrease).
How do you lower amperes?
If you’re using the proper wattage and current for your led bulb, then you should be fine.
But why does my LED light get so hot?
There are various reasons an LED light can get extremely hot.
For example: The heat sink material can get hot.
The heat sink is the material that absorbs the extra power, in order to prevent an excessive amount of electricity from passing through the led bulb.
If it cannot handle all of this then it will get very hot, but only temporarily.
But if you have a high quality heat sink (most common in pricey LED lights), then you will probably be fine.
The only way to know for sure is if it’s no longer getting very hot after a few minutes of use.
Why do some LED lights have bad lifespans?
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but all light bulbs are by no means the same.
Some last longer than others, and some will save you money in the long run.
But what about LED lights?
We’ll take a look at why LED lights burn out so quickly.
If you’re using improper wattage or current, then your led lights could have a bad lifespan.
This can be caused by improper wiring which allows too much electricity to pass through.
The average life expectancy of an LED light is 11 years, but it varies depending on how they’re used.
Some factors include:
- Power wattage/current
- Heat sink material used – the quality of it can affect how much electricity is absorbed and converted to heat.
What should I look for in a good LED recessed lighting fixture?
As the types of light fixtures for residential and commercial needs change, so does the type of energy that is used to power them.
In fact, LED lights are quickly becoming one of the most popular options in both residential and commercial settings because they use less wattage than traditional incandescent bulbs while still providing a warm glow.
However, with so many different brands on the market it can be difficult to find high-quality LED recessed lighting fixtures that fit your specific needs.
Here are some things you should look for when shopping for new LEDs:
Light output
Depending on your desired ambiance or amount of natural light coming into a room, there may be times where you want more intense illumination rather than just general lighting.
That’s why it’s important to check the light output of LEDs before you buy them.
The higher the number (measured in Lumens) means that there will be more intense lighting for a given amount of wattage when illuminated.
Light quality
For most people, warm white light with an amber tint is preferred over stark white lights.
However, there are options that include blue lights which can also be effective depending on the situation.
Aesthetics
While not everyone has an eye for designs and aesthetics, most people have some idea of what they do or don’t like.
That’s why it can be useful to find out what others think of the look of a certain LED lighting fixture before you buy it.
Installation process
One great thing about most LEDs is that they can be installed easily and without replacing your current light fixtures since they are designed to fit in with existing ones.
However, there can still be some installation issues depending on the type and brand of LED lights you buy.
That’s why it’s important to learn about the installation process before you buy LEDs so you have an idea of whether or not they are going to be a good fit for your situation.
Take advantage of recessed LED lights with less heat!
LED lights work by emitting light from a semiconductor.
They do not emit heat like traditional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs but they can generate waste heat in certain instances such as when the LED is being overdriven to produce excess brightness and power efficiency suffers.
However, most LED recessed lights are designed to be run at lower voltages than that of a traditional halogen bulb which makes it very efficient as well as cool.
A well-installed LED lighting system is powerful because it provides ample natural daylighting for your home’s interior spaces.
And installing recessed LEDs in your kitchen means you won’t need to put up with those annoying hot fixtures that blow out the humidity every time someone opens the door!
