LED Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What does LED stand for?
A. LED stands for Light Emitting Diode
Q. How do LEDs use such little power?
A. An LED does not use a filament where a conductor is heated. Filament based lighting consumes more power than the light produced. LEDs produce very little amounts of heat and do not use filaments making them far more efficient in power consumption and light output.
Q. Can LEDs be dimmed?
A. Dimming is created by reducing the forward current of AC voltage. Most LED light bulbs convert internally 110V -12V so you can use it in a normal 110V socket. 12V is the normal operating voltage of an LED light bulb. If you dim past the current range of an LED it will flicker.
New technology called Pulse Width Modulation presents a technique to safely dim an LED from 0 - 100% of its normal brightness. By pulsing the LED with current, and varying the duty cycle of the current waveform, the LED rapidly transitions between on and off, and the relative times give the impression of being dimmed.
* Pulse Width Modulation is slowly being incorporated into standard LED replacement lamps.
Q. What's difference between incandescent and LEDs?
A. Incandescent bulbs create light by the use of a filament. When power is applied, the filament glows and generates heat, which in turn produces light. LEDs create light through a "cold process". When power is applied to the semiconductors (usually gallium, arsenic and phosphorous), they are stimulated by moving electrons, which creates photons. These photons are the light that can be visibly seen.
Q. Are LEDs bulbs?
A. We commonly refer to them as bulbs, but in fact they are not. LEDs are tiny semiconductors that are encapsulated in plastic which protect their components and also helps to focus the light.
Q. Do LEDs have a wire filament?
A. No they don't. LEDs are diodes - they only allow power to move in one direction. The anode (positive) is where the current comes in and the cathode (negative) is where the current goes out, much like the positive and negative terminals of a battery. Incandescent bulbs project light in every direction (omni directional) as opposed to LED lights which project light in specified directions (such as 20, 50 and 120 degrees) due to their layout and design.
Q. Do LEDs produce any heat?
A. LEDs produce a very small amount heat. The heat that is noticed in some instances is primarily due to the on board components and other factors of the circuit. In comparison to incandescent, LEDs produce just a fraction of heat. If LEDs do become hot to the touch, they are being overpowered due to improper circuitry.
Q. Can LEDs be damaged if hooked up backwards?
A. Yes, they can. LEDs are diodes and only allow power to pass in one direction. To ensure that you will get the most life out of our LED devices, we add additional circuits to prevent this from occurring in both AC and DC applications.
Q. Are LEDs affected by extreme conditions?
A. LEDs are well suited for harsh environments. LEDs can easily function anywhere from -40F to 180F. There is no delay or required "warm up time" for LEDs to function.
Q. Does the light from LEDs attract insects?
A. No. Insects see entirely different spectrums of light and are attracted to ultraviolet light. Most insects can't even see the light that LEDs produce.
Q. How long do LEDs normally last?
A. LEDs are rated to operate under normal conditions for approximately 10 years or 100,000 hours of continuous use. As LEDs get older, they can dim and fade but aren't susceptible to blinking like incandescent or fluorescents.
