LED Lights: Benefits Of Having An Electrician Upgrade To LED Landscape Lighting | Wilmington, NC
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LED landscape lighting is not a novel concept; it has been around for some time. Recently, LED technology has become useful in yard lighting for residential and commercial exterior spaces. As of 2018, nearly 50 percent of all outdoor lighting in the United States used LEDs, and the number has been increasing over the years.
Electricians recommend LED light bulbs in the outdoors because of their reliability and durability compared to incandescent, sodium, halogen, and metal halide lights found in most outdoor lighting. Besides lasting longer and using less energy, the bulbs produce impressive results in an outdoor setting.
Today’s outdoor spaces in some households in Wilmington, NC, include extensions of their homes with dining spaces, lounging areas, and kitchen equipment. Therefore, to enjoy these spaces day into night, they can have an electrician install LED lights to enjoy some of the benefits below. But, what does LED mean?
Basics of LED Lighting
LED is an abbreviation for light-emitting diode. For starters, a diode is an electrical device with two electrodes to allow electricity to flow in only one direction. The diodes are built using silicon or selenium, which are semi-conductive materials that transmit electricity in some circumstances and not in others.
Therefore, LED lighting is a superconductor device that releases visible light when electricity passes through it. Unlike incandescent light bulbs, LED lighting products to generate light up to 90 percent and are designed with a heat sink to absorb heat produced by LEDs to avoid performance issues.
The Benefits of Landscape Lighting
Energy Efficiency
With traditional bulbs, you may end up spending a lot of money on electricity bills since you need to light up your porch and walkways where security is a concern.
The good news is that LED lights are 80 percent more efficient than traditional lighting, and 95 percent of the energy is converted while 5 percent is wasted as heat.
This keeps LEDs cool and minimizes fire hazards in your home and burns to your skin. On the other hand, fluorescent lights put only 5 percent of energy into light while the rest is wasted as heat. An electrician in Wilmington, NC, can help you decide on the type of LED bulb to choose for your home.
Reduced Maintenance
Did you know that LED landscape lights reduce the maintenance for your landscape lighting? Well, buying LED lights can last you for even ten years. Although they are expensive, the price is worth it because you don’t have to change them often like incandescent lights. For instance, if you use halogen lights, you’ll have to replace them annually, spending more on bulbs.
If you are looking for durable landscape lights, then LED lights are the best option. They are designed with solid plastic housing; therefore, they won’t break on impact and are resistant to shock, weather, and vibrations. During the frigid winters in Wilmington, NC, LED light bulbs won’t break when exposed to extreme cold.
You can use LED landscape lights to add fun and energy to your party or achieve a display effect when celebrating Christmas. You can simply turn the LED lights on and off without shortening their life span. Unlike incandescent lights, you can achieve the strobe light effect without replacing your bulbs.
Most LED lights are under warranty for some years, especially integrated LED light fixtures.
Less Heat
You can enhance your comfort by having an electrician install LED lights on your porch or deck because they generate less heat. Unlike other incandescent lights, LED lights can’t burn leaves when placed near plants.
\With LED lights, you are guaranteed improved light quality because they brighten immediately when turned on compared to conventional lights that take time to reach the correct light level.
They help reduce your carbon footprint because they don’t contain toxic materials like mercury and are recyclable. However, LED lights don’t eliminate the fire hazard that all electrical light fixtures pose.
Simpler Electrical Connections
LED outdoor lights are not complicated to install like incandescent light bulbs, and with lower voltage power still produces the same level of light as incandescent lights.
Therefore you don’t need to hire an electrician because LED lights do not require industrial grade wiring or intricate outdoor cables. LED lights can run off a single power cord.
It is even faster to design and install LED lighting systems compared to incandescent bulbs. Although they are available in various shapes and styles, they can tolerate a wider current range and voltage, just like conventional bulbs.
In some cases, it’s advisable to seek the help of a professional for small and medium projects. Still, you can execute such projects successfully without hiring an expert since you may not need to have precise calculations of the transformer and wire loads for the project.
But, avoid going to extremes by plugging numerous lights into the outdoor power socket; simply remove the incandescent bulbs and add a few LED outdoor lights to an existing power strip.
Since LED lights use little power, you can easily charge them with a solar panel on top of the light fixture. Therefore, homeowners who enjoy spending time in the yard at night can put solar-powered path lights without running any wiring.
Fewer Pests
No homeowner likes the sight of pesky summertime insects that flood their patio and landscape lighting while enjoying their summer evening. In most cases, the insects are usually drawn by the UV light emitted from the halogen light bulbs.
An electrician can install LED lights that don’t release this type of UV light, reducing fluttering backyard bugs.
Let Electricians from Mister Sparky of Wilmington Transform Your Outdoor Living Space
With numerous benefits, it’s evident why LED landscape lighting has become so popular. LED lighting is simply fashionable whether you need to light up your path or walkway or illuminate a deck or patio.
If you are considering LED lights as a smart alternative for your modern exterior yard, look no more. At Mister Sparky of Wilmington, we offer comprehensive outdoor lighting services ranging from flood, sensor, deck, path, driveway, and emergency lights to pond and pool lighting.
You can also rely on our electricians for emergency electrical solutions, including electrical metering and fault finding, risk assessment, safety switch replacements, and equipment tagging and testing. Our electricians at Mister Sparky of Wilmington are a phone call away.