How to Choose the Right Color LED Bulb for the Home

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As your incandescent bulbs burn out, it’s a good time to consider switching to LED bulbs. You have always counted on incandescent bulbs to provide a warm yellowish hue for the home. LED bulbs come in a wide range of colors, last for years and are cooler to operate. We have put together a few tips to help you determine how to choose the right color LED bulb and more.

  • LED bulbs can display a wide color range from red to purple, whites and yellows. For the home, generally, we are still looking for the warm yellow that incandescent bulbs produce.     
  • The most popular colors for LED bulbs are “warm” white or “soft white and “bright” white.   
  • “Warm” white and “soft” white produce a yellow hue like incandescent bulbs.  “Bright” white bulbs produce a white blue light like daylight and retail store lighting.
  • Light color or color temperature is measured in kelvins. The lower the number, the warmer more yellow the light. Typical incandescent bulbs are between 2,700K and3,500K. To ensure you are purchasing a warm yellow bulb look for this range when shopping for LED bulbs.
  • LED bulbs are more expensive than the old incandescent bulbs, but are cheaper to operate. LED bulbs will pay off in the long run, they produce less heat, last much longer and can be operated by smart phone technology. As more competition is entering the market, we are already seeing the price of LED bulbs falling and becoming competitive in the market place. Be aware that unless you are replacing many incandescent bulbs in your house, you will not see significant savings in your power bill.              
  • Please note that due to their circuitry, LED bulbs are not always compatible with traditional dimming switches. You may need to replace with a LED compatible dimmer switch, or pay slightly more for a compatible LED bulb. If you experience a LED bulb humming, buzzing, or flickering you need to replace with a compatible dimmer or replace with a compatible bulb.
  • Not all light fixtures or lamps can be used with LED bulbs. If your LED bulb last less than a year, it is probably due to an old fixture or lamp.

As always, we love to hear from you. Please let us know your thoughts and ideas per this helpful topic!