How to choose the right LED

LED lamps

- Brightness

The brightness of an incandescent lamp directly depends on its consumption. W = brightness. The same principle works for fluorescent lamps.

However, the brightness of LED lamps depends not only on the number of watts consumed, but also on the type of diode used, on the power or even on the manufacturer's plant where LEDs are grown, because everyone has different “recipes”, despite the same ingredients.
The consumption comparison table will help you understand this.

Electricity consumption:
Incandescent lamp	Fluorescent lamp	LED lamp

25w	5w	2-3w
40w	8w	4-5w
60w	12w	6-8w
75w	16w	8-10w
100w	25w	10-13w

- Shade of light

LED bulbs differ in light color or light color temperature, which is measured in Kelvin (K).

The color temperature for an incandescent lamp is about 2700K, for a halogen gas lamp - 3000K.

LED bulbs are produced with different color temperatures, from 2700K to 10000K. 2700K - 3000K - warm white, 4000K - 4500K - daylight, from 5000 to 6000K - cold white, and more than 6000K - the color is characterized by bright light blue tone. Thus, LED lamps make it possible to illuminate different objects using lights of different color spectrums. However, it should be noted that the number of Kelvins (K) has a small effect on the light output, or brightness.

For example, 5w cool white colors are slightly brighter than 5w warm white colors.

- Types of lamp bulb base

The type of bulb base is usually indicated on the surface of the bulb or in the technical documentation of the bulb. Base have their own designation system. It consists of some elements.

* The first letter denotes the bulb base type:

E - thread base

G - plug base

* The number indicates the diameter of the connecting parts of the bulb base or the distance between the plugs.

Thread base (E**)

Edison socket - thread system

The designation Е** indicates the diameter in millimeters. Example: base E27 – thread connection diameter 27 mm.

Plug (contact) base

Denoted by the letter G. The plug system is used to connect the bulb to the cartridge. The numbers in the designation indicate the distance between the centers of the plug; if there are more than 2 plugs, then indicate the diameter of the circle in which the centers of the plugs are located.

Lamps with a GU10 base have extensions at the end of the contacts, they are connected to the cartridge with rotation.

In some cases, the bulb type is indicated instead of the bulb type.

MR16 (numbers may vary) – standard size halogen bulb with reflector. Plug socket GU 5.3 is mostly used.

R50, R67 or R80 (the numbers indicate the diameter of the bulb) – the size of the bulb's reflector. They are used to create directional light. The thread base is mostly used - E27 or E14.

- Useful information !

12V bulbs

When choosing to change MR16 or G4 bulbs with 12v supply voltage to LED analogues, it is first necessary to find out what power supply unit is used. If you are using an impulse power supply unit or a unit with alternating current (12v AC), it will be necessary to replace it with a special power supply unit for LED lamps or a direct current unit (12v DC), otherwise the LED lamp will flash or remain hot and burn out.

T8 (g13) bulbs VISIONAL

T8 or daylight bulbs in the classic version are started with a starter and chokes. However, it is not necessary for LED bulbs, therefore, the connection scheme will have to be changed to the one indicated below, in some cases it is enough to remove the "barrels", but if the T8 bulb still blinks, the connection must be completely changed. It needs to be connected to 220V voltage.

LED Strip

Before buying the LED strip you must first choose for what purpose you will use the led strip, indoor lighting or street lighting.

Tape marking:

indoors and in dry places - IP20
in outdoor and wet rooms - IP65
for long-term use, outdoor use only - IP68

For basic lighting, it is best to use the most powerful tape model 5050 - 60 diodes per meter or 3528 - 240, 120 or 60 diodes per meter. The brightness of the tape can be adjusted with the help of a special remote control.

The tape model 5050 - 30 diodes per meter, 3528 - 30 or 60 diodes per meter will be most suitable for additional or decorative lighting.Choosing a tape is a very smart thing to do - the more light you need, the more powerful tape you should choose.

The power can be determined first of all by the diode model, there are 2 types:

• Model 3528 - 1 crystal diode size 3.5 x 2.8mm, brightness 8 lumens per 1 diode.
• Model 5050 - 3 crystal diodes, size 5 x 5mm, brightness 24 lumens per 1 diode.

Number of diodes per 1 meter classification - there are 30, 60, 120, 240 diodes per 1 meter.

Connecting the led strip is very easy. First, it is necessary to choose the amount of led strip and the type of led strip, and then, with the help of a specialist, calculate the necessary transformer for connecting the tstrip. The tape connection scheme is shown below on the picture.