Questions About LED Lights

What Are LED Lights?

Light Emitting Diode is the actual words for the short term LED. An LED light is a solid-state object that controls electrical current without wire filaments. LEDs are not lamps or light bulbs as we are used to using today. An LED light is a semiconductor that allows a narrow-spectrum of light to flow through it. The new LED lights are very reliable and have a long life. It takes a lot of work to make an LED light ready for the store shelves. To produce a light color the LED needs to be placed on a circuit board that allows an exact amount of electrical current and voltage to pass through the structure.

The LED lights produce different colors when a specific voltage passes through it. The color of the light depends on the condition and composition of the semi conducting material used. The wavelength of the light emitted produces its true color. Only a true clear light has been difficult to produce. The early so called clear LED lights emitted a soft blue hue but recent advances in semiconductors have produced a true clear or no color light. LED lights usually have a constant illumination when an electrical current pass through them. The more advanced flashing LED bulbs are also available. When a small micro chip was placed inside the standard LED bulb it causes the bulb to flash. The most common type of LED bulbs comes in green, red or yellow. The most common flashing LED bulbs emit light in a single wavelength of light. Through advances in technology they can now produce multicolored flashing LED bulbs. Today's semiconductor is so precise that they can produce light wavelengths with many hues of a single color thus creating an infinite number of beautiful pure colors.

How do LED lights work?

The positive electrical power is applied to one side of the LED semiconductor through a lead wire that enters the LED bulb. The lead wire attaches to a whisker that allows the electricity to flow into the semiconductor. A negative electrical wire also enters the LED bulb and is attached to the Anvil. The top of the anvil that is the negative power lead is attached to the other side of the semiconductor. This connection is want produces the light. It is the chemical makeup of the LED semiconductor that determines the color of the LED light.

The resin lens is designed to allow most of the light to escape from the semiconductor and it also protects the LED semiconductor from the elements. The resin lens can be clear or dyed in a verity of different translucent colors to create different effects. The entire LED unit is totally embedded in epoxy resin. This is what makes LEDs virtually indestructible. There are no loose or moving parts within the solid epoxy enclosure of an LED light. An LED light source is a very bright and may cause injury to your eyes. DO NOT look directly into the LED light source without certified dark protective eyewear.

How long will LED lights last?

The research and development of the LED lights are making it possible to conserve electricity now and in the future. The LED lights that we as consumers will buy are rated for 1,000 or more hours of run time. The more expensive commercial Cree and Luxeon LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours of run time. Even though the price of the LED bulbs is higher the overall operating cost is much lower. A new LED bulb uses 1/4 the electricity of a conventional tungsten light bulb. The overall savings is substantial over the life of the 1,000 hour LED bulb.

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