LED lighting is a great choice for permanent outdoor lights, but there’s a lot of outdated or untrue information about them: how much they cost to run, how efficient they are, and how bright they can be. Let’s debunk some myths about permanent LED lighting and discuss why they’re an excellent solution for homeowners to enhance their outdoor spaces.
The 5 Most Common Myths about LED Lighting
There are a lot of common misconceptions about LED lighting, but here are five of the most common:
1. LED Lighting Costs Too Much
This has to be one of the most common myths about LED lighting, and we can tell you it’s just not true. LED lighting is more energy-efficient (and therefore cost-effective) than other types of lighting.
To get technical for a minute, if we compare them to other types of lighting (like incandescent or halogen bulbs), LEDs come out on top. LEDs waste up to 90% less energy than other types of lighting because they don’t lose energy from heat.
We found that an average-sized home will cost around $4.24 per month in energy to run LED lights for 6 hours a day. So, there’s only a tiny increase in your energy bills vs. no lighting, and they’re more efficient than older types of lighting. While an upfront cost is associated with installing permanent LED lights, the same can be said for any professional lighting.
2. LED Lights Are Too Bright
Technically, LED lights can be very bright—if you want them to be. With the Gemstone Lights app, you can control your lights’ brightness. They can give off a subtle glow or be so bright your neighbors down the street can see them.
You can also control the brightness of each individual pattern and switch between them whenever you like. That goes for flood lights and track lights: it’s up to you how bright your LED lights are.
3. LED Lights are Bad For Your Eyes
Overexposure to LED lighting can indeed cause eye strain from blue light. However, this damage is far more likely when using devices like phones and tablets. Outdoor LED lighting is very unlikely to do any harm, especially since you will only be looking at it briefly. Downward permanent lighting is also much easier on the eyes and gives the home the perfect wash-lit look.
4. LEDs Can’t Achieve True Warm White
This is false. Again, to get technical, some LED lights are made with RGBW (which stands for red, green, blue, and white) diodes. However, our lights are RGBWW (red, green, blue, and warm white). This sounds like a small change, but that extra warm white diode means our lights can achieve a true warm white—not just amber or cool white.
This isn’t always easy to come by in LED lights, so we love showing off our warm white lights. They just look so cozy and welcoming, especially when you’re coming home from work on a dark night.
5. LED Lights Last for a Really Long Time
Unfortunately, no lights last forever. Having said that, our permanent LED lights are designed to last a long time. Created in Canada, they’re meant to withstand snow, storms, bright sunshine, and everything in between. They should last for 50,000 hours, which equals around 23 years of average usage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What happens when an LED light bulb needs replacing?
Answer: If you have Gemstone Lights, if one of the bulbs needs replacing, your local dealer will be able to do so. The bulb is covered in your five-year warranty, and each dealer is responsible for its own labor warranties.
Question: How are permanent outdoor track lights installed?
Answer: Our track lights are attached on a continuous track around your roofline. We color-match the track to blend in with your building so they won’t stand out (except when you want them to!). The installation process is pretty straightforward; once they’re in place, you won’t have to worry about them.
Question: Do LED lights meet minimum safety requirements?
Answer: Our LED lights are CTA and ETL-certified, so they’ve been tested based on these strict certification guidelines.
LED Lighting Myths Debunked
Now that we’ve debunked some of the common myths about LED lighting, contact one of our Authorized Dealers to learn more. They can give you a quote based on the size of your property and individual needs.