LED Lights

This segment looks at new LED light bulbs that can last for 15 years.

Brad Staggs: As most of us know the lighting industry has undergone some pretty major changes in the past few years. With new regulations, incandescent bulbs which have been a mainstay for nearly 200 years are slowly going away. In that place it seemed that CFLs were the choice for many including the government. The story continued with the admission that the presence of mercury in those bulbs may pose a hazard itself. Now, entered the LED bulb, the more I investigate the more I like it. LED Waves is a company that specializes in LED lighting technology. Their website lists dozens of products designed to make our homes and our offices brighter places to live and work. Well in the past one of the drawbacks of LED technology was its difficulty in being dimmed. Traditional dimmers just didn't do the job as most people had come to expect. Modern technology has given us LED bulbs that are not only dimmable but are generally heatless, use 90% less energy than incandescence and can last upwards of 10 years. Now the bulb I received from LED Waves to take a look at, did an impressive job with a standard dimmer switch and even though its rated it only 20Watts, it can replace a 150Watt halogen bulb. Just remember to let that halogen cool way down before you try to unscrew it. What I really want to communicate to you here is that, even though it's taken a while. I think LED technology is poised to become our lighting of choice. It's true prices are still higher for these bulbs than others but you have to remember the factor in life spans. It's not inconceivable for an LED bulb to last more than 15 years, with some noticeable dimming of the output over time of course. But for builders who are truly green in spirit and in their building practices, these bulbs are the obvious choice and a true benefit for potential home buyer who is also interested in using less energy. My only question is, why did it take so long for this technology to come to the forefront? I mean I've had to actually cover the LED indicator light on my DVD player in my bedroom at night just so it wouldn't keep me awake. Maybe that's where LED Waves got their inspiration. For HGTVpro.com I'm Brad Staggs.