Frequently Asked Questions

Can LEDs replace normal lighting and what colour is the light?
Yes, LED technology has moved on and can now replace 90% of normal lighting in both residential and commercial markets. LEDs gained a reputation a few years ago for having a weak light output which was often blue in appearance. This is No longer the case. Led Lighting Bulbs UK are at the forefront of this technology. There are many lights in our range which are a warm white, echoing the yellow candle light of a halogen lamp. LEDs are able to be coloured precisely – much more precisely than any other lights. There are two ways to achieve this: for a high powered single LED chip, a coloured phosphor is coated on the silicon chip. For a cluster LED, the cluster can include red, green and blue chips. These can be adjusted to match most colours.

How energy efficient is the LEDs compared to halogens?
LEDs require very little electricity to power them up. This is because they are extremely efficient. Their design converts approximately 90% of the electricity they consume into light. In a conventional light the figure is more like 10 – 15%, with the rest of the electricity effectively wasted in lost heat. Our down lighters, for example, draw only 3 to 5 Watts of electricity to light up, compared to the 35- 50 Watts drawn by a traditional halogen down lighter. That is a saving in electricity consumption of approximately 85%-94%. Not bad when the cost of electricity is continually rising.

Will our LED lights accommodate the spikes and surges in the UK electricity grid?
YES. But that will definitely not be the case with most other LEDs. We have worked very hard to incorporate sophisticated circuitry into each bulb which cuts out the light, until the surge regulates itself.

So why LED lighting?
LED lighting is highly energy-efficient; our lights are suitable for retro-fit installation and new builds. This means they can be used to replace existing lights (especially inefficient halogens) and/or be installed into buildings being designed for the future. All our LEDs are all thoroughly tested before they are sold onto the market. They are all CE approved, ROHS compliant and all tested to meet safety standards.

What’s wrong with other low-energy lighting?
The usual low-energy light technology on the market today is CFL – standing for Compact Fluorescent Light. These tend to be curly in shape and give off a blue-white light. In effect they are the same technology as the neon fluorescent tubes often found in offices or kitchens, simply engineered to fit into smaller fittings (hence "compact"). CFL technology is energy-efficient, as it uses less electricity than traditional lighting. However, CFLs contain mercury, phosphor and other toxic materials in measurable quantities – they need these materials in order to work. They also tend to be made of glass and if they break they are a health hazard from both the glass shards and the mercury. This makes them expensive to handle and dispose of. In fact as of 2007, you MUST employ the services of a properly registered disposal company whenever you want to have CFLs removed. In addition CFL lights tend to flicker and usually take time to come on – causing health and safety issues. LEDs have none of these problems.

Do your lights meet the specifications and recommendations?
Our lights each come with a data sheet setting out their specifications. Minimum lux levels and light output requirements can all be met with our lights.

How can we say that these lights last 30,000-50,000 hours?
Our lights actually can last for much longer than 50,000 hours. Generally after 50000 hrs the LED light output will drop down to 70% but the human eye cannot see this. We offer guarantees with our LED lights to put peoples mind at rest.

Is the full period guaranteed?
No. But we are one of the first companies to offer you a guarantee on light bulbs. Groundbreaking stuff! We guarantee every bulb for at least two years and we are aiming to extend that further.

Do your lights fit existing fittings?
Certainly. All of mains down lighter bulbs have GU10, ES27,B22 fittings which fit standard fittings. Our MR16 (or GU5.3) low voltage bulbs also fit standard fittings.

Will standard transformers suit LED low voltage bulbs?
Low-voltage lights require transformers in order to work. We recommend our own LED transformers as these have been specifically designed to work with our LEDs. Standard halogen transformers often fail to recognise that there is an electric call from an LED bulb because the wattage demand is so low.

Why are LEDs so much more expensive than regular light bulbs?
The main reason is that LEDs are built using more complex engineering, expensive tooling and solid materials e.g. aluminium and ceramics. Our lights, for example, are engineered to last for 5 - 10 years. They use one eighth of the power of today’s halogen down lighters – and it is the design and engineering that ensures the savings in running costs.

So what savings can we expect with your lights?
Electricity bills are always rising. Often people focus solely on the costs of the lights themselves, but the continual costs of maintenance, of making sure the bulbs are all working and that there are enough in stock can add considerably to the overall lighting costs. With our LEDs you do not need to worry about that any longer. Our lights are designed to save you money and last for 50.000 hrs. At Led lighting bulbs UK we are looking to save you on average 90% on your electricity lighting bill so instead of a bill being £1000 a year we are looking to reduce this to £100.

Do these lights flicker?
NO – LEDs do not flicker to the human eye.

Can LEDs be dimmable?
YES – some of our products are dimmable please e-mail or call our technical team with regards to your situation
Is the light that the LEDS give out actually good for you?
Some of our new products produce a light that reduces the effects of SAD, which can be beneficial to certain people during the winter months or to people who are working for long periods in artificial light.

Do all LED Lamps need (transformer / Driver)?
No. Some are mains voltage driven whilst others require a controller (either constant voltage or constant current please call or e-mail our technical team if you require any further information.

How do you change the lamps?
The lamps are changed the same way you would change normal bulbs accept you will not have to change them for years.