The difference between LED and light bulb.

In 2009, the Government of the Russian Federation banned the sale of incandescent lamps with a power of more than 100 W on the territory of the country, aiming to increase the turnover of energy-efficient light sources. From the fragments of the spears, broken in disputes about the advantages and disadvantages of LED and incandescent lamps, it is possible to restore the Great Wall of China (which, by the way, will delay the flow of unreliable lighting devices). The end consumer is not too interested in how an LED differs from a light bulb - it is more important for him to compare cost and durability, leading to a reasonable price / quality ratio. Let's see what to focus on when choosing.

Definition

So, under the shades and shades of our chandeliers and floor lamps three types of lamps: incandescent, fluorescent and LED.

These are the so-called general-purpose lamps. The special one involves the use of the same technologies in various kinds of devices for displaying or creating a light beam. The principle of operation remains unchanged, but the technical characteristics vary widely.

This is, for example, an LED that is installed in ordinary household appliances to indicate processes:

LED indicator

And this is - incandescent lamp used in parking lights of cars:

Incandescent lamp for parking lights

Let's look at how such a familiar and simple lighting works.

Comparison

An ordinary incandescent light bulb, the ubiquitous distribution of which was introduced by decrees back by Vladimir Ilyich, generally consists of a glass bulb, an incandescent body (mainly of tungsten) and fused current leads. When the electrical circuit is closed (turned on), the current passes through the incandescent body, heating it to a certain temperature, and it begins to emit visible light of a wide spectrum. To avoid oxidation of the metal, the flask is filled with an inert gas or a vacuum is created in it.

The LED is based on the properties of the semiconductor material from which it is made. By passing an electric current through the crystal, we receive optical radiation of a narrow spectrum - visible light of a certain color. To obtain a white LED, three crystals are used, which give red, blue and green light, in one package.

The most significant difference for a consumer between an LED and an incandescent light bulb is that it will always be more energy efficient, regardless of purpose and field of application. During the transition to economical lighting devices, the indicators were measured more than once, the results were published, and now it is known:

As you can see, the energy savings are significant, and this is the main advantage of the LED.

In addition, LED diodes generate little heat: their efficiency is close to 90%, and they convert almost all the received energy into a luminous flux. An incandescent lamp has an average efficiency of about 4%, and the rest goes to heating the surface. LED lamps are fireproof - the temperature of their bulbs does not rise above 50 ℃. The alternative is 4 times hotter.

Due to their construction, LEDs are quite durable so that shock or shock will not affect their performance. The filament in conventional light bulbs breaks with negligible impact. The service life in favorable conditions is determined at 1000 hours, and we all remember the reserves in the depth of the cabinet. LED-lamps are theoretically capable of working for 50,000 hours, but the manufacturers, of course, do not give guarantees for such a period. The crystal cannot burn out, but often degrades over time, due to which the brightness decreases.

A consumer who has figured out what is the difference between an LED and a light bulb should not doubt the choice. However, lighting fixtures with more than a century of history still occupy a large part of shop windows. They have one advantage in the eyes of many, but the decisive one is the price. A standard light bulb with an E27 base costs about 20 rubles, while an LED one with the same luminous flux - from 130. In addition, cheap models of nameless manufacturers are often defective, and their technical characteristics are inaccurate: instead of the declared 700 Lm, it is quite possible to get 500 Lm.

There is one more thing: the color of the luminous flux from an incandescent lamp is always close to the natural solar one, and in LED it varies quite widely - from warm to deathly white. In fixtures that use multiple LEDs, it can be difficult to achieve the desired lighting shade.

Table

LED Light
The luminous flux emits a semiconductor crystal when an electric current passes through itThe luminous flux emits an incandescent body when heated by current to certain temperatures
Low power consumptionHigh energy consumption (on average ten times higher than LED)
Efficiency about 90%Efficiency about 4%
The surface temperature of the bulb heats up to 50 ℃The surface temperature of the bulb can reach 200 ℃ (fire hazard)
Long service life (theoretically up to 50,000 hours), but may degrade the crystal over timeShort lifespan (up to 1000 hours)
Resistance to shock and shockBrittleness
Relatively high costLow c Light
Warm and cool shades of light outputWarm color
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