How Often Should LED Bulbs Be Replaced

LED bulbs are an incredible invention, offering up an intensely bright source of light that is produced from the smallest of bulbs imaginable. A Light Equipped Diode, as they are known, is now the forefront item of personal lighting technology, from torches and lanterns to car lights and house lights. There are a few different graded LED bulbs and the most popular is known as the white LED bulb. This guide touches upon one of the lesser-talked-about attributes of the LED bulb - its lifespan.

LED Lifespan

First of all, rest assured that the average LED bulb will produce 60% of its power (easily enough due to its powerful shine) for 50,000 hours before giving up the ghost. This means that you will only need to replace an LED bulb, depending on the usage it receives, every 5 - 10 years on average. Obviously, this figure may drop according to the level of use and also due to the intensity of the bulb if there is a custom strength setting. Even so, many stronger LED bulbs will long outlast the applications that they inhabit - and you may take them out of your desk-lamp in fifteen years to shine on in light of the future.

The Environmental Factors

As one would expect, an LED bulb with no apparent weakness is not quite the case. They are fairly susceptible to adverse environmental conditions such as excessive exposure to moisture and excess exposure to heat. The die temperature, which refers to the heat of the dies surrounding the LED, is extremely important in pertaining to the overall lifespan of the bulb.

Another factor which lowers this lifespan is the ambient temperature that surrounds the bulb; an ambient heat and humidity that is higher than normal contribute to a significantly lowered lifespan. This is due to the thermal stresses inflicted upon the LED by temperatures that push higher than the standard testing temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. As well as affecting the overall life of the bulb, it will understandably affect the luminosity of the LEDs and the strength of their luminous output. You are highly advised not to operate your LED bulbs in temperatures that far surpass the 25-degree average although a slightly higher temperature will only bring the risk of replacing the bulb every five years as opposed to ten.

Solutions

If you require an array of LED bulb fixtures in an area with a less-than-ideal ambient temperature, there is a very simple solution that will result in a long-lasting light source that will only have to be replaced every few years. Simply use more LEDs that have a higher number of surface-facing diodes - usually resulting in an LED light with a slightly flattened appearance - and rotate these around every year or so. This will allow for maximum light deposition and minimum maintenance when it comes to replacing them. Ask at your local hardware store for LED multipacks, with which you will be able to make great savings when stocking up for your new LED light project.