LED Light Bulbs 101 | Ask This Old House

In this video, master electrician Heath Eastman enlightens host Kevin O’Connor on everything he needs to know about LED bulbs.

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Master electrician Heath Eastman enlightens Kevin O’Connor on LED light bulbs. Heath explains how these modern bulbs are more efficient, how to choose one to match an old school incandescent output, and more. Heath even shows Kevin how the temperature scale works, and points out that not all LED bulbs are compatible with certain fixtures and switches.

Advantages of LED Bulbs
LED bulbs are the newest iteration for common household light bulbs, and there’s a lot to like about them. Between improved energy-efficiency, longer lifespans, color flexibility, and lower heat output, these bulbs are lightyears ahead of the incandescents of old.

LED Light Bulb: Color and Temperature
LED bulb colors come in terms of temperatures. In most homes, these colors will land on the Kelvin temperature scale between 2700K and 5000K. The lower the temperature, the warmer and more yellow the light will appear. The higher end of the scale will trend toward bright white, even becoming blue over the 5000K mark. For living rooms, the lower end of the scale is best, and for garages, look for the higher end.

What to consider before installing
If an LED bulb will be attached to a circuit on a dimmer switch, there are two things to note. It’s important to ensure the bulb is a dimmable LED, and that the switch itself is rated for LED bulbs. If not, the bulbs might flicker or won’t last as long.

Where to find it?
Heath explains that the energy efficient, go-to choice in lightbulbs are the light-emitting diodes or LED bulbs. LEDs can produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb while using a fraction of the energy.Unlike incandescent bulbs, with LED bulbs you have the option to choose the color temperature of the light. This is measured by a Kelvin scale where lower numbers mean yellow candlelight and higher numbers mean blue daylight.Heath explains there many different shaped bulbs, but two common shapes/bases homeowners will be dealing with are the A19 medium base and B12 Candelabra bulbs. Heath also discusses how to read lightbulb labeling to identify enclosed fixture ratings as well as wattage and lumens.

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From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home.

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LED Light Bulbs 101 | Ask This Old House
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