LED Christmas Lights: Their Advantages For Smarter Decorating
It’s that time of year again when those of us celebrating Christmas pull out the old bin in the crawl space full of holiday decorations and Christmas lights. Few people just throw up their old string lights they have used for years and years dating all the way back before LED lighting was even a thought for a Christmas tree (if they are lucky to be fully functioning). Many head to the closest Walmart store and buy the cheapest Christmas lights on the market (your standard incandescent string lights). Before picking up the cheapest ones you can find, it’s best to read on about why LED Christmas lights are the smarter way to go when decorating your tree, as well as the exterior and interior of your home.
The Advantages of LED Christmas Lights
LED string lights are safer than incandescent string lights
LEDs in general do not produce much heat, if any, to function. Light produced by LEDs is created by inner conductors that do not use heat to glow. Incandescent lights are the opposite. For light to be produced with an incandescent light, an inner filament is heated up to glow. So, when stringing LED Christmas lights along your tree or wreath, there is far less of a chance for a fire hazard. Incandescent lights produce a lot of heat when turned on, and many are hot to the touch. Cooler LED Christmas lights mean less chance of pine needles a-burnin’ and burnt child fingers a-ouchin’. Hooray!
LED string lights are longer-lasting than incandescent string lights
Your old fashion incandescent string lights need replacement of the entire string of lights when just one light bulb on the string blows out. But not LEDs! If one of the bulbs in a string of LEDs did stop working, the rest of the string will still work. Moreover, LEDs do not use a filament to burn heat like incandescents. This means they can last thousands of hours compared to incandescent bulbs, which last hundreds of hours. According to energy.gov, you can reuse LED Christmas lights for up to 40 holiday seasons.
LED Christmas lights are more durable than incandescents, giving them a longer life span. These LED bulbs are made with epoxy lenses, making them more difficult to break than an incandescent made of glass.
LED string lights are more energy efficient than incandescent string lights
Many LED Christmas lights use 90% less energy than your standard incandescent Christmas lights, keeping your electric bill down. According to energy.gov, having a tree lit for 12 hours for 40 days with incandescent C9 lights would cost you $10.00. Using LED C9 lights for the same duration would only cost you 27 cents!
The price for LED string lights is worth the longterm savings
The cost of LEDs has plummeted over the years because of advancing technology, and the fact that more companies offer LED options. If we look at Walmart prices for incandescent 300 count mini clear bulbs, it comes to $7.82. When we look at pricing for the comparable 300 count incandescent-style LED Christmas lights (warm white), it comes to $16.82. But when you think about numerous replacements because of burnt out bulbs/broken glass, and hot bulbs with wasted energy and safety concerns, the up-front cost of the LEDs outweighs the incandescent disadvantages. You could actually spend more on replacement incandescent string lights because they aren’t as durable and don’t last as long.
LED Christmas Lights for Smarter Decorating
So you spend a little more than double for these specific LEDs; HOWEVER, if they can last you 40 seasons and save on your electric bill, the longterm savings is there. You could end up replacing those $7.82 incandescent lights a few times, costing you more than using the LEDs. Think durability, safety, and longer life span for LED Christmas lights over the up-front cost, and you can clearly see why the LEDs have the advantage during the holiday season.
Source:
http://energy.gov/energysaver/led-lighting
