LED Bulb Pointers

So...what should we look for in a LED light? Well there are a couple of requirements you should demand.

1. The bulb or tube should be UL (or some other NRTL) listed.

Although a lot of people are selling CE certified bulbs, this is not good enough for the US market. Though the chances are very small, if a fire should occur in your home or business, and the part involved is not listed by UL or another nationally recognized testing lab (NRTL), then your insurance carrier may not cover the loss. Though the UL listing process is expensive for manufacturers, it should be something you demand of products you buy. It does not guarantee they will work as advertised, but it does tell you it is not going to catch fire and burn your home down.

2. The LEDs in the bulb or tube should be manufactured by a big name manufacturer.

Edison, Osram, Semi, Cree, Epistar, Seoul Semiconductor are a few that pass muster. Lots of manufacturer's are able to incorporate these high quality LEDs into high quality bulbs and tubes. At the same time, anyone in a garage can make an LED light. And I have seen some garage outfits. If you start off with a high quality LED you are on the right path.

3. Heat is the enemy of a LED. Any tube or bulb worth purchasing should have an extensive heat dissipation device built in. Wether it is an aluminum base with multiple ridges, flanges or some type of fan, there needs to be a way to draw heat away from the LEDs. A smooth base is not going to cut it. The more surface area the flanges create the better.

4. Any LED bulb or tube you buy should have a minimum of a 2 year warranty. If it does not have a 2 year replacement warranty, or a full refund when returned if you are not happy when you receive it, you do not want to buy it. The LEDs in these bulbs should function well for you 35,000-50,000 hours. And if it lasts 1 year, it is probably going to make it 5-10 years, but a 2 year warranty will help separate the wheat from the chaff.