TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - If your house is full of light bulbs Thomas Edison would recognize, it’s time for an update. Manufacturers have been reducing their production of incandescent bulbs for years, and soon it may be hard to find them. In today’s Angie’s List report, we look at different options to bring you out of the dark ages but still light up your home.
It's tempting to keep replacing low-cost incandescent or compact florescent lights with the same bulbs, but it’s also short-sighted. Both are on the way out.
Gregory Wells, Electrical professional says you he believes LED lights will eventually go away, "the CFLs, I believe, are going to go away as well because the technology is just not there. They didn’t keep up with the LEDs.”
L-E-D stands for light-emitting diodes. They’ve been around for decades, but earlier versions were very pricey and often had a blue hue that kept them from being a household staple. Not so anymore. Another benefit is the long run an L-E-D can have after installation. They can last 50,000 hours, going several years without being replaced.
Wells says this type of lighting provides more convenience," a lot of homes now have ceilings that are 20, 30 feet tall and dragging a ladder out every time an incandescent lamp goes out is just a pain in the butt, so this is something that you’re not going to have to worry about.”
Wells says most homeowners now want L-E-D’s inside recess cans for their living room, family room and kitchen, and they can be stylish, not just functional, "over a kitchen, I recommend some pendant lights with the LED lamps in there just because the halogen lamps burn too hot and you go through them too fast.”
Angie recommends using a licensed electrician if you decide to replace old fixtures with new L-E-D lighting. Installing recess cans will cost you about 140 dollars apiece, and you should check with your local power company to see if any rebates are available.
