LED Lighting

In our continuously expanded FAQs section we aim to give you as much help as possible. Browse the questions and answers and if you do not find what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us. All the occurred questions will appear on this page soon.

How can LED lighting help reducing CO2 emission ?
Everyone has heard the global warning on climate change and knows the importance of acting immediately to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. LED lighting is offering the most modern technology to instantly replace your existing energy hungry incandescent or halogen light bulbs and reduce your electricity bills and therefore your CO2 footprint by 80 – 90%!
 

Do I need a PayPal account to complete payment on your website?
No, you do not need to have a PayPal account. We accept most major debit or credit cards. At the checkout please fill in all necessary fields and press the “pay” button. The payment is made via the most secure PayPal site and if you do not have a PayPal account please click on "continue" (above the card logos) to proceed with any debit or credit cards.
When the payment is successful the system will send a confirmation and you can return to the LEDcentre site.

Who can provide support to help cut carbon emission and save money?

Energy efficient LED lighting is one of the best low carbon technologies to act on CO2 emission and to save the earth for the future. To shop online with LEDcentre.uk.com today and start saving money in your home, office, shop, business, etc please view our LED lights now. If you require further information or need specialist support to any businesses or the public sector please visit the Carbon Trust.
 

What is the conventional (tungsten) lighting? What is LED lighting?

The conventional incandescent was invented By Edison approximately 110 years ago. The power going through the thin tungsten generates the light. Its efficiency is very low, only 5 – 6 %, the rest of the energy transforms into heat. 1W generates 5 – 10 lumens light. Its lifespan is very short, from a range of few hundred to 2000 hours. LED lighting is a brand new technology. In fact it’s a diode that generates light. Its efficiency is the highest existing nowadays, between 50 -70 %. 1W power can generate up to 100 lumen light. The LED’s lifespan is very long an average 30.000 – 50.000 hours.

What is compact fluorescent? What is the difference between compact fluorescent and LED lighting?
The compact fluorescent is basicly the same as a fluorescent tube. It reaches its maximum brightness in 1-2 minutes after turning on.
 Fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescents are designed for persistent use. Too many switching on and off can cut down the already short lifespan of a few thousand hours. LED differs from compact fluorescent in two main areas: uses about 50 % less energy and constant switching does not affect its lifespan.

How does LED work and how was it invented?
 
To learn about LED (Light Emitting Diode) technology please follow the links below:

I would like to switch for LED lighting, how shall I start?

First of all it is useful to prepare a list of lights which are already used in your home, and check the LED equivalent of them in our Great Light Test , where we compare the most occurrent incandescent and halogen lights to their LED equivalents. If you are planning refurbishment or construction we can plan your LED lighting free of charge. All relevant information can be found in the Contact menu. If you still have unanswered questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  

After switching on how long does it take to reach its maximum brightness?
One of the main advantages of LED lighting is that you do not need to wait; it reaches the maximum brightness immediately.

Shall I choose 12V or 230V LED spot lights?

We recommend 230V, because no transformer is needed, so the investment cost is a bit less and also energy loss can be avoided.

 What is power LED?
The power LED is a category which includes many different types and brands and indicates the bigger amount of current (about 350mA) running through the LED, for instance in the 5mm LEDs it is only 20mA. There are many various manufacturers producing different quality and type of power LEDs, depending on the utilization it is very important to choose the right standard. The power LEDs are generally for commercial or even constant (24/7) use, therefore the quality is extremely significant. Only a few companies belong to the frontline and one of them if not the best is the American CREE .

Fittings:

What type of fitting? What is the best for me?

On the pictures above the most common fittings are shown. If you know your fitting, you can easily find the right LED equivalent.

12V lighting     MR16/12V      G4/12V    230V lighting     GU10/230V      E27/230V      B22/230V      

Colour temperature:

The photos above were taken in a dark room, without pre-setting the camera or editing the photos afterwards. Different colour temperatures of the light can be seen on the trim of the terracotta pot and on the cactus. On the first photo the object was illuminated with cool light. The cool light is the brightest. On the second photo natural white was used, it is similar to sunlight.
On the third photo the warm white can be seen, which is similar to the colour of tungsten lighting and halogen lights. For more info please visit our Colour Temperature presentation

What is home usage?

Recommended products to home usage are based on an average 3 hours use per day, and not suitable for continuous use. These lights come with 5mm LEDs and represent an entry level of lighting.

What is commercial usage?

From daily 6-8 hours or more, perhaps continuous use, typically illuminating shops, restaurants, offices, etc. These products are mainly the SMD and High Power LEDs with necessary cooling.

Some facts about LEDs:
Lifespan: 30.000 – 50.000 hours are the realistic. The LED lightings’ lifespan depends on the type of LEDs, the quality of the electronics and the quality of fabrication. At LEDcentre we do all efforts to provide you the best possible quality products.
Heat and temperature: LED lightings equipped with 5 mm and smaller SMD LEDs produce negligible heat. The larger LEDs or densely equipped lightings and particularly the High Power LEDs are fitted with accordingly developed baffles. We recommend using these products in well ventilated places.
Power consumption: The High Power LEDs’ power consumption is always more than their performance.
Transformers: There are many types of transformers on the market, but not all are suitable for LED lighting. Most often a specific constant current/voltage stabilised LED drivers/power supplies are used.
Brilliancy: The disadvantage of most conventional and tungsten lamps are that their light is diffused. One of the benefits of using LED lighting that its light - in most cases - is directed to the illuminated area only so as to consume less energy.

Are LED lights dimmable?
In theory LED lights are dimmable; however the technology is different from the conventional lightin, so unfortunately they are not compatible. It is most likely that LED lights will be dimmable through a central unit in the near future.

Where can I learn more about LED technology?
If you wish to know more about the technical side of the LEDs we can highly recommend the following site: Power Management Design Line

For even more, up to date information you can visit the LED Magazine , where you can also subscribe for the free LED newsletter.

I would like to use LED lights in my car. How should I start?
To expect a long term usage of LED lights stabilized power supply is essential. As this is not guaranteed in cars it is highly recommended to equip the car with a stabilized power supply or a stabilizer attached directly to the LED light. 

Mission of LEDcentre?
Our aim is to satisfy our customers and reduce their electricity costs with our excellent price/volume rated products. LED lighting is a brilliant long term investment as it pays back five times more its cost.