Let's Start with the Bottom line: LED Light Bulbs Will Pay for Themselves

 

LED light bulbs will pay for themselves in the long-run with a significantly greater lifespan compared to incandescent bulbs and a significantly lower power usage.  I am talking about less than 20% of the power .  Believe it or not that converts to real money, even just considering your Christmas tree lights.  Now when you move to your more extravagant outdoor lighting, we are talking about significant money, not to mention circuit use reduction for those of you pushing your luck on your 15 amp circuits.

LED Brightness Issue:

 

It is easier to find brighter incandescent bulbs but equivalent LED's are out there.  The measurement system for brightness is not a standard yet on all bulbs, so you should get a string and try it before locking yourself in, especially for outdoor sets.  We are starting to see lumens as a measure used more and more.  In general you will see LED packages with a lumen value, so can compare them to each other with reasonable reliability.

The good news for outdoor displays is that you are not trying to light an area like you are when you put in a porch light, so brightness can be traded for less cost and you can still get a beautiful effect.


Functional Differences in Lighting Options:


The trick with LED bulbs is the aim of the bulb.  The light that comes out of an LED Christmas bulb will be directional.  The light that comes out of an incandescent bulb goes in all directions.  This means for an outdoor display you want to be seen by the road, you can increase the brightness by aiming the bulbs horizontally instead of straight up like you would an incandescent.


LED Replacement Options:


You can usually replace by the string or in the case of C7 and C9 bulbs you can find replacements by the bulb itself.  This can be tricky to find the exact color match though so test one out and make sure you like what you see.

 

Dimming Christmas Light Strings:


LED bulbs don't tend to dim very well and the ones you buy as C7 and C9 replacements will most likely not respond well to a dimmer.  You may be able to find a string of dimming LED bulbs but don't expect them to have the same responsiveness as incandescents do.  LED Christmas lights tend to have a fews levels to choose from when dimming.


LED Christmas Lights Payback:


When buying new it is a no brainer, LED Christmas lights are going to save you money in the long run.  Especially for the smart bargain shopper.  Replacement of existing bulb sets will take longer, but you will get your money back.  LED lights last so much longer than incandescents that you can't go wrong.

 

Here is a great place to start on your LED experiment!  

Click on the image below

to be taken to Amazon and see these lights and many more!

LED Christmas lights to get you started!