LED bulb and heat sinking

Why You Can't Just drop All them in

A worthy LED Bulb does generate heat at the base. If you want it to really last you need to look for good heat management in a LED lamp or Bulb.

Learn how good heat sinking should look like and why and what are the most recommended uses.

UPDATE:
Since I first wrote this page, LED replacement bulbs came onto the market with enough brightness to broaden possible usage to room illumination and spot light.


Accent FloodLight LED(non)Bulb Uses			Other use	soon...
THEATER LIGHT	MOOD LIGHT ACCENT LIGHT FLOOD LIGHT	LANDSCAPE LIGHTING	GROW LIGHT	RGB LED

Tip: When you replace your old 20W-75W incandescent flood light make sure to get LED Bulbs with integrated heat sink.

Compliment your outdoor rope / cable light with a drop-in flood light.
Use as theater or party light with a built in heat management
Grow your plants with the all in one grow light

Return to top

Excess Heat

Excess heat
3 + 1 Level Heat Management
LED light bulbs structure
Tip for a good bulb
Related Articles, Resources, Products

Contrary to popular belief bright LED units DO generate excess energy that can become heat - either at the converter / adapter or worst -- at the processor.

(Mind you, adapter heating is also a problem for low voltage halogen lights.) Because any LED unit needs very even temperature to operate reliably, this is bad news for the lifespan of a compound LED product such as a Led Bulb or Lamp.

“Most LED Bulbs with multiple LED units DO generate excess heat
-- unless that heat is WELL managed.

Return to top

3 + Plus 1 Level Heat Management

As mentioned before the excess heat that LED Bulbs largely happen at 3 different locations: (1) at the adapter / converter, (2) at the chip / base layer and (3) at the body of the product.

But LED Bulbs need reasanobly low and very even operating temperature for the bulb to last as long as claimed.

Suppose you want your LED to really have a lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours. If so, you need to have a product with good heat management on 3 levels:

chip (or processor)
light engine (or base layer)
product housing or armature

The + Plus 1 Level -- Additional Cooling

Most high output LED light bulbs even need a secondary cooling apparatus - or LED heat sink - often built into the product. Or just operate with a fan ...

Return to top

How LED Bulbs and Lamps are built

Usually, many LEDs are placed onto a single LED chip. Than this unit is packed into a lamp or bulb. The problem with this construction is that the hazards of one chip will be responsible for the operation of many LED units. In other words there is no evening out between chip units.

To come up with a true 1st Generation Led(Non)Bulb one company (called enLux) went the other way and came up with a true winner. Folks there packed many LED chips - about 50 -100 - into a single compund unit called light engine. And so this light engine should have very even operation and light output.

You will find it quite practical for many light applications. Those fins? - They are the built-in heat sink. Was Best New Product of the Year in 2004 at Lightfair International.

enLux 22 watt light engine
This light engine powers many types of
drop-in replacement LED bulbs. (source: enLuxLed.com)

At the heart of the series of LED light bulb models that use this light engine is the Accent Floodlight. EnLux recommended usage: wall washing, accent, mood and landscape lighting.

Other recommended uses: flood light, party / theatrical light, grow light.

The patented technology this clever light uses is called chip-on-board or (COB) is. What it means to you is quite remarkable.

Return to top

tip for Good LED Bulbs

How 1st Gen Led (NON) Bulbs should work

Just drop it in

Just unscrew the old incandescent bulb and screw in a first Gen Led(Non)Bulb. That's it...there should be no separate heat sinks, adaptors or converters necessary.

The company (Enlux) claiming to have achieved the remarkable feat even came up with a name for the concept. You'll call it "drop-in replacement."

These LED(Non)Bulbs are vailable in 120V and 220V version. Replace your old 45W and 65W incandescent flood light. The company who designed these bulbs claims that you'll get a minimum 50,000 hours operating life!

Compliment your outdoor rope / cable light with a drop-in flood light.

Use as theater or party light with a built in heat management

Grow your plants with the all in one grow light

Return to top

Related Articles, Resources, Products:
Why LED bulbs are not really bulbs

The role of future LED lights for home - peek into Leddies crystal ball.

My LED home lighting articles were first inspired by LED rope lights. So I review them first in this context.

Why LED rope light is my current favourite alrounder at home.

Find more tips about LED house lights here.

Return to top

Back from LED Bulb and Heat to LED Light Bulbs (NOT)

Home to LED Lights Guide

v 1.1 * DTD * HTML 4.01 * XHTML 1.0 * RGB * CSS1