LED lights are the most common form of lighting used in workplaces and commercial environments today. This is mainly because they have a much better energy efficiency than traditional incandescent bulbs, and they last much longer also. So overall, LED lights provide much better value for money, and they can also be used in a wide range of lighting applications.
Understanding the difference between LED lights and traditional bulbs
A traditional incandescent bulb is what is called a hot light source. To work, this type of bulb passes an electrical current through a filament wire inside the bulb. This wire will heat up to a maximum capable amount, which is the wattage rating of the bulb. This reaction therefore generates heat and light, and the light is what we see through the glass of the bulb.
LED lighting is known as a cold light source. This is a circuit-based lighting device which uses an electrical current to release energy as visible radiation. This is generated through the production of photons, and the radiation is the white light that we see through the bulb. LED lights use much lower wattage which makes them more energy efficient.
How to test LED lights and traditional lights
We need to test LED lights and other forms of lighting to detect problems or to identify where failures have occurred. These kind of problems can:
- Reduce the performance levels of the light
- Cause an electrical fault
- Cause an electrical safety issue resulting in injury or fire
The first step in testing your lighting should involve a simple visual inspection. This is a fast and effective way to check for physical damage to the bulb, which would indicate a fault. So you would unscrew the bulb and check for visible damage to the housing or lens, or the filament wire in the case of an incandescent bulb. Any scratches or dents or signs of burning would indicate an electrical fault. However, the main difference between testing these two types of bulb comes when using a digital LUX meter.
LUX is a unit of measure that indicates the number of lumens that fall on a surface. A standard bulb will only produce white light, and a standard LUX meter will therefore only measure white light. But the white light produced by LED bulbs is actually produced through a mixture of red, green and blue LEDs. So in order to measure these lumens you would need a specialist LED LUX meter, or a light meter that can measure both standard and LED lighting levels.
The TIS 1310 Digital LED Light Meter supplied by Test Instrument Solutions is capable of testing both standard and LED lights. By using the LS selection button you can switch between lighting modes. The L0 setting is for standard lighting colours, while the L1 to L9 settings are for LED lights depending on the colour output, meaning you can also test for different colours of LED with this instrument. The TIS 1310 enables you to test levels from 0.01 LUX for dim emergency lighting, right up to 200,000 LUX used for stadium lighting & other simulated daylight levels. In all cases you can measure a minimum, maximum and average reading of the LUX levels present.
Order your Digital LED Light Meter from Test Instrument Solutions
So the key element of testing LED lighting against traditional lighting is having a digital test instrument that can measure both types. You can achieve this with the TIS 1310, so order your test instrument from your nearest stockist today.
Please note that this section is for information purposes only. Anyone using equipment referred to in this section must be suitably qualified and/or experienced within the respective field. If in doubt before use, please consult a qualified electrician or engineer & thoroughly read all instruction booklets.