If you want some peace and quiet when working on your hobbies or projects at home, one of the best options is to work at night. When all the people in your home are asleep, you will be able to focus more on the project or task that you are working on, as there will be less noise and happenings around you. However, one of the dilemmas of doing night work is the dark. Since there will be no natural light that will come into your workspace, it is very important to use effective night work lights.
According to studies, a person’s circadian rhythm can be triggered by blue light, increasing his awareness and giving him more energy. The circadian rhythm is what determines the body’s natural energy level. When a person looks at the blue light, his energy can be boosted. At the present time, there are many different lighting options to choose from. Among those, two of the most popular are light-emitting diodes or LED lights and incandescent lights. But which among these do you think is a better choice for night work?
If you are thinking about what kind of light to use for night work, we’re here to help you. Read on as we’re giving you more information about LED and incandescent lights to give you an idea of which is the better choice.
Incandescent Light
Incandescent light is a kind of light bulb that produces light when a tungsten filament is heated by an electric current to a certain temperature. Conventional ones feature a heat-sensitive envelope housing the filament, and it is mostly filled with inert gas, while some are evacuated. An incandescent light bulb can last for about 1200 hours.
The Advantages of Using Incandescent Light
If you are thinking of using incandescent lights for night work, here are some of the advantages that you can get from it:
Incandescent lights are less expensive.
These lights are very cheap to make. With this, they are also very cheap to purchase. Since incandescent lights have been around for a long time, manufacturers have had a long time to come up with less expensive designs. There are times when they only cost a dollar or two.
Incandescent lights produce relatively high light output.
The amount of light emitted by incandescent light bulbs is based on the amount of heat produced by the filament. The higher the heat, the brighter light will be produced. Therefore, when the light has a good quality filament that can withstand extremely high heat temperatures, it will be able to produce a very bright beam of light.
Incandescent lights can be dimmed using rheostats.
Traditional lights are quite challenging to control as they have different designs and outdated technology. But incandescent light can be dimmed by using a rheostat. This is great if you need a bright light or dimmer light while working at night.
Incandescent light is a good choice during cold weather.
Since this type of light works through heating, they create high amounts of heat. During the cold season, the heat produced by the light can be a good source of warmth, particularly if you do not have a heater in your workspace.
The Disadvantages of Incandescent Lights
However, incandescent light bulbs also come with several disadvantages compared to other types of lighting fixtures. Here are some of them:
Incandescent lights are not energy efficient.
One of the major disadvantages of using incandescent lights is that they are not energy efficient. A huge amount of power is drawn by the light bulb to convert into heat energy. In addition to that, it also draws a vast amount of power to give enough current to heat the filament. With this, homes that use incandescent lights usually have high power bills, particularly in situations where several units are being used.
Incandescent lights have a very short life.
When the filament of the light bulb is being heated, the amount of heat produced gives an ideal environment for oxidation, leading to the evaporation of the filament. Even though they are protected from evaporation through the use of inert gas, the more filament is heated, the more vulnerable it becomes. With this, incandescent light bulbs have a very short lifetime. Most of them only last for 1,000 hours.
Incandescent lights require cooling the room.
Another problem with incandescent light is heat. Since it produces a high amount of heat, it is not ideal for rooms that need to be kept at low temperatures. Also, even when they are used in normal areas, the rooms still need to be cooled down, particularly during hot seasons, which can lead to higher electricity bills.
LED Light
Light-emitting diode or LED features a semiconductor device with two terminals – an anode and a cathode. These are where current flows in one direction. A semiconductor material, such as silicon, only allows electric current to flow through it under some circumstances, like at specific current levels of light intensities.
When the diode is activated with a positive and negative charge, the energy bandgap of the semiconductor diode emits light. The process is called electroluminescence. Before, these semiconductor diodes are used for basic applications. But as LED technology developed through the years, it started to be used for lighting purposes.
The Advantages of Using LED Lights
Here are some of the advantages of using LED work lights for night projects:
LED lights are energy efficient.
One of the most energy-efficient sources of lighting is LED. It draws a very small amount of power and has a high light output. It can reach up to 135 lumens per watt. In addition to that, it also produces less or very little heat, and almost all the power it draws is transformed into light. LED lights also have directional lighting capability. This helps in reducing light and energy wastage.
LED lights have a longer lifespan.
Unlike regular lights, LED lights do not burn or fail but instead dim over time. With this, LED lights can last for up to 50,000 hours. Its lifespan is much longer compared to incandescent lights.
LED lights are highly durable.
The internal components of LED lights are not delicate, unlike the filaments of incandescent lights. They are also resistant to breakage, vibrations, and even impacts. The design of these lights also makes them more durable as they are not made of glass or quartz. They are also mounted and soldered into a circuit board.
LED lights operate instantly.
When LED lights are turned on, they will produce the full amount of light in an instant, unlike traditional light bulbs that require a few minutes to warm up and reach their maximum brightness. This may not be an issue for some, but it can be problematic in scenarios where lights are being switched on and constantly.
LED lights produce very little heat.
LED lights are cool to the touch, minimizing the risk of burn accidents. Also, LEDs do not emit heat, making them perfect for places that need to be kept cool, like storage rooms. They are also great for factories and exhibit rooms where infra-red radiation can degrade the quality of things. It’s because LED lights do not emit heat through infra-red radiation.
LED lights are environmentally friendly.
LED lights do not have mercury and other toxic chemical substances that are used in making traditional light fixtures. In addition, LEDs do not emit UV radiation, making them friendly not just to the environment but as well as to people.
The Disadvantages of LED Lighting
LEDs surely have lots of advantages, but they also come with some drawbacks. Here are some of the disadvantages of using LED lights:
Using LED lights can have high initial costs.
Since LED technology is quite new to the lighting market, it is still expensive. LED lights can have high initial costs. However, it also comes with huge energy-saving benefits and minimal maintenance and replacement costs. This means that you can still benefit from it in the long run by helping you save money on electricity bills. There are cheap electricity plans with low rates that don’t have tricks that make your bill higher than you expected.
LED lights are not suitable to be used during the winter season.
LED lights do not produce much heat. Therefore, during the cold season, they will not be able to provide any form of warmth. With this, it is not advisable to use LED lights in residential homes or other places where individuals are spending a lot of time unless there is a separate source of heat.
Which Light is Better for Night Work?
After learning about the advantages and disadvantages of both incandescent lights and LED lights, it is time to choose which of them is better for night work. Both of the options can surely give you bright light during the night when you work. However, if you are looking for one that is energy efficient, LED light is a better choice, particularly if you want a powerful light that will not make your electricity bill go up.
When you compare the two types of light, it is quite clear that LEDs have the upper hand. Therefore, if you want something that will help you save money and provide you with good light performance as you work at night, LED light is a great choice. Plus, it does not emit UV light, making it safer to use. So, if you are still using traditional lights in your workspace, maybe it’s time that you switch to LED work lights.