What Is An LED?

Most of you probably don't have advanced degrees in chemistry, so I won't go into detail about the inner workings of a light-emitting diode.  The picture on the left is of 2 individual LEDs.  Basically, electricity is passed though a semiconductor, and the moving electrons emit photons, which we perceive as visible light.  This is great because there is no filament to heat up like in an incandescent bulb and there are also no gases to heat up such as in a fluorescent light.  This means that LEDs last MUCH longer than incandescent bulbs and fluorescent bulbs and a much better for the environment.  In fact, an LED light can last 22 years in your house!  Amazing, huh?

So, when you put a bunch of LEDs together, you get a bulb that looks like the picture on the right.  Some people think they are ugly, and you might at first, but they'll grow on you.  Personally, I think they look really modern and cool.  I have several in my home already and I absolutely love them.  They turn on instantly at the flick of a switch instead of taking forever to warm up like fluorescent bulbs.  And they have the nice soft color of an incandescent bulb (you have to admit, fluorescent light is ugly!) without all the extra heat.  You know you've burned your hand several times on an incandescent bulb!  The LED bulbs can be on for hours and you could still hold them in your hand because they really do not get hot.

That is what an LED is in a nutshell.  Check out all of our LED products at www.titanled.net.  If you're interested in any products, contact me at k.campbell@titanled.net.