What are the dangers of buying cheap LED lighting?
Doing any work to our homes almost always ends up being more expensive than anticipated. There has been a 10% increase in searches for cheap lighting in 2020, which is understandable as people’s finances are tighter and we are all spending a lot more time in our homes.
Julian Andriuta, CEO of Smart Lighting Industries explains why cheap lighting can be so dangerous and how to make sure you are getting a high-quality product.
Possible outcomes of buying cheap lighting
Aside from the potential dangers of cheap lighting, the first thing to mention is that the light which cheaper lighting will give off will be poor quality. Flickering lights can cause headaches, blurred vision and nausea so especially for those of us working from home, it is important to get good quality lighting.- The bigger danger, however, is that cheap lighting might be faulty and break. Anything electrical should always be up to the highest standards and codes, unfortunately, in order to make lighting so cheap, there are often cut corners which can impact safety. If cheap lighting has poor wiring you run the risk of electric shocks. The lighting may also have poor insulation which means there is a risk of burning when you touch or go near the light.
- In extreme cases, cheap lighting may overheat and catch fire which could have catastrophic consequences. In less extreme cases of overheating, there may be scorch and burn marks on your walls and surfaces which is not ideal.
All of these factors will mean you’ll have to replace the lighting sooner than you would have if it was higher quality and will probably end up costing more in the long run.
What to look for when buying lighting
There are a few key markers of good quality lighting to look out for, such as;
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 – which means the lighting is designed for use at certain safe voltages.
- CE marking – which means they have been certified to be sold in European Markets and complies with European Directives and Regulations.
- BSI Kitemark – which is a certification for emergency lighting, luminaries and LED retrofit bulbs.
Other things to look for if buying online is if the website has a UK address and phone number, which signals their lights must be up to UK standards which are a great guarantee of safety.
It’s also important to mention that if the prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. It costs money to make sure lighting is high quality and safe and you really get what you pay for.
Benefits of investing more in your lighting
Higher quality lighting from reputable sources will give you peace of mind that what you have in your home is safe. It may also come with a guarantee, expert advice and expert fitting which will make the whole process much smoother.- You will have to replace the lighting much less frequently, meaning less disruption to your home and wallet.
- The quality of light produced will also be much greater, making your home a much more enjoyable space to be in.
- Good quality LED lighting runs at a lower temperature than conventional lamps. It is much cheaper to run, often using 10 times less energy for the same lumen output. As LED lights run at a lower temperature, they are much less likely to present a fire risk and will not leave scorch marks on ceilings, kitchen cabinets or wherever they are being used in the home.
Lighting is one of the most important parts of our homes, it is one of the metaphorical building blocks for creating a space you want to be in so it’s a really important and worthwhile thing to invest in.