I asked you all last week what your favorite benefit of LED light bulbs is, and I think it’s pretty safe to say that the longevity of them came in first. But the facts that they’re mercury-free, glass-free, don’t give off heat, and use far less electricity were all mentioned repeatedly as well. And check out those savings pictured above!
These were all benefits that I was also excited about, so I was really looking forward to shopping at The Home Depot to check out the selection and learn more from an expert. They provided me with some tips to review before we went shopping.
Shopping for LED light bulbs:
- Identify Your Fixture Type: With so many bulbs to choose from, it’s important to educate yourself about your fixture and lighting needs before you make a purchase. Light fixtures can dramatically alter the look of a room, so be aware of where shadows will fall and how that will affect the atmosphere. To ensure safety, and the maximum life of your bulb, review the information on the package to be sure you have selected the correct bulb shape for your light fixture.
- Choose Your Desired Brightness: Watts, a measurement of power, is a common way traditional light bulbs are identified (ex: 60-watt, 75-watt and 100-watt bulbs). Since CFL and LED bulbs use less energy than traditional bulbs, be sure to look at the measurement of light output, known as lumens, instead of watts to select the right bulb.
- Understanding Color Temperature and Intensity: When selecting an LED light, choose a color of light that suits the mood and activity taking place in your room.
With these tips in mind, we made a quick tour of our downstairs fixtures to assess our lighting needs and then headed out to The Home Depot. Upon our arrival we first had to grab one of the infamous Home Depot race car carts of course…
And then we were met by EJ, our local Home Depot Master Trade Specialist. He was extremely knowledgeable about the LED light bulbs and also shared a number of other tips for decreasing the energy consumption in our home. I never knew there was such a thing as a water heater timer! Definitely something we need to check out further.
I was impressed at the large selection of light bulbs carried by our local store. We have a few fixtures that call for some unusual sized bulbs, but The Home Depot has an even larger selection of LED light bulbs online.
EJ made finding the LED light bulbs we needed a snap, and we filled our cart and checked out in record time. The real challenge was prying the kiddos our of their hot rod to head home.
Next week I’ll share the installation process and hopefully whether we’ve been able to see any savings on our electric bill. But in the meantime, you can win a $50 gift card to The Home Depot!
To enter: Just leave a comment! Do you have any lighting fixtures that call for an unusual size light bulb or wattage? If so, were you able to find a suitable LED light bulb on HomeDepot.com?
This giveaway will close at noon EST on 1/21/11.
The Home Depot works with bloggers such as myself to conduct product reviews. They do not tell bloggers what to say about their products or how to say it. THD fundamentally believes that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot often provides product – free of charge – to bloggers for review as they did for this post. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
melissa t
all mine are standard, i would love to replace with led!
Jennifer
We have a lighting fixture that we haven’t been able to find CFLs for. I might have to look at these and see if any would be the right type/fit.
andrea
We have standard size!
Sandra U.
We have switched over all our light bulbs. Most of mine are the standard size.
Kaylan
We’ve been on a hunt for good, 3-way LED bulbs. Thanks for the tips!
Beverly
We have some very small bulbs, but I wasn’t able to find a substitute on here.
Hollie
Have not moved to LED bulbs yet, still have plenty of the old ones left.
Tiana
Most of our light bulbs are switched.
Sonia
Great idea
shelly
The house I currently live in every light bulb that was put it is energy efficient, it’s also nice they they are on timers. If no movement for 15min…which is a long time, they shut off.
Mary H
We have a recessed light in our kitchen that would probably benefit from an LED, not to mention all of our other regular bulbs. Like that it doesn’t have mercury.
Darrin
No unusual sizes
Michelle
Thankfully, our lighting is standard but we’re more than ready to transition to LED lighting. Thanks for taking the time to educate us!
Terri
Haven’t made the switch yet, but will be looking into slowly phasing out the current bulbs with LED. I would also love to find out more about the water heater timer. That sounds really great!
Misty
Are the LEDs a “brighter” light than then CLFs are?
Nancy
I love the LED flashlights for up close work, but the light dissipates too much for seeing off into the distance. Is this a problem for illuminating a room?
Rick
Are you still able to buy the old fashioned bulbs? Or have they been banned yet? LEDs look intriguing.
deanna
new light bulbs are on my shopping list!
xoxoxo
coffee
all of my light bulbs are standard size, and i have noticed a significant decrease in my bill since converting.
Lesli
I need this for my awkward light in my stairway.
Courtney W
We have a fixture that takes an E12. The only place we could get it was Ikea=(
Jill H.
no unusual fixtures, but I do plan to phase in LED’s over the incandesent and CFL’s that I have now.
Tina W
I too have fallen prey to the “Ikea trap” – cute lamps cheap, but you can’t find the bulbs anywhere else! Almost everything in our house now is CFL, I would like to start switching to LED (especially since I love my LED flashlights!!!)
Diana B
We don’t have any unusual light fixtures, thank goodness.
Robert
I visited Home Depot Recently to look at LED lights. The most important fact was t hat some can be used in a dimmer if needed. I was looking to replace a chandelier which had 5 regular bulbs on a dimmer. The only issue is that the bulbs I have point UP. This being the case, I could not do LEDs because LEDs do not spread light from every angle of the bulb like regular bulbs or CFLs do. Perhaps the technology will change for the better in the near future. Otherwise I may need to buy a new chandelier because at 5 bulbs at 60watts each, it is using a lot of electricity and the light output isnt even that great. I’d be happy to hear from anyone who has had similar problems and found solutions.
TIM
We have some small bulbs in a bathroom light, but I wasn’t able to find a substitute on here.
Karen
I think all of our light fixtures fit the standard fixtures.
Nancy
We have a small light fixture that takes special small bulbs that I have not found the LEDs for yet, but otherwise, we have pretty much transitioned as our current rental house!
Veronica
We are trying our best to change to LED!
Elizabeth
I didn’t know led lights were available for household use. I will be checking out Home Depot.