To improve the beauty of your room, you need ceiling fans. apart from that they also give ambient lighting and air circulation to the space. Lighting plays a vital role in making a calming surrounding, but not all of them are made equal. If you want to save some money on energy bills, you might move to LED bulbs.
You can replace any ceiling fan light bulb with an LED bulb now, the only point to consider here is the compatibility of functions on your ceiling fan. Plenty of LEDs are incompatible with standard incandescent dimmer switches as well as remotes and consume less energy when using energy-efficient light sockets.
The main point to consider in order to switch to LED lighting is knowing whether your existing light kit on the ceiling fan is compatible. Go through this guide to find out how to make the switch and upgrade your space to an energy-saving LED light source.
What Kind of Ceiling Fans Can Work With an LED Light Source?
Ceiling fans are available in all shapes and sizes. The main advantages of them are easy installation, energy efficiency, cheap and advancement in designs as well as in tech which is why they give tough time to ACs. Most ceiling fans come with an integrated or attached light kit, which makes them unique and more useful than air conditioners.
However, if you are currently using a ceiling fan light that is an antique or vintage design, you may be losing money than saving it. So, it will be an ideal decision to shift to a more energy-efficient lighting option – LED.
Almost all ceiling fans in this age will be compatible with an LED light kit and the market is replete with designs too. However, older build fans may not be compatible with LED lights fully.
The vintage fan contains a standard dimmer switch that can create too much power for an LED bulb. Since the older models were not focused on energy efficiency, the light kits may be made with sockets to consume more wattage. This type of fan needs some serious thinking when it comes to changing to LED lights.
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You can find out if making that switch will be easy and without any issues, if you can answer these questions.
Does Your Fan Work With a Dimmer Switch?
Most fans work with a dimmer but it can be dangerous to run your LED light on the same dimmer switch. According to Lamps and Lights, you must not use the same dimmer switch for LED as well as other electronic devices.
The LED lights consume less energy than a dimmer switch, which needs a minimum consumption of 50W. While turning on the LED lights, it will not reach the minimum required power for the switch, resulting in a flicker and overheating and never completely dimming.
If the whole new line can operate your lighting fixture from the ceiling fan to another dimmer switch, you need to ensure that the LED you are using is dimmable.
My suggestion is the Lutron Diva LED+ Dimmer. This switch is compatible with different brands of dimmable LED bulbs, enabling you to upgrade the ambiance in your house via a switch.
On the other hand, there’s the Lutron Caseta Smart Dimmer Starter Kit. This kit contains everything you need to set up your dimmable LED bulbs. Additionally, the switch is compatible with smart home devices such as Google and Alexa.
Do You Use a Pull Chain or Remote Control To Operate Your Fan?
Using a remote control to operate your fan is beautiful and comfortable and it is also ideal for the smart home. Unfortunately, LED lights do not function with a remote-controlled ceiling fan.
Home Depot’s recommendation is against using a remote control to operate your fan’s LED light as they are not made entirely the same. Therefore, other light sources are compatible with universal remotes, but LED does not meet this standard. However, if your ceiling fan has a pull chain feature, LED is a possibility.
Does Your Fan Vibrate?
Before moving to LED bulbs, it is better you make sure that your ceiling fan is in a good condition before taking out the lighting fixture. You need to focus on the way that your ceiling fan works.
If your existing ceiling fan vibrates rapidly or generates loud noises when it is spinning, this could result in damage to the LED light fixture you want to install. Get professional help to determine what’s the reason for the extra sound or movement before switching or installing a new light kit.
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What Socket Does Your Fan Light Kit Have?
Your fan light kit may come with an E26/E27 socket if your fan was made a long time ago and features a unique build. The sockets are medium base and they are not meant to design for energy efficiency.
If you want to install an LED bulb in the same socket, you have to find one that is compatible with the power consumed by a medium-base incandescent.
If your current fan is using an updated E12 socket that’s much smaller in size and modern in design, LED lights may be more helpful than you want them to be. The incandescents that are available in this style may not provide the amount of light needed. The exact size LED bulb can provide more lighting while maintaining power in an E12 socket.
If your ceiling fan fulfills the above requirements, changing your ceiling fan light with an LED bulb is a safe task to perform. But why select an LED light for a switch? You need to go through this article to know what benefits you can get by moving out the light source in your house for LED.
Why Should You Replace Your Light Bulbs With LEDs?
Energy efficiency has become the most effective way to reduce the use of energy and minimizing emissions of carbon.
According to a research paper from ScienceDirect, the increasing impacts of residential energy efficiency standards are likely to get a benefit-to-cost ratio of 2.71:1. Therefore, it is a wise decision to save energy by shifting to an efficient light source.
You should change your light bulbs with LEDs because as reported by Energy.gov, residential LEDs, especially Energy Star rated items, consume at least 75% less power and can work twenty-five times longer than incandescent light.
If saving the world’s energy wasn’t enough to prove the point, LED light sources also have these benefits:
- LEDs have a longer lifespan, and last forty times longer than other light sources.
- They are available in multiple colors and different designs.
- They do not produce heat, almost zero heat, compared to the 90% heat production of other light sources such as incandescent.
- The consumption of power is less, which means using less wattage, but their beneficial lumens exceed other light sources.
- They last longer even in extreme weather, hot or cold.
Final Words
Switching to energy-efficient lighting is a cheap and simple way to save money on power and upgrade your house. Before adding a new light source in your unit, first, you need to inspect whether the fan is compatible with LEDs or not. Incandescent dimmer switches and older, remote-controlled ceiling fans will not be compatible with LED light bulbs. Lastly, to save more power, shift to energy-efficient light sockets when getting an LED lighting kit.