The classic light bulb has now been successfully ousted from households. Good for the environment, they consumed huge amounts of electricity because they produced a lot of heat. They were replaced by economical LED lights. This was particularly important in the bathroom, because bathrooms often have no windows and therefore need to be lit particularly brightly. Here, too, LED light sources have proven to be the smarter alternative. However, anyone who now wants to convert their bathroom to LED should be careful. LED lights also have their pitfalls. In this article, we show what really matters.
LED bathroom lights – what is important to know?
If you want to equip your bathroom with an LED bathroom light, you will face challenges from two sides. Firstly, from the fact that the bathroom is not like any other room. And secondly, from the products themselves.
Bathroom luminaires – note IP classification
In the bathroom or in a shower, moisture is handled. As a rule, people take showers with warm or hot water. This means that the air in the room absorbs a lot of moisture. You are certainly familiar with the mist that is created. It is particularly noticeable on glass and mirrors. The problem is that the lamps are not spared either. However, electricity and humidity are not good friends.
For this reason, legislators have introduced safety classes. For this purpose, lamps are given a number that always starts with IP. It starts at IP00 and the scale ends at IP69. The higher the number, the safer it is to use them in a damp environment. In the bathroom, we recommend luminaires with at least IP20, preferably IP44. They are at least already protected against splashing water.
LED luminaires and quality
LED light sources are designed for longevity from the outset. The problem is that this idea does not quite fit in with manufacturers’ ideas. If a lamp lasts for 20 years, the companies’ sales will drop massively. Therefore, it is not surprising that reports are piling up that even LED lamps seem to break down faster and faster. At least for those with low quality. In this case, it is better to buy the good product and then have no more trouble for a long time.
Replaceability
Since LEDs are basically so long-lasting, lamp manufacturers feared for their revenues. That is why they are launching more and more models on the market in which the chandeliers cannot be replaced. The LED lights are then permanently soldered to the unit. No chance of repairing this. So make sure that you choose a lamp where you don’t have to replace the whole unit if the bulb breaks. Especially because bad bulbs are always found in the package. Then there is a lamp with 4 lights and one flickers after a short time. So the whole construction has to go in the rubbish. And that would be a shame.