Slowly but surely, LED bulbs have been taking over the world. Quite literally.
According to Statista, by 2030 it is estimated that LED bulbs will make up over 87% of all light bulb sales worldwide.
And it’s easy to see why. With their energy efficiency, longevity, and versatility, LED bulbs are quickly becoming the go-to choice for many consumers. However, one common question we often get is: do LED light bulbs get hot?.
Let’s take a look.
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What are LED bulbs?
First, let’s quickly look at what exactly LED bulbs are, and then how LED technology actually works.
LED stands for light emitting diode, and essentially, it’s a small chip that emits light whenever an electric current passes through it.
Unlike traditional incandescent bulbs that rely on heating a filament to produce light, LEDs work on electroluminescence – a fancy way of saying that light gets emitted whenever an electric current interacts with some kind of solid material.
This means that light can be emitted by a LED bulb while creating a lot less heat than traditional bulbs like incandescent bulbs, as you’re not having to heat a filament to produce the light.
Which leads us very nicely on to the next point…
Do LED bulbs get hot?
LED bulbs are significantly cooler than both traditional incandescent and halogen bulbs. While they still produce heat, they produce far less heat than other types of light bulb, but they are still going to be hot to the touch, so we wouldn’t recommend handling them when they’re in use.
While you definitely can handle them while in use if you must (by wearing gloves), as with any type of light bulb we recommend switching the power off first and letting the bulb cool down before handling it.
Most of the heat that comes from LED bulbs will be found at the base of the bulb, where the base of the light bulb meets the connector. This is because LED bulbs use heat sinks to disperse the heat, and these heat sinks are located at the base of the bulbs (more on this later).
The fact that a small percentage of the energy will be converted to heat cannot be avoided – as of yet we (humans!) are unable to completely convert electrical energy to light energy without some of it being converted to heat energy as a side-effect.
Why don’t LED bulbs get as hot as other bulbs?
There are a few reasons why LED bulbs don’t get as hot as other bulb types:
They’re more efficient
The first and major reason why LED bulbs don’t get as hot as other bulb types is that they are much more efficient than other light bulbs.
By more efficient, we mean that LED bulbs are better at converting electrical energy into light, meaning less electricity is required to produce the same level of light than would be the case with other bulb types.
According to the US Department of Energy, LED bulbs “use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting”.
To show you just how much more efficient LED bulbs are, while a traditional incandescent light bulb will need 100 watts of electricity to product 1,600 lumens of light, an LED bulb needs only 20 watts.
You can see a comparison of how efficient LEDs are vs incandescent, halogen, and CFL lightbulbs in the image below:
They use heat sinks
The other reason why LED bulbs typically get less hot when in use compared to other bulb types is because they incorporate a heat sink into their design.
The heat sink, which will usually be found at the base of the bulb, is there to absorb the heat produced by the light emitting diodes inside the bulb itself and then dissipate it into the surrounding environment.
Interestingly, these heat sinks come in all different designs, shapes, and sizes, which is why LED bulbs can look radically different depending on the brand you use.
As well, these heat sinks can be made from either metal or ceramic, with ceramic being the better option. This is because ceramic heat sinks can have lots of tiny pores on each ‘blade’ or fin, meaning it has a larger surface area through which to dissipate the heat from compared to metals like aluminium.
How hot do LED bulbs get?
On average, LED bulbs will be 40-50 degrees Celsius at the top of the bulb, and 80-90 degrees Celsius at the base.
Of course, this is a generalised answer, and the actual temperature will depend on the brand of light bulb being used, the size of the bulb, how bright the bulb is, and the temperature of the room the light bulb is being used in.
LED bulbs will always be hottest at the base, as this is where the heat sink is located. The heat sink is designed to be the hottest part of the bulb, as this is where the heat gets dissipated into the air surrounding the bulb.
You can see a visual look below (graphic adapted from a graphic originally on ledsmaster.com.
Frequently asked questions
Do LED bulbs get hotter than incandescent bulbs?
No, LED bulbs do not get hotter than incandescent bulbs. Because LED bulbs are much more efficient at converting electrical energy into light, they require much less electricity to generate the same amount of light as an incandescent light bulb does.
This, coupled with the fact that LED bulbs feature a heat sink to help dissipate the heat generated, means LED bulbs are cooler than incandescent bulbs when in use.
Why don’t LED bulbs get hot?
This is a common misconception. LED bulbs do get hot, but not as hot as other types of light bulb, such as incandescent bulbs.
LED bulbs still very much do get hot – depending on where you touch it, it will be between 40 degrees and 90 degrees Celsius.
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[…] operate at a much lower temperature than traditional bulbs, which we explain in detail here. That’s a plus. But it’s not the full […]