6 Reasons Why You Need To Install Retrofit LED Lights In Your Home 

LED retrofit lights are the go-to lighting solution for homes. 

You can switch to LED in a cost-effective way with retrofit lights.

Switching over to LED lighting is a smart choice. 

LEDs make your home brighter, using less energy. They’re sure to cut back your energy costs on lighting by up to 90 percent. 

Also, LEDs outlast all other lighting options in the market. 

Take incandescent bulbs, which last between 750 and 2000 hours. LED lamps have a 25 times longer lifespan than these.  

The difference is for you to see. 

For these reasons, LED lamps have become the most sought-after lighting option. 

According to the International Energy Agency, half of the global lighting sales in 2020 were LEDs.

Twenty-nine percent of people have already switched to LED lighting within the US. 

And the Department of Energy estimates that increasing LED usage is set to reduce American energy consumption significantly. 

Sounds amazing, right?

LED lights have been around for more than half a century. However, their use to light up homes is relatively new. 

As LED prices have reduced in recent years, their demand has skyrocketed.  

And since retrofit LED lights offer ease and convenience, they’re in high demand. 

What are retrofit LED lights?

As you’ve seen in a previous blog, LED lamps are semiconductor-based lights. So light is generated by passing electricity through a semiconductor.

The retrofit version of LED lights has made lighting installation simple. 

Installing an LED light fixture can be a task for older houses. 

You need to install new fixtures, which is both hectic and tiring. 

In fact, integrating LED fixtures into your electric panels and wiring requires expertise. Thus, it is best left to a lighting professional. 

However, that’s not the case with retrofit LED lights. 

Retrofit LEDs don’t need new fixtures. So they can be installed in a traditional incandescent or fluorescent lamp socket. 

You can simply screw retrofit LEDs into your existing light sockets. 

There you have it; a simple LED lighting solution.

Reasons To Go For Retrofit LED lights

LED lights have been manufactured for the last fifty years. 

But LED technology has become apt for residential lighting only in recent years.  

And the fact that LEDs are new can be a problem. 

How?

You see, many homes are already outfitted with traditional incandescent or fluorescent light fixtures. 

You need to remove these fixtures and install new ones for the LEDs. That requires a lot of time and a significant upfront investment. 

With retrofit LED lights, you don’t need an across-the-board redesign of your lighting system. 

So you stand to save installation costs. 

Also, retrofit LEDs are cost-efficient. And they offer ease and flexibility unlike any other. 

There’s much more to retrofitting LED lamps. So let’s see them in detail.  

#1. Retrofit LED lights are easy to install

An integrated LED light installation is difficult and time-consuming. 

It also involves a redesign of your light fixture. So you need to hire an expert to design and install your lighting. 

However, retrofitting is much easier than an integrated LED lighting solution. 

Retrofit LED lights are made in shape and size, similar to traditional bulbs. That lets you shift to LEDs without having to change your existing fixtures. 

Even as retrofitting sounds complex, it is much easier. More so when compared to the amount of tear-off and re-installation involved in installing a new fixture. 

That is especially true for the older houses with light fixtures compatible with traditional bulbs.

A retrofit LED lamp kit comes with all you need to retrofit the fixtures. That includes screws, brackets, and sockets. That means your LED lamps will fit perfectly in your lighting fixtures. 

 Retrofit lights include detailed fitting instructions to make things easier. That is sure to guide you step-by-step through the process of retrofitting. 

Want more?

Retrofit LED lights are readily available for a wide range of applications. For example, they can light up your indoor spaces like the living room, bathroom, kitchen, etc. 

Also, retrofit lights are an excellent option for landscape path lighting and outdoor flood light bulbs.

Nothing beats the ease and flexibility offered by retrofit LEDs. 

All you’ve got to do is follow the safety and wiring instructions. Done right, you will have your home lit with LED lighting in no time. 

Interesting, isn’t it?

#2. Retrofit LEDs save you money

Many of our traditional lights are highly energy-intensive. 

That is because most of the energy these bulbs use gets turned into heat. Only a small part of the energy is converted into light.

For instance, just 5 percent of the electricity that incandescent bulbs consume is converted into visible light. 

That means your lighting leads to significant energy losses.

A large part of your energy cost is actually from lighting. And you’re sure to have high energy bills with traditional lighting solutions. 

However, that’s not the case with retrofit LED lights. 

LEDs use 20 to 25 percent as much energy as incandescent bulbs. That’s less than one-fourth of the energy that traditional bulbs consume. 

You see, LED lamps convert most of the energy into light. And very little energy is lost to heat. 

LEDs offer energy efficiency unlike any other. So you’re sure to save big on your energy bills. 

Also, LED lights last 25 times longer than traditional bulbs. A good quality LED lamp is sure to last you up to five years. 

That isn’t possible with incandescent or fluorescent lamps. As these lights don’t last long and need frequent replacement. 

Since LEDs don’t need to be replaced often, you’re sure to save your maintenance costs. 

There you have it, a lighting solution that saves you money. 

#3. Retrofit LED lights need less upfront investment

Retrofit LED lights are the most cost-efficient way to switch to LED technology. 

The LED retrofit kits cost much less than integrated LED fixtures.

And since you’re installing retrofit lights by yourself, you stand to save installation charges. 

There’s more to it. 

Installing a brand new integrated LED fixture in an old house is a complex exercise. It involves wear and tear, which inflates your installation costs. 

In fact, huge upfront investment keeps people from switching to LEDs. 

You can expect to pay between $100 and $150 for each integrated LED fixture.

Retrofitting allows you to use your existing fixtures to install LED lights. 

So you can easily upgrade your lighting system to LEDs. That too without bearing the additional costs of replacing your fixtures entirely.  

All you need to spend on are the retrofit LED lights. 

A 10-watt retrofit LED bulb costs between $4 and $8. You can replace all your lights with LED bulbs for under $100. 

That sounds amazing for sure. Doesn’t it?

#4. Improve your lighting quality by retrofitting LEDs 

The commonly used incandescent bulbs produce a dim yellow light. That makes your home look dark and dull during nighttime. 

Unlike traditional bulbs, LEDs offer bright natural lighting. 

So your indoor space gets illuminated just as it would with natural daylight. 

With high output LED retrofits, you get advanced illumination control features. For instance, you can increase or decrease the brightness of your lights using LED dimmable downlight. 

Also, the color customization options offered by LEDs are unmatched. 

You can easily switch between bright daylight, warm yellow, and many other exciting colors. 

In fact, there are multiple color options in one LED strip or lamp. 

So you don’t have to buy retrofit LED lights of different colors. Instead, you can switch colors based on your mood and liking with only one LED light. 

LEDs put you in control of your lighting. You can easily customize your ambiance from bright daylight decor to dim and colorful lighting. 

Awesome, isn’t it?

#5. Retrofit LED lights are environmentally friendly

Apart from being energy-intensive, traditional lighting solutions are unsustainable too.

For instance, incandescent bulbs are made using toxic materials. Similarly, fluorescent bulbs and mercury-vapor lamps are made using high amounts of mercury. 

These bulbs have a short lifespan. Also, they’re not recyclable. 

That means these lighting materials would end up in landfills quite often. 

And since they’re made with toxic materials, they’d cause harm to the ecology.

Now compare these with retrofit LED lights. 

Retrofit LEDs are not made with toxic materials. And 95 percent of all LED lights are recyclable. 

So they won’t occupy the dump yards or cause ecological damage. 

Also, lower energy usage by retrofit LEDs means lesser greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. 

You don’t want your lighting to be unsustainable and non-eco-friendly. Do you?

Retrofitting allows you to switch to environmentally-friendly LED technology with ease. 

With retrofit LED lights, you can rest assured of sustainability and eco-friendliness.  

#6. Retrofitting lets you retain your existing fixtures

The fact that LED lighting needs you to replace your fixtures might keep you from switching over. 

While huge upfront investment is a factor, people also hold back to the traditional bulbs as they’re attached to their fixtures. 

You might have a classical light fixture. And you probably don’t want to let go of the old-world elegance and aesthetics. 

But using energy-intensive and heat-emitting bulbs makes no sense. Especially when you can opt for advanced LED technology while retaining your existing fixtures. 

You can fix retrofit LED lights in your existing fixtures. 

As such, retrofit allows you to switch to modern-age lighting. And it does so without compromising on your home’s aesthetics. 

You see, better lighting and energy efficiency need not come at the cost of your home’s uniqueness. 

Amazing, right?

Retrofit LED Lights: FAQs

How to choose between retrofit LED lights and integrated LED fixtures?

Retrofit LEDs are the go-to option for older houses. 

These houses lack fixtures compatible with LED lighting. 

Retrofitting allows you to switch to LEDs without changing your lighting fixtures. That means you can reap the benefits of LEDs without investing in new fixtures. 

However, retrofit LED lights do have their limitations when it comes to lighting design and customization.

On the other hand, integrated LED fixtures are offered in multiple designs. They’re offered with unmatched decor options and personalized to your liking. 

Integrated LEDs offer bright, focused lighting. So you can use them to create unique lighting designs.

LED fixtures are expensive upfront. But their better efficiency means you stand to recover your initial investment.

So you should go for integrated LED fixtures when building a new home. 

Do you need to frequently maintain your retrofit LED lights?

Retrofit LEDs are a low-maintenance lighting option and have a reasonably long lifespan. 

So, you don’t have to maintain or replace retrofit LED lights frequently. 

On the contrary, you might need to dust and inspect integrated LED fixtures regularly. 

You may also need to change the entire fixture for integrated LEDs at the end of their lifespan. 

That is not the case with retrofit LED lights. 

Can you DIY your retrofit LED lights?

Retrofit LED lights are highly DIY friendly. 

Retrofit lamps are compatible with traditional bulb sockets. So all you’ve got to do is screw them in your existing sockets. 

Since retrofitting kits include detailed instructions, installation shouldn’t be a problem. 

Conclusion 

LEDs are the go-to lighting solution for your home. They are energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. 

However, switching to LEDs can be tricky for older homes. The standard fixtures need to be replaced with LED fixtures, making the transition cost-intensive.

Thankfully, retrofit LED lights are readily available to save you these costs. 

So you can avail the exciting benefits of LEDs without breaking your bank.