Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Wilmington, NC custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes encourages you to attend the 7^th Annual ChowdaFest at Fat Tony’s Italian Pub. At their historic downtown Wilmington, NC location at 131 N. Front Street, the event will be on November 7^th from 12:00 – 7:00 pm. New England, Manhattan, and Down East varieties of chowder will be served and live bands will begin at noon and play until sundown. Admission is $5.00, includes a cup of chowder and will benefit the Carolina Canines for Service.

Brunswick County custom home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes relies on Wilmington, NC’s Electronics 2 You for all of their clients’ electronic needs. They integrate state-of-the-art audio, video, communications, automation and lighting equipment into both new and existing homes. Below is an article from their November e-newsletter with valuable tips on energy-efficient LED fixtures. For more information on Electronics 2 You, visit their site, sign up for their newsletter, or call them at 910-397-0953.

Thinking of buying energy-efficient LED (light emitting diode) fixtures for your home? There are a lot of LED lights on the market today, but buyer beware. Good, long-lasting LED lights are also available—and will generally cost more. Here are some things you should check out as you shop:

Where’s the power supply? Most LEDs require low-voltage, so they must have an AC-to-DC adapter, transformer, or power supply to operate them. These can be internal or external to the fixture.

Color Temperature, or Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) refers to the appearance of the light. “Warmer” yellowish light like that from an incandescent bulb is in the 2700 to 3000 Kelvin (K) range, while bluish or cool light like that of some fluorescents is in the 5000K-plus range.

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is a measure of the ability of a light source to render colors, on a scale of 100—the higher the better. The CRI for many white-light LEDs is between 75 and 85.

How does the manufacturer define lifetime? Lifetime typically refers to the useful time of light output, also referred to as lumen maintenance. For white LEDs, lifetime refers to the time after which 70 percent or more of the useful light remains. 

Does the quoted lifetime include the electronics and other components necessary to drive the LED source?

Does the fixture have any special features for heat sinking or thermal management? Though the light from LEDs itself is not hot, the backs of the fixtures can get very hot.

What warranty is offered? Beware of vague guarantees.

Does installation of LED fixtures include all the necessary components to operate the lights? Many LED fixtures require external components and controls in order to be operated.