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Shellie
What is the lumens output of the C7 LED lights? I need to know how many I need to switch from incandescent and maintain similar amount of light output. Watts or amps doesn’t tell me the brightness.
Hi Steve,
Since LED lights operate in such a dissimilar way to incandescent lights, a lumens specification wouldn’t give you the insight you are looking for.
The perceived brightness of the LED lights is dependent on ambient light and distance from the display. So, say if the lights were in a retail area at night with a good deal of lights from a parking lot, their perceived output would be relatively low compared to maximum perception in complete darkness.
Another factor to consider is the color you are switching from and to. Many people think that pure white LED lights are brighter than incandescent because they have a sharp, icy look. So fewer of these lights compared to say blue, red or green LED’s might be required to have a similar appearance.
C7 lights come in two forms, pre-wired light strings and C7 bulbs that are installed into cords. Of the two, the C7 retrofit LED bulbs are brighter since they have 3 LEDs in each base compared to the C7 pre-wired strings that have a single LED per base. That being said the perception of light strength from the bulb is not necessarily 300% brighter than the strings.
This is a tricky problem to solve by putting pen to paper since environment, color and style of light is in play as well as the specs on your original lights.
You might consider starting with a couple of styles of lights, installing short runs and observing them in total darkness at the street or an equivalent distance to where they’ll be viewed.
I’m sorry I don’t have a more direct answer but I hope this helps, somewhat. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Shellie
Christmas Light Source
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