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Do LED Lights Give Off Heat

Find the answer to the frequently asked LED Lights related question: Do LED Lights Give Off Heat?
There is a lot of advertising that lays claim to the fact that LED lights are ‘cool to the touch.’ Because of this, consumers sincerely ask, “Do LED lights give off heat?” Although this may be a bit confusing at first, the answer is yes and no! LED lights do produce a very small amount of heat, but not as we have come to expect it with traditional methods of lighting. Yes, they are cool to the touch and can be easily handled even after being on for long periods of time, but there is a small release of heat during the process of producing light.

How Do LED Lights Give Off Heat?

The easiest way to explain this ‘heat’ that is released would be to explain how light is produced in a semiconductor diode. A basic explanation would be that electricity is introduced to the unit as ‘high energy.’ It then passes through from one material to another, but because of the variation in the two materials, it must release all that high energy, and transition to low energy, prior to being absorbed by the second. It is in the process of dispelling energy that two things happen. First, a very small amount of heat is given off, and secondly, the energy is released from electrons in the form of photons (light particles). Do LED lights give off heat? Yes, it’s part of the process of releasing photons, but no, not enough to cause a burn.

LED’s Do Not Emit Ultra Violet Radiation

When asking “Do LED lights give off heat,” one of the main concerns is actually whether or not they emit UV radiation. Not only is Ultra Violet radiation a serious concern for the environment, it is also known to cause a number of physical problems in people, including some forms of cancer. One very real problem with UV radiation, even from artificial light sources, is trauma that may be caused to the eyes, such as damage to the retina. This has been a major area of concern among scientists. For this reason, they have been working diligently to find a better alternative to lights that emit ultra violet lights. Many scientists suggest that LED lights are the perfect solution to this ever growing problem.

Additional Benefits of LED Lights

In addition to the many benefits that LED lights have to offer in terms of not creating extra heat, there are also things like toxic chemicals to be concerned with. Other lights can emit vapors and gasses that are extremely harmful to humans and animals. CFL light bulbs for example, contain mercury which is detrimental to human health. Infants, children and pregnant women are at a significant risk of severe complications as a result of mercury poisoning should a bulb get broken and the toxic metal inadvertently handled. Environmentalists claim that these mercury containing lights, and the improper disposal of them, have contributed to the higher levels of mercury that are being found in the earth’s resources, such as the ocean and soil.

While toxic metals don’t have anything to do with whether or not a light gives off heat, those metals are what allowed CFL and metal halides to be more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. In the process of producing a lamp that was more efficient than incandescent bulbs, science took a step backwards from an ecological standpoint. However, with the advent of LED technology, two major concerns were addressed at the same time; a light that doesn’t emit excessive heat or dangerous substances that can cause concern.