The switch to using LED bulbs in just about every light fixture has saved consumers a lot of money. However, if you’re used to using incandescents in specialty fixtures like chandeliers, you may not realize that you can use LEDs in those, too. In fact, LED bulbs may offer more variety and customization than those trusty but energy-hungry incandescents.
LED Bulbs Are Fine if They Have the Correct Base
Can you use LEDs in a chandelier? Yes, you can use them as long as the base on the bulb fits in the chandelier’s socket. Most bulbs that you find in stores come with the threaded bases that you’re used to seeing on incandescents. These LEDs still use the E numbers for sizing that incandescents did; E26 and E27 are the bases that have the same size and shape as regular incandescents that you stick in a table lamp, and E12 is a smaller, thinner version that’s often called a candelabra base. Many chandeliers use candelabra bases, and there are other bulb-base sizes, too.
Don’t forget that smaller bulbs made for chandeliers have different glass tips, with some more pointed to mimic candle flames. But that choice is purely aesthetic. As long as the base fits and the wattage of the bulb doesn’t exceed the maximum for the fixture (more on this later), you can use the LED bulbs.
Bulb Temperature, Intensity and Smart LEDs
LED bulbs have what’s known as a temperature, which affects the coloring and quality of the light that the bulb gives off. This value is measured in Kelvin, and the relationship is counterintuitive; the higher or hotter the temperature in Kelvin, the “cooler” the color. Cooler temperatures tend to look whiter and almost blue; warmer temperatures trend toward yellower lighting that’s more like what you got from older incandescents. In the middle of the range are colors like “daylight.” LED bulbs with cooler colors make a chandelier brighter and more sparkly, while warmer colors look calmer and less intense.
Take the number of bulbs your chandelier requires and the amount of reflective surfaces into consideration when choosing LEDs. Chandeliers that use several bulbs and that have a lot of crystals may look overwhelmingly bright and glittery if you use cool-white bulbs, for example. You may want to consider finding bulbs that are toward the warmer side, or in the daylight range if you still want whiter light in the chandelier.
This should go without saying, but don’t mix bulb temperatures. If you want more variety and want to be able to choose the temperature/color you see, look into smart LEDs instead. These have controls, usually through an app or remote, that allow you to change the temperature.
Dimmable or Non-dimmable?
If your chandelier allows you to dim the light, you’ll need dimmable LEDs. Non-dimmable LEDs will malfunction in fixtures that allow dimming, even if you keep the dimmer on one setting. By the way, if you accidentally buy dimmable bulbs for a non-dimmable fixture, those bulbs will still work.
Do Watts Still Matter?
If you look at the packaging for LED bulbs, you’ll see phrases like “equivalent wattage” or something that compares the LED to a traditional incandescent bulb with a specific wattage. LEDs do use watts as a measure of the power they draw. However, their brightness is usually described in terms of lumens instead of watts, and most people aren’t used to using lumens to determine which LED bulb to buy.
Because LED bulbs use fewer watts than the incandescent bulbs that so many people remember buying, manufacturers place this “equivalent wattage” phrasing on the packaging. That gives people some idea of what the bulb gives off in terms of light. If you’re used to using a 40-watt incandescent bulb in a chandelier, you’ll want that same amount of brightness, and you can get that by buying an LED with packaging that states the LED is equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent. It’s also easier than forcing everyone to memorize which LED bulb wattage amounts match a specific incandescent wattage.
Most fixtures have warnings about the maximum wattage of the bulbs that they can handle, such as “max 40 watts.” The very low wattage of LEDs makes the safety aspect of those warnings moot; a 12-watt LED with the correct base isn’t going to pull anywhere near the maximum amount of power in a fixture rated for 40 watts max. But you can use those warnings to determine the LED brightness that will make the fixture give off the same amount of light with LEDs as it would have with incandescents.
The Final Thought
In a chandelier, you want the lights to show off the fixture and illuminate the room, but you don’t want the lights to be too bright or too dim. Check your chandelier for notes about not using anything that draws more than a certain number of watts, and then look for chandelier-compatible LED bulbs with an equivalent wattage that matches that number.
If you’re ready to install a chandelier, contact Mister Sparky for installation services in the Bradenton and Sarasota areas. When you want efficient, effective service, remember: “Don’t Put Up With Any Malarky, Call Mister Sparky!”
