Why is My LED light too Bright? [UPDATED GUIDE]

Choosing a perfect lightning source for your space is a difficult and expensive feat. LED  lights are considered the most popular and efficient source of brighter light. These are highly economical due to their longevity and energy-efficient qualities. But sometimes they may emit a higher amount of lumens that will cause too much brightness for your space and you may face difficulties to function in that space. Increased brightness in a closed space is irritating and you cannot work in such a place comfortably. In this article, we will explore a few reasons why your LED is too bright and will suggest tips to resolve this issue.

A)Bulb Getting More Wattage 

Your LED light may get brighter than usual because it may get higher wattage input from the source than its requirement. Generally increase in wattage will increase the brightness but it will also affect the light and its life span because due to over flow of current the LED will heat up and could be damaged. Higher wattage light produces uncomfortable light that is not favorable for some spaces.

B)Color Temperature 

Color temperature has a great impact on the brightness of LED light. Your light could get too bright for your space if you are using a bulb of a higher color temperature. It is also known as kelvin temperature. The normal value of color temperature for a closed area like a bedroom is 2700k. If you use a light bulb of 5000k temperature in a closed space then it will produce a harsh and too bright light. If the amount of kelvin will wash out then the LED will reflect the surface just like a white wall and will cause harm to your visual abilities.

C)Size of Room 

Room size or your space to be lit up has a great impact on the brightness of your LED. Always choose a LED light according to your space and lighting needs according to the size of your room. If you have a small space then you should go with a light of low color temperature and low lumen output so that you get just the required amount of brightness rather than too bright or too dim lumination.

D)Wrong Type of Bulb 

 Another reason for your LED light to be too bright is the wrong choice of the bulb while being inconsiderate of your space. Select the right-sized bulb for your space as per the requirement of brightness. For a more expansive area choose a bulb that scatters light in many directions and for target-oriented space always buy a bulb with pointed illumination.

E)Wrong Lumen Selection 

 As you know, lumens are a measure of brightness and higher lumens mean higher brightness and fewer lumen means dimmer brightness. The wrong selection of lumens during purchasing LED lights can make you feel uncomfortable. That’s why always select the required amount of lumens according to the need for brightness for your space. Lumens are always mentioned over the label of LED lights.

F)Light Leakage From an Overhead Fixture 

This could be another possible reason for your LED to become too bright and irritating. As many designers, while designing the lights don’t consider the scattering of light and make such head fixtures from where light may leak out unevenly and cause light pollution which is annoying and make it hard to concentrate on work.

G) Distance Between the Ceiling and the Floor is Short

Your LED light may seem to be giving over brightness due to the design of your space. When there is less distance between ceiling and floor then more light will reflect which will seem to be annoying and over-laminating.

H) Fused Dimmer

Sometimes your light may start giving extra brightness because the dimmer in LED light is not working properly. It happens usually after using LEDs for a longer period of time. And it requires maintenance and exchange of dimmer with new one.

How Much Brightness is Too Much?

As you know there is always a limit for everything so a similar case is with the brightness of LED light to be tolerated by humans. Normally the brightness of 7000k is considered as too much brightness to be tolerated and anything above this limit will cause trouble. But there are LED lights that are too harsh at 4000k and are irritating and annoying. An example of too-bright light could be the examination light of a physician that seems to be too bright to spend all day under that.

What Are the Drawbacks of Having too Bright Light?

Too bright light has many drawbacks like  It may affect your eye health. Along with that it also causes restlessness and irritation. When your LED is too bright then it will not remain energy-efficient and there is a need for the replacement of your light or the addition of a dimmer which is an extra costly burden on you.

Effect on Your Health if You Use too Bright Light For a Longer Period of Time

There are many health concerns related to the higher brightness output of LED lights such as:

• Too bright light can cause eye discomfort while working. LED lights emit blue light which is not good for eyes and can cause eye strain if you are exposed to it for a longer period of time.
• While working in a space having bright light can cause your eyes to become red and sore which leads to dry and itchy eyes leaving you in discomfort.
• Higher brightness of light has some serious physical effects on humans just like sunstroke it can cause headaches or migraine.
• Too bright LED lights in spaces like your bedrooms can cause discomfort and could make you sleep deprived due to the emission of higher amounts of blue light which decreases the level of melatonin hormone that regulates your sleep.
• In addition to all of these, bright light is a major cause of discomfort and can reduce your productivity for work and it makes you lazy.

What To Do When Your LED Light is Too Bright?

Here are a few tips for you to make your extra bright light dimmer and make it according to your choice. If you are facing issues with too bright LEDs then go through these solutions. These will help you out without any waste of time.

• To make your LED less bright you will need a bulb with lower wattage than your previous one as LEDs are highly efficient and have higher light output with higher wattage.
• LED lights are known for producing wide ranges of colors so if you want to lower the brightness of it then change the color temperature of your LED to a lower value. It will then emit less blue light and more yellow light.
• By changing the positioning of your lights you can also get rid of extra brightness that is intense to do work. If there are too many lights on the ceiling then minimize them and add some desk lights for a more ambient environment.
• If you don’t want to reduce just a significant amount of light then for that purpose use a glass or plastic holder. It will reduce the minimum amount of light intensity.
• To achieve a maximum dimming range of your LED light use dimmers. You can get them from local hardware stores easily. It will allow you to adjust the brightness of your light. It will dim the light by tricking the LED light. But they may also cause flickering of light.
• Another widely used method to lower the extra brightness of LED lights is using a diffuser foil. It is a temporary solution for the scattering of light. Foil is placed in front of the bulb to make it less bright. But foil used must be heat resistant for safety purposes.
• An old method to reduce the brightness of light is to cover the bulb with any sort of tape that can stick to the material of the bulb just like an opaque tape or adhesive tape which will decrease the intensity of light.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it Harmful to My Health to Work Under Bright LED Lights?

When the LED light is too bright then it will emit a huge amount of blue light which is harmful to your eyes and can cause eye strain. Along with that bright light can cause restlessness, irritation, and insomnia. So you should always take precautionary measures while working under LED lights for a longer period of time.

How Can I Choose Light for My Space Considering Lumen Output?

While selecting lights it’s always up to you to select a better option for your space according to your needs. If you have wider space you should choose LED of higher lumen output for just like commercial and outdoor areas. For indoor and closed spaces with less area, you should choose a light with a lower output of lumen that will save you from getting too much bright light.

Can I Use a Dimmer to Overcome the Increased Brightness of My LED?

Of course, you can dim the LED lights by having a fixture with sockets by installing a dimmer to control the increased amount of brightness. But you should get it done by a professional for safety purposes. Dimmer will help you to get soft and satisfying brightness.

Can I Use the Light of Higher Lumen Output in a Small Space?

Whenever you use LED lights in a closed room or small space, always select a light with lower lumen output so that you feel comfortable while working over there. If you use light with higher lumen output in a small space the extra brightness will be produced and will be annoying for you to tolerate that.