LED Lighting for Safety and Accents

Discovering the many benefits of light emitting diodes

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My entry hall and the long hall down the center of the house are very dark, both day and night. My 90-year-old father sometimes gets up in the middle of the night to get a snack. I had to keep lights on 24/7 to make sure he didn't trip. I used compact fluorescents to save energy but they are glaring, and if the power went out during a storm Dad would be stuck in the dark.

I found some battery-powered LED lights (like Christmas lights) and strung them in both halls. Now there is a nice soft glow that spreads throughout a large part of the house. It's easy to see and easy on the eyes. I found the strings at Target for $5.99 each for 8.1 ft. Closer to Christmas time they should be more widely available. Only problem is they use four AA batteries and will not take rechargeable batteries. I think there's a way to fix that but I haven't figured it out yet.

I also found a long string of LED lights for outdoors that runs on solar power. A 26' string was about $20, again at Target. I plan to put it along my front porch and get rid of the harsh porch light. The little power it needs will be free. If all this works out I might just string LEDs all over the house and only use the regular lights (CFLs, of course) if someone really needs extra light.

Mimi Gibson

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