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What Is an LED Socket?

Lee Johnson
Lee Johnson

A light-emitting diode (LED) socket is a receptacle for containing LED lights. LED lights normally have two long electrodes protruding from the bottom of the unit, which need to be connected to an electrical source for the light to work. A LED socket contains small holes for an LED light, and can generally hold multiple LEDs. Once several LEDs are placed into a LED socket, they can all be controlled at the same time. Many LED sockets require soldering, although it is possible to find some that do not.

LED lighting is more efficient than standard incandescent lighting. Normal incandescent lights work on a filament, which is heated to such an extreme temperature that it eventually produces white light. LED lights work by passing electrons through a semiconductor diode.

Woman holding a book
Woman holding a book

Compared with incandescent lighting, this is a very efficient method of creating light, because much less heat is produced as a result. Any heat that is produced by an electronic device that is not meant to produce heat is a sign of inefficiency, because some of the energy being pumped into the device is being converted to heat instead of being used for its intended function. Ninety percent of energy from standard incandescent light bulbs is released as heat.

Sockets are holes that electrical devices can be plugged into. Incandescent light bulbs have sockets, which are suspended from the ceiling in most houses by a wire. Multiple sockets also exist, meaning that several devices of the same type can be plugged into a series of sockets and controlled together. An example of this is a multi-plug adapter, which usually have two to four plug sockets arranged, one next to the other.

A LED socket is a small socket suitable for placing an LED light inside. LED lights are usually very small, and a LED socket typically isn’t a large device. It may be comprised of a small board or box, which is wired up to a power supply and has holes in it for LED lights to fit in. An LED socket can require the lights to be soldered into place, but many sockets work without the need for soldering. LED lights usually are small, half-egg shaped heads supported by two long electrodes; these electrodes are inserted into the LED socket.

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