Ask an Expert: LEDs and Heat

Do LED lightbulbs get hot?

LED bulb surfaces are cool to the touch and the light output does not include infrared energy, leading to the widespread belief that they don't produce heat, like traditional incandescent bulbs.

While it's true that LED bulbs stay cool on the outside while powered on, they do get hot on the inside. In fact, about 20% of the total energy used by LEDs is lost as heat.

Where does all of this heat go? It's removed though a metal heat sink. You can feel this if you touch the base of an LED bulb that has recently been powered on. Internal heat is still an issue, however, affecting bulb performance and life span.

For safety, avoid putting ordinary LEDs in confined spaces where heat can build up. In enclosed fixtures, only use LED bulbs that are rated for enclosed spaces.