LED is an abbreviation for a light-emitting diode. An LED is an electronic light source. A diode is not a light bulb. Traditional incandescent light bulbs heat tungsten filaments until they glow, like a toaster heating element. These filaments gradually evaporate until they break and burn out. LEDs work on a totally different premise, similar to transistors or other electronics along those lines. There is no filament to burn out. They're also a much more efficient light source, producing considerably more light per watt than a traditional bulb. Most LEDs are about 210 of an inch in diameter and about 1 3 of an inch in length. Whereas typical household lamps require 110220 volts, an LED uses just two or three volts. What's more, typical household lamps are rated for 1, 500 to 2, 000 hours while LEDs can last 50, 000 hours or more.