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Why do LED Spotlights Burn?

Why do LED Spotlights Burn?

Currently, there are LED lamps for up to 100,000 hours. However, some LEDs fail within days or weeks. This usually occurs when using low-quality products without certification seals such as UL, ETL, CSA or CE. LED bulbs can also fail if the wiring does not have adequate electrical protection.

LEDs fail in a short time if they are of poor quality or if the electrical installation is poor.

When buying LED lamps, it is recommended to look for quality products even if their price is higher. Better to have a $5.00 LED bulb that lasts 25,000 hours rather than a $2.00 bulb that fails in a matter of weeks.

Certification Marks for LED Lamps and Luminaires

Organizations are dedicated to testing and certifying electrical products of all kinds, including LEDs. The following are some of the more common certification marks:

  • UL – Underwriters Laboratories
  • ETL – Intertek
  • CSA – Canadian Standards Association
  • CE – European Conformity

These neutral organizations follow standards, so they are not dependent on specific manufacturers. Laboratory tests focus on electrical safety but also ensure product quality. An LED lamp that operates without fail offers safety and longer service life.

LED Product Warranties

No manufacturing process is perfect: even quality LED lamps can fail, although there is a low probability. To avoid expenses due to LED bulb failure, It is recommended to look for products with a guarantee. 

A strong warranty ensures your return on investment when using LED lighting. Any lamp that fails within the warranty period can be replaced free of charge.

The Importance of a Professional Electrical Installation

Even a quality LED fixture is vulnerable to voltage spikes, short circuits, and other electrical faults. 

Before installing LED lighting in a home or business, it is advisable to check the wiring, circuit breakers and grounding system. An adequate electrical installation protects the entire building and its personnel.

LED light consumes less energy than other types of lighting. Therefore, the load on the wiring is reduced after switching. However, it is essential to verify that the wiring is in good condition and that the breakers are adequate.

What is the electricity consumption of LED Christmas lights?

What is the electricity consumption of LED Christmas lights?

Christmas lights have become part of the tradition, but you’ve probably wondered how much electricity they use. In many countries, the residential electricity rate is more than 20 cents per kilowatt-hour.

If the electrical consumption of the devices is not controlled, a high bill can be expected at the end of the month.

LED Christmas lights consume 80% more than traditional lights on average and can last up to 20 times longer. The energy savings are considerable, but many light replacements are also saved the following Christmas.

Next, we will estimate the electrical consumption of Christmas lights, considering the two options: traditional incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs.

Consumption of Traditional Christmas Lights

Each residence is unique, and the number of holiday lights and their hours of use will change. For this example, we assume the following:

  • Christmas lights are used for two months (60 days).
  • They turn on 10 hours each night, resulting in 600 hours of use.
  • The house uses 20 sets of 100 lights, so there are 2,000 individual bulbs.
  • Each set of lights consumes 40 watts, up to 800 watts.

Only the total watts and the hours of use are multiplied to estimate the energy consumed. In this case, we get 480,000 watt-hours, or 480 kilowatt-hours, when divided by 1,000.

The consumption is converted to kilowatt-hours (kWh) since the electric companies calculate the bill with that unit of measurement.

At a $0.20 per kWh rate, this residence would be spending $96 for the entire holiday season. 

It is also worth mentioning that Christmas lights have an average lifespan of 1,000 hours. This equates to 1-2 Christmas seasons only, depending on usage.

Consumption of LED Christmas Lights

The same scenario is assumed with a chance to make a fair comparison. Instead of 40-watt incandescent light sets, 7-watt LED light sets are used.

It is worth mentioning that this is the consumption of the complete set of 100 lights, not the individual consumption of each bulb. Repeating the calculation, the result is as follows:

  • Total consumption is reduced from 800 watts to only 140 watts.
  • For 600 hours of use in a Christmas season, consumption is reduced from 480 kWh to 84 kWh.
  • Ultimately, the cost is reduced from $96.00 to $16.80, representing more than 80% energy savings.

It is also worth mentioning that LEDs have a lifespan of up to 25,000 hours. They won’t need to be replaced for a long time, especially as these are Christmas lights used about 2 months out of the year.

Additional Advantages of LED Christmas Lights

LED Christmas lights also dissipate less heat with lower power consumption, making them less likely to cause a fire. The risk of overheating electrical wiring or tripping breakers is also reduced.

LED Christmas lights also have an aesthetic advantage. There are LEDs capable of producing different light colours, while incandescent lights have a fixed colour.

In the case of Christmas decorations, this allows greater creativity in using lights.

What are LED lighting towers, and What are their Applications?

What are LED lighting towers, and What are their Applications?

Picture this scenario: You have an outdoor event with many guests to attend, but the venue is dimly lit. How can you improve lighting? For this, you must LED lighting towers, and these devices will be very helpful if they are placed in strategic places.

The above is just one of many circumstances where you could use LED light towers. This article will teach you everything you need to know about these devices and their applications.

LED lighting towers: what are they, and what are they for?

Light towers are equipment designed to improve visibility during events in dimly lit locations. These towers have a diesel engine in charge of moving an electric generator and a mast similar to a telescope, which can be hydraulically or manually lowered.

Generally, the power of these LED tower lights is between 100W and more than 2000W, and they can be raised to a height of 8 to 10 meters. This will allow you to illuminate a large work area since they have a great lighting capacity with that power and height.

The main parts that support a light tower are the mast and the stabilizers. These are combined with an internal combustion engine, in charge of moving an electric generator that keeps the lights on.

Stabilizers are very important in this type of tower. They are extended and adjusted before the mast is raised and intended to keep the tower level stable. Due to this and other characteristics, lighting towers are useful for lighting environments with minimal natural light or no electrical connection.

Applications of LED Lighting Towers

The applications of lighting or LED light towers are diverse, perhaps limitless. The reason is that these appliances come with a diesel engine designed to last for long working hours.

Let’s look at three examples of scenarios where LED light towers are used:

Event lighting, outdoors and indoors there, towers are often the perfect addition to lighting at events and filming locations. They are light and compact equipment that is easily moved, in addition to having a large fuel tank to operate for long hours.

Construction project lighting

Due to the lighting quality of LED lights and their practical transportation, these towers facilitate construction work at night. They have become essential equipment on construction sites and also improve project safety.

Outdoor lighting in hotels and tourist sites

For many hotels, it is essential to have LED light towers since they must keep certain areas illuminated for the safety of their clients. For this, it is very useful to have a model with four spotlights at a high point and with the ability to rotate 360 ​​degrees.

Thanks to their versatility, there are many scenarios where to use LED lighting towers.

We mention some examples here, but its applications include sports events, highways, night maintenance, emergencies, etc.

Using Natural Light in LED Lighting Designs

Using Natural Light in LED Lighting Designs

Natural light is a free resource, so it is advisable to consider it for lighting designs. By maximizing its use, we can improve the energy efficiency of a building.

Natural light can reduce the need for artificial lighting in several ways, some active and some passive. An example of an active measure is the use of automatic controls to modulate LED lighting based on daylight. A passive measure has an architectural design that maximizes daylight intake.

LED lighting is very efficient, but natural sunlight is free. Therefore, its use should be maximized.

Building Orientation

The location of windows in a building plays an essential role in harnessing natural light. However, indirect lighting is preferable to avoid glare and sun heating problems.

The incidence of solar rays depends mainly on the geographical location of the building. For example, the sun is mostly in the southern part of the sky in the northern hemisphere. Too many south-facing windows can cause bothersome glare and excess air conditioning, but north-facing windows receive indirect lighting without these problems.

It is also worth mentioning that the east face of a building receives direct sunlight in the morning, while the west face receives it in the afternoon. This is the same for buildings in the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet.

Skylights

A skylight is similar to a window on the roof, letting in sunlight. Ideally, a skylight should have a geometry that allows light to enter while minimizing heating. With the proper use of skylights, there are times when it is possible to turn off all the lights in an interior space without a problem.

In general, skylights are most effective in low-rise, high-area buildings. Some examples are industrial plants, warehouses, distribution centres and shopping malls. Therefore, skylights can be a great addition to industrial LED lighting.

Lighting Automation

Natural light can be better utilized when automatic controls for artificial lighting are implemented. These controls use photodetectors to assess the level of illumination, and their most common modes of operation are as follows:

· An ON/OFF control that responds to available natural light. It can be a master control that turns all lamps on or off at once or a stage control that turns lamps on or off in groups.

· A dimming control or “dimmer” offers greater precision by adjusting the intensity of each lamp according to the available natural light. However, dimming is more expensive, requiring more sophisticated equipment than on/off switches.

Before implementing dimming controls, verifying compatibility with the LED products selected for the project is important. Some LED lamps are designed only to turn on and off without dimming.

Professional design services ensure that daylighting is implemented effectively, allowing the building to achieve a lower cost of operation.

Using natural light can be very beneficial in workplaces, as it increases the motivation and productivity of employees.

Use of LED Lights in Domestic Houses

Use of LED Lights in Domestic Houses

Having automated and intelligent technology for your home saves a lot of time, especially if you add total lighting control. What use can be given to LED lights in home automation?

Combining LED lighting with home automation

Automated LED systems are becoming increasingly popular, bringing many homes to life for both practical and decorative purposes.

LED lights are characterized by being moldable and versatile, and this allows them to integrate with many spaces and installations. These lights have various styles and colours, while their lighting is adaptable to any decoration you use.

Having LED lights in home automation allows automatic switching on and off, even in empty rooms. You can carry out this control with different apps or as part of a centralized system for all your devices.

Another option to control LED lights is to turn your normal light switches into smart devices. To accomplish this, a small controller can be placed behind each switch. This improves the appearance of your home while saving energy. 

Many LED products can also be integrated with other home automation elements in your home. In many cases, LED lighting can be controlled by the same apps you run your entire home with.

 Some owners of home automation consider centralized control waste of time and therefore purchase individual smart bulbs. However, these must be configured one by one, which is more time-consuming in the long run, while your control options are more limited.

Automating LED lights in home automation

When acquiring and installing LED lights in home automation, you must remember the platform with which the lighting is integrated. Whether you work with Siri, Alexa, or another system, you’ll need to get a compatible set.

For example, if you buy an LED light kit that is only compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant, its functions can be severely limited with another system. Before buying any smart LED bulb, check that it is compatible with your home control system.

To be sure, you can look for an LED lighting system compatible with several common platforms. Also, remember that a connected, automated LED system typically requires a WiFi signal. You should review the connectivity requirements of the lamps before purchasing them.

Final considerations

It should be noted that home automation lighting with LED lights has the benefit of energy savings because they consume 30-80% less than common light bulbs. With this combination of efficiency and automation, you can significantly reduce your electric bill, especially if you also control other devices.

Automated LED lights can also help you achieve better lighting in your home and fulfil decorative functions. This improves not only energy efficiency but also visibility and comfort.

Three Ways to Apply LED Light in Buildings

Three Ways to Apply LED Light in Buildings

When planning a lighting upgrade with LED light, an important aspect is the selection of lamps and luminaires. The goal is to save energy, but lighting quality should not be affected.

LED products are characterized by their variety, and an incorrect selection will not provide adequate illumination.

Depending on the degree to which the current lighting system is modified, LED light projects can be classified into three types:

  • Change of lamps
  • Retrofit
  • Change of luminaires

The three options are explained below, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.

There are simple LED lamps, retrofit kits, and complete luminaires.

Change of Lamps by LED

A change of lamps is the fastest and cheapest option. Today, it is possible to find LED lamps that use the same power sources and connections as the replaced lamps.

In other words, it is enough to disconnect the existing spotlight and connect an equal one in the LED version.

Lamp changes are effective when the budget is limited. They are also often applied in busy areas or with long working hours, where there is little time to improve the facilities.

The disadvantage of a change of lamps is that the maximum possible saving is not always achieved. Since existing fixtures are not modified, fluorescent or HID ballasts remain connected. 

In this case, the LED lamps are designed to be connected to the ballasts. This allows for quick installation, but ballasts dissipate energy as heat.

 

LED Lighting Retrofits

A retrofit project uses the existing lighting fixtures, similar to a change of lamps. However, in a retrofit, the internal connections of the luminaires are also modified. For example, if there are fluorescent or HID lamps with ballasts, they are switched off. 

A retrofit uses LED products with integrated power supplies, which have higher efficiency than ballasts.

As a retrofit involves changes to the electrical connections, it requires more technical knowledge than a change of lamps. The cost of the project increases, and more time is also needed.

However, further energy savings are achieved by eliminating ballasts.

An LED retrofit is recommended in buildings with many fluorescent or HID lamps. By eliminating ballasts from the system, savings can be significant.

An LED retrofit changes the lamps and the internal connections of the luminaires.

Change of Luminaires by LED

The third option for applying LED lighting is to remove the existing luminaires, including their casing. New LED luminaires are installed, achieving high efficiency and quality of light.

As expected, a complete change of luminaires costs more than a change of lamps or a retrofit. It also requires more time, as it is a more complex installation.

A complete change of luminaires is recommended when there is a high budget for energy-saving projects. It is also a good option if a significant remodelling is planned that includes changing luminaires. 

In this case, the opportunity can be taken to apply high-efficiency LED lighting.