Outdoor Floodlights - Halogen or LED?

[Milleniumaire]

Hi londonman,

Just a thought, but have you considered switching to sodium lights?

I know nothing about them and have never used them, but get the impression they are more environmentally friendly than halogen but still bright.

Of course, I could be wrong and it does appear that LED's are being pushed in favour of them.

 

[RF Lighting]

Do you really need 500W of illumination?

Many of the cheap led floods throw the light out at a much much wider angle than a halogen fitting does.

Buying a decent quality fitting solves this. On average 10W of led will quite happily replace 100W of halogen light.

 

[Milleniumaire]

Just read up on Sodium lights and they don't seem too good and they produce a very yellow light ! There's also Metal Halide, which may fit the requirement, but I'm guessing you've already looked at these two alternatives!

 

[RF Lighting]

Sodium is orange, but very efficient. There are high pressure and low pressure versions. The low pressure is a deep orange light but is more efficient, where as the high pressure lamp is a brighter less orange light, but not quite as efficient.

It's the same lamps they use in traditional street lights.


Metal halide is a good white light, but slightly less efficient again.

One thing to note, all these lamps are discharge lamps and need time to warm up. Low pressure sodium generally needs 15 mins, HPS and MH need 3 - 5 mins.

 

[TheCliffords]

You don't need to comply with part L as its an existing light fitting but you do need to think of your wallet,
LED has a better lamp life and lower running costs with a longer guarantee.
The LED hut have some good deals!
www.ledhut.co.uk

 

[Milleniumaire]

LED has a better lamp life

Until the fitting fails, like mine did after only a year! Hopefully this was a one-off, but it could get expensive if this isn't the case.

It reminds me of the old 12V transformers for halogen ceiling lights. Using these should save the cost of having to replace the bulbs that tend to blow regularly when using mains 240V halogen celing lights. However, my experience was that I had to replace the 12V transformers on a regular basis, which were far more expensive that 50W halogen bulbs, so they didn't really save much money in the longer term. Thank goodness these have all now been replaced by 6W LED ceiling lights. Much better and more reliable all round, not to mention the cost saving of running them!

I now have a box of unusued and used 50W bulbs and transformers!

 

[londonman]

Do you really need 500W of illumination?

Many of the cheap led floods throw the light out at a much much wider angle than a halogen fitting does.

Buying a decent quality fitting solves this. On average 10W of led will quite happily replace 100W of halogen light.

Yes, these are security lights that come on when the sensor is triggered. The low light level from the LEDs are simply inadequate to see anything clearly.

The light angle of our LED is much less than the halogen, BTW.

 

[RF Lighting]

But do you actually need 500W? Are you lighting a field or your driveway?

Which LEDs did you try out of interest?

 

[TheCliffords]

You can say that about any lamp or fitting now days, unfortunately but still cheeper to run, I have 2 Steinel fittings and both working fine for over 3 years.


http://www.steinel.de/Sensor-Switched-Floodlights/oxid-oxid/110019309.html

 

[londonman]

But do you actually need 500W? Are you lighting a field or your driveway?

Which LEDs did you try out of interest?

This one ...http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191427037981

Although we live in a very remote area surrounded by fields, I simply want to be able to see clearly if anyone is prowling around in the garden or parking area (which admittedly is quite large). Thing is the 500w halogen allows one to do just that. These feeble 50W LEDs give out such a poor light, in comparison, as to be next to useless.

 

[RF Lighting]

Hmmm I can't understand why ebays cheapest fittings weren't very good....

 

[londonman]

Hmmm I can't understand why ebays cheapest fittings weren't very good....

Interesting comment...the advert states 1000 lumen per 10W and so if you think that they are telling porkies then that helps me get them to pay for the return postage!

Which 50W LED lamps would you suggest?

 

[RF Lighting]

I've no experience of 50w led. I've always found 30W to be plenty bright enough on domestic installations.

 

[londonman]

I've no experience of 50w led. I've always found 30W to be plenty bright enough on domestic installations.

Surely you must have an idea of brand ?

 

[TheCliffords]

Philips are great but not the cheapest! BUT go look in Sainsburys they are much cheaper,
different colours too