Upgrading your school or office to LED? READ THIS!
When most people think of LED Lighting, they think of longevity. They think of not having to change a light bulb for a very long time. And in fact, if you’ve ever looked at the box of an LED product, very prominently displayed is usually a claim that it will last for 10, 15, or sometimes even 25 years!
However, when you look at the warranty, it’s usually not the same. In fact, it’s quite a bit shorter. So then, why do most LED products boast a long-performance claim with a warranty guarantee of only half that amount? For example, a product may show a LIFESPAN of 50,000 hours, but a warranty of only 3 years. Well, since there are 8,760 hours in a year, this means the warranty expires a little over 26,000 hours into use. That’s nowhere near 50,000 hours.
So, how long do LED products last?
Here is the kicker; the performance claim is generally based on the tiny yellow LED nodes that produce the actual light. Those have been tested over and over to last for several thousand hours. However, the design of the LED product and its’ inner components are very important in reaching those performance claims. An LED product is only as good as the sum of its’ parts!
For example, LED products do expel a tiny bit of heat, (it is an electric product after all) and electrical components and heat don’t mix. If your LED product wasn’t designed properly to expel heat, or if the driver is too close to the motherboard then the expected lifetime can be significantly decreased. Also, the quality of the driver is equally important. The driver is a component that operates much like a ballast does in traditional lighting technology. It regulates the power going to the lamp or led fixture. Sometimes, those drivers fail.
Today, LED products are designed better than ever so some of the issues mentioned above happen less frequently. But usage and quality of the installer are still big contributors to short term LED product lives.
If you are looking to do a major upgrade to LED in your schools (Austin Texas); here are 3 things to consider:
- Ask for a custom product warranty that’s in line with the stated life expectancy. This is achieved by working with your distributor to factor in the expected hourly usage per day, multiplied by the number of days of use each year. If there is a gap between the warranty and the expected usage then ask your provider if the warranty can be extended and exactly what the process is for filing claims.
- Ask for an installation and service warranty. Believe it or not, there are some companies that don’t use licensed electricians for installation. Requesting a warranty coverage will ensure that if there is an issue related to the installation, you or your school is covered.
- Not to be a downer, but the law of averages implies that the higher the number of fixtures or bulbs being installed, the higher the probability that at least one will fail. Make sure you are working with a company that will take care of everything if a product does go out before expected. This will help reduce the amount of time and headaches involved with tracking down the applicable parties to correct the issue all while the lamp or fixture is out.
If you need help choosing a quality manufacturer or have questions, we can help. Just send a quick note or give us a call at 512-862-7974.