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Understand the life of LEDs

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Understand the life of LEDs So how long does the LED last? Well, it's a busy question. Theoretically, a long time. But wait, it's not just the life of LEDs. 1. The life of the LED The LEDs, and more particularly the diodes, are classified L70 or L50. But as a rule, L70 is the standard that most manufacturers test and display. What does it mean? This is the number of hours it takes for the LED diode to degrade to 70% of its initial lumens. Is an LED dead at L70? Absolutely not. What are the usual hours for L70? 50,000 to 100,000 hours. What affects this life? A lot - how much does the manufacturer decide to control the LED? Full power? Half the power? As a general rule, a diode will last longer if you do not drive at full capacity. It's like it's heat. The harder you drive, the more heat is generated, and the heat is usually the "killer" of all electronics. So why are not all manufacturers bringing their production back to 50%? Because this would ...

What’s important to know about the power factor?

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What’s important to know about the power factor? The power factor (PF) of an LED or driver indicates the ratio of the power actually used. This is the amount of watts used by the light relative to the apparent power absorbed in the lamp circuit. So, why is it important?   The PF gives a measure of the distance between your charge and that of an incandescent bulb, which has a PF of 1. Historically, incandescent bulbs had an almost perfect power factor. All LEDs and drivers are measured against this base.   A low power factor is also a sign of an inefficient product or light because it consumes more power in the circuit than the load uses. In other words, if you expect to consume only 100 W of energy, you can consume a lot more because of the low PF ratio.   When you choose LED devices or conversion units with higher power factors, this minimizes the current capacity of the components in your lighting circuit. This includes dimmers and cables as the pr...

Reasons why you should adapt LED technology

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Reasons why you should adapt LED technology Regarding the purchase of LEDs, you have 2 real options. Buy a brand new luminaire or replace the bulb and ballast of your existing luminaire with the LED. Here is a simple list of 5 items to consider in determining whether retro installation is a good option for you. 1. You have a large investment in your existing devices. You can sit on a big investment in indoor or outdoor mounting. Everything is integrated. The heads correspond to the sticks. With a new device, you would have to throw away your investment of something that looks great and has absolutely nothing wrong with that. Enter LED Conversations! This process involved the removal of the bulb, ballast. socket and reflector (there is no light to reflect, the LED is directional lighting) and replace the bulb with an LED head and ballast by LED driver. The head uses a supplied mounting bracket that screws directly into the same holes as the bracket, and the driver moun...

Avoid adaptive solutions that use adapters

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Avoid adaptive solutions that use adapters We have seen them all. Modernization units delivered with a socket adapter, typically E39, allow you to screw them into the socket of the devices. Good idea no? False. Read this so you do not get caught in an expensive mistake. Some kits include an adapter that allows you to screw into the existing socket of a device. Although this sounds like a good idea and you even think that it saves installation time, this type of method poses two serious problems. LED conversion units weigh more than HID / metal halide bulbs This can not be discussed. The power outlet is designed to hold a HID bulb and not an LED conversion unit. LED conversion units are more than 5 times heavier than a bulb. Add to that that the plug can be old and fragile. Or he can be mounted on a pole, vibrate and swing with the wind. This will cause the plug to fail and your investment in a conversion unit may break against the fixture glass and be damaged. All the t...

Choose right color temperature

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Choose right color temperature It is important to choose the right color temperature when choosing LED lights, and the color temperature will be different depending on the application. Here is a list to help you make your decision to choose color 1. The color temperatures to be taken into account are between 2700K and 6500K. 2. Color temperatures on the lower end (2700K) tend to be warmer (yellow in color). 3. Higher color temperatures (6500K) tend to be colder (blue in color). 4. A good color temperature to replace MH and HID is 5000K. 5. A good color temperature to replace high pressure sodium is 4000K. You can also choose 2700 or 3000K if you like the appearance of a yellow light. 6. 4000K is an excellent indoor color temperature for offices, schools, hospitals and other fields of activity. 7. 3000K is an ideal color temperature for the home. It contains very little blue light, is soft and warm. In addition to these tips, there is no difference b...