They require little maintenance and provide beneficial, bright light that can keep workers safe in large-scale buildings , and even promote productivity in an office environment. Incorrect installation or fixture choice, manual switches, and improper use can decrease the life expectancy of bulbs in your lighting system.
As lighting maintenance and installation experts in the Chicago area, we have a lot of experience with LEDs and getting the most out of your lighting solution. If your LEDs are used to light smaller scale environments like an office suite or studio space, installing motion-detecting light controls or even smart switches might not be the cost effective solution you need. It may seem like an obvious potential problem to point out, but LED shelf life benefits greatly from a little conscious management.
Instead of leaving your primary lights on when your space is not in use, make a point to shut off as many lights as possible at the end of the work day. We all know that leaving lights on wastes energy and can lead to premature outages and frequent replacements.
In order to change on off habits, take notice of lights in high traffic areas. If lights are switched off and on every time people enter and leave the space, there may be opportunity to preserve LED shelf life by leaving those lights on for longer. By , the majority of lighting installations are anticipated to use LED technology, and energy savings from LED lighting could top TWh annually by , equal to the annual energy output of more than 92 1, MW power plants.
Key differences include:. LED lighting is available in a wide variety of home and industrial products, and the list is growing every year.
The rapid development of LED technology has resulted in increased product availability, improved manufacturing efficiency, and lower prices. Below are some of the most common types of LED products.
The high efficiency and directional nature of LEDs makes them ideal for many industrial uses. LEDs are increasingly common in street lights, parking garage lighting, walkway and other outdoor area lighting, refrigerated case lighting, modular lighting, and task lighting.
Because LEDs are small and directional, they are ideal for lighting tight spaces such as countertops for cooking and reading recipes. Since there can be variation in light color and directionality, it is important to compare products to find the best fixture for your space. Recessed downlights are commonly used in residential kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms, and in a number of office and commercial settings.
DOE estimates there are more than million recessed downlights installed in U. With performance improvements and dropping prices, LED lamps can affordably and effectively replace 40, 60, 75, and even Watt incandescent bulbs. It's important to read the Lighting Facts Label to make sure the product is the right brightness and color for its intended use and location.
If you hired electrical contractors for the installation of the product, that labor is likely not covered by the manufacturer's warranty, though a handful of manufacturers may cover that cost in addition to the cost of replacement.
To actually claim on a warranty, most manufacturers will want to see the product to ensure that it was properly installed and that user error wasn't a contributing factor to product failure. Unfortunately, based on my experience and conversations with various manufacturers around the country, more often than not, bad electrical wiring or improper installation is to blame for early burnout or malfunction.
In fact, products often work totally fine when they arrive at manufacturer headquarters, indicating problems with the customer's socket or electrical system. I cannot stress enough how important it is to vet your labor partners and do your homework upfront. One way or another, getting an install right will take time and research. It's far better to do that on the front end than to have to scramble and eat a loss down the road.
It's critical to have a detailed discussion with your lighting specialist about the warranty on the product you're considering. Here are key questions to ask:. As I said above, select manufacturers offer labor coverage as a default clause in their warranties. This is by no means the norm, however. Your lighting specialist should be familiar with those who do and don't. Even if this type of coverage is not in writing, however, there's always the chance that a manufacturer will extend labor coverage if your project meets certain criteria.
This is also uncommon, but I've seen a handful of exceptions made by certain manufacturers throughout my career. Your best bet for both extended coverage and special labor coverage in a warranty is to look at third party offerings.
First, let's deal with extension. This is something Regency is able to offer through third-party warranty providers.
This is also something we offer at Regency, given certain conditions. Find the location nearest you. Start typing and press Enter to search. In fact, the primary frustration I hear from my customers is related to this very topic. Here's the thing: there's a big difference between warranties and performance claims.
So what does a standard LED warranty look like?
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