An outdoor is in serious need of some keen lights that provide better lighting for a well-illuminated space. LED flood lights are supposedly the ideal outdoor lighting fixture that contains appropriate wattage in sufficient lumens. To ensure that the light you are going to opt for will serve its purpose efficiently, you must focus on several aspects such as watt, lumens, color temperature, mount type, etcetera. For instance, looking for flood lights as security lights, you must conclude their illuminating capacity as they are supposed to be bright and efficient to create a sense of reliability in the darkest corner possible. Moving on, here we will discuss some of the important criteria that are essential to evaluate if you are planning to buy an LED flood light.
Definition & traits
Lumens - The unit of the amount of light a bulb emits is known as lumens. The higher unit of lumens you find in a bulb, the brighter light it will emit.
Wattage - Wattage is the power supply capacity of a bulb. Higher wattage will reflect more power. A higher wattage bulb will disperse a brighter light as the lumens capacity increases.
Color temperature - Measured in kelvin, a color temperature indicates the light’s color. The projection of light decides whether the object will be seen in its natural color or if the representation will be dominated by the light’s appearance.
DLC listed - DLC stands for Design Lights Consortium, which promotes efficiency by quality, energy efficiency, and performance.
Photocell - A photocell sensor works as an intelligent feature present in security lights. It detects the level of outdoor light and works accordingly. When it gets dark, the photocell responds and turns on the light. Similarly, the light will automatically turn off when it starts to dawn.
Base - A base of flood light depicts the mounting option. Some lights are mounted on poles and some on the walls. The wall mounting option involves a U bracket that firmly fixes the flood light fixture on the wall or a plain surface.
Lens - The dispersion of light depends on the type of lens used in LED flood lights. Generally, there are two types of lens, i.e., clear and frosted.
Voltage - The power at which light illuminates the highest for a certain point of time is said to be the voltage of a light.
Shorting caps - Shorting caps keep the lights on when power is supplied by a connection between the line and the load of the receptacle.
Motion Sensors - A feature installed in outdoor lights that detects whether there is movement or not to automatically turn on or off the light and is generally used in LED security lights.
Dusk to dawn lights - A dusk to dawn featured lights work depending upon natural sunlight. As the sun rises, the light turns off. Naturally, during sunsets, the light turns on automatically with the help of a photocell.
Evaluating lumens
The more the lumens will be, the brighter the light will perform. It totally depends on the type of LED flood light you prefer for the area and its available wattages.
Low - Led flood lights that range between 1000 to 5000 lumens are considered low-lumen lights that are generally used in smaller outdoors like backyards, lawns, narrow outdoor spaces, etcetera.
Medium - It ranges between 6000 to 10000 Lumens, LED flood lights are supposedly used in medium-sized open spaces like fields, building compounds, alleys, etcetera.
High - Used as security lights, the need for LED flood lights in areas like streets, parks, stadiums, etcetera can be fulfilled via flood light containing high lumens of about 11000 to 40000.
Ultra-high - An LED flood light above 50000 lumens is generally used in more expansive outdoor areas such as airports, parking lots, highways, etcetera.
The table below indicates how many lumens are available in certain wattage LED flood lights.
CCT
3000K (Warm white) - Ideally recommended for indoor lights, a 3000K color temperature denotes a warmer LED light. It appears yellow-white which is supposed to be mild and is apt for indoors to create a cozy environment.
4000K (Neutral white) - For a clear and visible atmosphere in both residential and commercial locations, a light with a 4000K color temperature is preferred. It appears white in color with a hint of yellow, which is apt for ensuring visibility in office and other commercial spaces.
5000K (Cool white) - It appears blue-white that is apt for comprehensive commercial spaces like warehouses, factories, departmental stores, etcetera, as it does not strain your eyes while focusing on objects.
Types of LED flood lights and their type of application
- Parking lot lights - Attached on a flexible pole, LED flood lights are mounted on a pole with or without involving an extruded arm to brighten up the parking premise efficiently.
- Yard lights - Ideally used for wide fields, a yard light is apt for parks, yards, fields, etcetera. These lights are available in a U-bracket munting option that firmly fixes the light on the wall or any flat surface.
- Building perimeter lights - As a medium of security lights, LED flood lights are used in buildings with flexibility in terms of mounting. They can either be mounted on walls or poles.
- Spotlights - Used to focus on certain spots, a spotlight comes with a movable knuckle mounting option.
- Dusk to dawn lights - These types of LED flood lights are available in both pole and U-bracket mounting options as the photocell feature works on the sun’s movement.
Mounting types
Trunnion mount - A trunnion mount is commonly known as a U-bracket mount that helps in placing the lighting fixture on a wall or any other flat surface.
Slip fitter mount - A slip fitter mounting option is commonly found in parking lots on pole light fixtures to illuminate a wide premise.
Knuckle mount - A knuckle mounting option gives you the flexibility of adjusting the angle of light dispersion.
Yoke mount - The yoke mounting option is used to enable a wall light fixture. It helps in fixing the light on the wall.
Extruded arm - Used to fix LED flood lights on poles, these arms provide an extended levitation while mounting the LED flood light on a pole.
F.A.Qs -
Yes, you can find a dimmable feature on some selected flood light fixtures. It is mentioned in the product specification. So, better check it before purchasing if you are looking for dimmable LED flood lights.
LED lights are supposedly ideal in terms of efficiency. They are highly durable and have a long lifespan as they run more than 50,000 hours. Also, they are energy efficient that offer you wattage replacement against traditional fluorescent light bulbs. Moreover, they are an eco-friendly option that doesn’t emit heat during illumination. LED lights are ideal for placing outdoors as they tend to endure severe weather conditions.
LED flood lights are highly efficient lighting fixtures that are used in comprehensive outdoor locations. LED flood lights are used to ensure that the light is evenly dispersed at every angle. They are also known as security lights that provide a bright and illuminated space in streets, alleys, parking premises, etcetera.
