Dawn to Dusk Exterior Lights - LED?

[LSU]

I've used many types of dawn to dusk outside lights. Mercury vapor, Halgon, spot lights, etc. recently tried the compact fluorescent ones.

Can't say I'm happy with any of them. After about a year I'm changing bulbs, ballasts, etc. nothing seems to last.

I've bought big box stuff and high dollar speciality electrical dealer stuff.

I'm thinking with the breakthrough with LEDs on the market there has to be something out there for me.

I'm looking for a sealed unit that can be wall mounted around around my house and garage. I don't want to be able to do surgery under the lights, just want to eliminate some shadows.

If not LEDs the what?

I'm open to suggestions. I want something pleasing to the eye.

Thanks.

 

[where2]

My neighbor has a couple he picked up at Costco for about $65 each. They have motion sensors and are brighter than any 3 LED bulb I've ever played with. I find the initial cost unjustifiable at the moment.

 

[LSU]

Thanks.

. I want straight dawn to dusk. No motion detectors.

 

[darkk]

While I haven't used any outdoor type LED lighting, I have used some interior type LED bulbs. I have to say I really like how well they work. I dabble (a lot) with LEDS and electronics and have always been a fan of saving money on electricity. LED is the way to go,they will take more banging around (no filament to break) water proof, instant on, bright and saves money,blah blah blah. The initial cost is what turns many people off but thats slowly changing.

 

[matt151617]

I haven't seen many that plug in, they're mostly solar power. Probably part of the problem is a converter (120v AC to 12v DC) is rather expensive when jammed into the light unit itself.

I did notice Lowes has lots of landscape lights (12v). LED replacement bulbs for them are easy to find on eBay and other sites.

I've been trying to find a LED flag light, dawn to dusk. Currently I use a halogen spot light, but the bulbs run about $8/each, and cost about 50 cents a day in electricity to run during the summer nights and 75 cents a day during the winter nights. Something that runs off of only 5 watts instead of 75 would make a big difference.

 

[shoot summ]

I have several outdoor LED lights and am very happy with them.

Check out RAB Lighting, I like the wall packs, you can get them in different light colors so you don't have the stark white light that is typical of LED.

http://www.rabweb.com/productLines.php?majorGroup=LPACK

I use the 26 watt version.

I put the 18watt floodlight on my Dad's house.

http://www.rabweb.com/productLines.php?majorGroup=LFLOOD

 

[Gary S]

I've used flourescent dusk to dawn lights outside my garage continuously since 2004. With 8 years runtime, about 1/2 of them have had the lamps fail once, and the other half are still working. That means those lamps that haven't failed have around 35,000 hours of runtime on them now. Remember that many LED lamps are only rated at 30,000-40,000 hours, so they likely won't last much longer than flourescent lamps do.

 

[gatchel]

We installed this unit at my buddies garage:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/lighti...head-outdoor-white-led-floodlight-130200.html

It is awesome compared to the old fluorescent that used to be there. We are running security cameras there and this makes a huge difference at night.

 

[jeff000]

I have several outdoor LED lights and am very happy with them.

Check out RAB Lighting, I like the wall packs, you can get them in different light colors so you don't have the stark white light that is typical of LED.

http://www.rabweb.com/productLines.php?majorGroup=LPACK

Exactly what I was going to post.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I've used the RAB wall packs on a couple projects and they seem to work well.

 

[LSU]

Thanks

How bright a wall package do I need?

I'm not trying to light it up like San Quentin, just enough so no one can lurk in shadows?

 

[Stuart in MN]

It depends on how much area you want to light up...I've used the 20 watt RAB wallpack in the link above, they say it's equivalent to a 150 watt metal halide and it seems to put out a lot of light over a door.

 

[where2]

The HD model that gatchel shared the link to is the three headed brother of the one
my neighbor has. One or two of those three LED heads would be plenty bright for most purposes, including the flag light someone wanted. I looked, but didn't see them on the Costco website.

If you look at the Lithonia website, they have 2 and 3 headed dusk to dawn versions without the motion sensor my neighbors light has.

 

[Ragged Earl]

You're going to need a VERY bright light to make any difference from Dawn to Dusk.

Now, if you were trying to light things up from Dusk to Dawn I'd try something suggested above.

 

[LSU]

You're going to need a VERY bright light to make any difference from Dawn to Dusk.

Now, if you were trying to light things up from Dusk to Dawn I'd try something suggested above.

You're right about that.

 

[LSU]

If you look at the Lithonia website, they have 2 and 3 headed dusk to dawn versions without the motion sensor my neighbors light has.

I looked at Lithonia website and these units appear to be what I'm looking for.

Lithonia a good brand?

 

[jeff000]

I looked at Lithonia website and these units appear to be what I'm looking for.

Lithonia a good brand?

Yes they are a good brand.

I just installed a few of these yesterday
http://www.rabweb.com/productLine.php?productLine=LPACK5

Installed them 9'6" high and 10' apart, for keeping an alley behind a store lit. I was surprised at how well they did. And they look great on the brick.

 

[wanted01]

I put RAB led fixtures on my shop.

I have three 26w led fixtures by my overhead doors mounted at 12' on an 84' wall. I have a very nice even flood of light over the entire front of the parking pad in front of my bay doors. I was able to put all three of the fixtures on one light switch totaling 78w power. Each fixture is rated to put out equivalent to a 175w metal halide, so they would all need to be switched individually.

I also mounted a 39w flood mounted to a remote motion sensor. Incredible light for a rural setting.

These fixtures are very well build, and rugged with great warranty. They are all available with photo sensors built in for dusk to dawn applications. I paid about $280 each cdn. Put up a quality metal halide fixture, and one bulb replacement and you are money ahead, let alone the cost savings on power.

 

[wanted01]

I should also mention that another benefit of led over metal halide is that they are instant on at full brilliance. No warm up. Great for motion sensors!

 

[LSU]

Just a brief update -

I'd pretty much made up my mind that I was going to get 2 or 3 head
Lithonia LED light fixtures with the dusk to dawn photo electric cell.

I was going to buy 6 units (not cheap).

Yesterday I went to two different electrical supply houses to buy these units.

Both of these large supply companies I've deal with before. The counter guy (and girl in one case) - both told me that the stores do not stock LED type security lights for a couple of reasons:

1. They cost too much;
2. They're really not all that reliable;
3. Why would I get an LED over a CFL?;
4. They'd be happy to order them for me but only the maker would warranty them and I could not bring them back to the supply house (never has happened to me before);

Keep in mind that I can (and maybe will) order these units on line and save on sales taxes and the per unit price will be less.

I've dealt with both of these compaines before and I was sort of stunned by the answers.

I'm a pretty much "shop at home" sort of guy.

I usually don't order stuff over the Internet because I believe in the "support the local folks" (mostly so they'll be here when I need them).But if neither of these supply houses (and I'm talking huge supply houses) carry maintain these items in stock I'm wondering what's up with this.

The attitude of both of these places was "well, we can get them for you if you really want them but . . . . "

I'm wondering if the development of the LED is going to do to electric lightbulb makers what digitial photography did to Kodak?

I found a guy who actually had the two bulb Lithonia unit installed and I went out and looked at it. It looked very sturdy and sound to me. He's had them for a while and has had no problems.

Yesterday was a strange day because I was trying to buy about $700+ worth of lights and fixtures and got turned off by the whole experience.

Anyone have any comments on my experiences?

 

[rlev11]

I just used the cheap old standard Par38 halogen outdoor fixtures(no motion or photocell type) and bought par38 outdoor rated led floodlights to screw into them. the bulbs were like $20 each at amazon. for dusk to dawn operation, I bought a replacement light switch that you program in your latitude and longitude and it automatically sets sun-down and sun-up and turns the lights on and off accordingly. I think the 2 led bulbs I am using are around 20w combined so they use very little electricity and my experience would say they are just a touch dimmer than the 52w combined with the cfl floodlights I was using and the 120w combined halogens I was using before that.
I like having the lights as the standard screw type so if one does burn out, I can put in an old halogen or something until I get a new led bulb.

 

[where2]

Anyone have any comments on my experiences?

I get that sort of thing a lot. My wife and I do our homework before we make a purchase. We usually end up picking things on the higher end of the price range with more benefits than "average", or come up with a methodology that is more difficult up front but results in a better finished product in the end.

My dock has tongue and groove white PVC decking, and is a floating dock on a tidal water body. My floating dock cost thousands more than my neighbor's fixed pile dock, but I can step out of my boat onto my dock at low tide. My neighbor would need a 7' ladder to climb up to his dock.

My roof is Decra metal tile, held down by hundreds of screws, rated for 50 years. My neighbor has Owens Corning Achitectural Shingles rated 25-30 years at best in the hurricane alley we live in.

My A/C unit is a 14 SEER, installed in August 1998. In my driveway are two VW TDI diesels, I get 38MPG driving around town in stop-n-go traffic in my little station wagon, although diesel is slightly more expensive than gas. My highway fuel economy is insane!

Quite some time ago, I gave up fighting with retailers who tried to steer me toward the "average" product. If you want to special order what I want great. If I don't like it I know where eBay is to sell it. If you really want me to use an online retailer, I will, but I will try to shop local first, as you have done.

 

[Gary S]

Yesterday I went to two different electrical supply houses to buy these units.

Both of these large supply companies I've deal with before. The counter guy (and girl in one case) - both told me that the stores do not stock LED type security lights for a couple of reasons:

1. They cost too much;
2. They're really not all that reliable;
3. Why would I get an LED over a CFL?;
4. They'd be happy to order them for me but only the maker would warranty them and I could not bring them back to the supply house (never has happened to me before);



Anyone have any comments on my experiences?

It might be good to listen to them. LED isn't ready for real world use yet. Give it another 10-20 years to grow up.
Today's LEDs consume basically the same watts/lumen as today's flourescent lighting. The life of the current crop of LEDs is marginally longer than the flourescents. Flourescent lighting has decades of development while LED is in its infancy. As I stated in my post above, some of my flourescent lights are at 35,000 hours on the bulbs. And, in my climate, they are working at temperatures of +110 to -45.

Cost difference is outrageous. You will pay 10-40 times more for LED, and you won't get better performance.


http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/01/led-vs-cfl-which-light-bulb-is-more-efficient/

 

[LSU]

Gary S.,

Thanks for comments.

What's your opinion of CFLs?

 

[Gary S]

Gary S.,

Thanks for comments.

What's your opinion of CFLs?

I won't use them in my garage because they aren't designed to handle the large temp changes. I use CFLs throughout my entire house and like them..................except for the candlabra base ones used in the new ceiling fans. I bought one ceiling fan too late (after the guvviment screwed us by forcing the use of the small base lamps) The lamps in that configuration fail regularly for me. They are no better than incandescent bulbs. All my other fans in the house have the standard base as well as all my light fixtures and lamps. I have had no failures in the larger base in the past 9 years.
For me, the candlabra base lamps have been **** and the standard size base lamps have been wonderful.
In my garage, I use 4' fixtures with T8 lamps because they light at low temperatures.

 

[haugy]

It might be good to listen to them. LED isn't ready for real world use yet. Give it another 10-20 years to grow up.
Today's LEDs consume basically the same watts/lumen as today's flourescent lighting. The life of the current crop of LEDs is marginally longer than the flourescents. Flourescent lighting has decades of development while LED is in its infancy. As I stated in my post above, some of my flourescent lights are at 35,000 hours on the bulbs. And, in my climate, they are working at temperatures of +110 to -45.

Cost difference is outrageous. You will pay 10-40 times more for LED, and you won't get better performance.


http://cleantechnica.com/2011/09/01/led-vs-cfl-which-light-bulb-is-more-efficient/

As a manufacturer of LED systems that are protecting all of you daily, I'll disagree with some of that post.

There is a difference in performance, lumen output and reliability. From the CFL's I've tested to the LEDs, I'll run LEDs all day long over the CFLs. I have a few high output CFLs in my house, and I can't wait till they go out as they are a pain in the ****.

The cost is still quite high for the main reason of new development, and it's advantages over most lighting options make it the new "fad" of improved lighting. Just like Plasma TV's, they started out high, and now they are much lower than initially sold at.

I use LED's on all my toys. Rock lights, underwater lights, etc, and trust me, they can take a beating. They can take the abuse and are versatile.

I would never trust a CFL to protect my house with security. Not too mention I wouldn't want to leave one on for that long. There were many that we tested that got insanely hot for long periods of time.

 

[LSU]

As a manufacturer of LED systems that are protecting all of you daily, I'll disagree with some of that post.

I would never trust a CFL to protect my house with security. Not too mention I wouldn't want to leave one on for that long. There were many that we tested that got insanely hot for long periods of time.

Haugy, I'm still in the dark because I've not bought ant LEDs yet.

What do you recommend to answer my initial problem?

Thanks.

 

[mx842]

I've used flourescent dusk to dawn lights outside my garage continuously since 2004. With 8 years runtime, about 1/2 of them have had the lamps fail once, and the other half are still working. That means those lamps that haven't failed have around 35,000 hours of runtime on them now. Remember that many LED lamps are only rated at 30,000-40,000 hours, so they likely won't last much longer than flourescent lamps do.

I have a couple of those also. Mine are like these here at....

http://www.bing.com/shopping/lithon...ts&lpq=Dusk to Dawn Exterior Lights&FORM=HURE

They have been on my house for 5 or 6 years and still going. Plenty of nice white light they light up the whole back yard.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Best "bang for the buck" is fluorescent. They last long and are much cheaper than LED.

Don't let other scare you off scare you off CFL or T8 because of temperature. They work fine down to 0 degrees F (have not tested below that). Yes, flood/spot CFL take almost a minute to get to full brightness at that temperature. Above 40, it is almost instantaneous.

Some day LED will be the answer, just not today IMO, unless you have a huge number of lights and servicing them is a major issue (think traffic signals).

 

[cafyrman]

How does everyone define performance? One huge bonus for me is that LED lights don't attract bugs. That's a huge performance gain.

 

[wanted01]

I agree, also, having instant on and instant brilliance is important too. Led's have come a long way in the past year. The 13w led from RAB are incredible, especially when you have two or three in one fixture. No comparison to an LED array, as the arrays don't have the same range or intensity at a distance.

 

[csp]

Don't let other scare you off scare you off CFL or T8 because of temperature. They work fine down to 0 degrees F (have not tested below that). Yes, flood/spot CFL take almost a minute to
get to full brightness at that temperature. Above 40, it is almost instantaneous..

Exactly. The coach lights on my garage have CFLs in them and have been there for five years now, which is how long the garage has been there. I believe that we used 40W incandescent equivalent bulbs. They aren't dusk to dawn fixtures, but the lights are on dusk to dawn. I use a standard photocell mounted in a regular electrical box on the exterior of the garage to switch them on and off. We see temps well below zero in January and February and the lights always come on. Sure it takes a couple of minutes for them to warm up at below zero, but it's still dusk when that's happening.

 

[Cougfan]

This was a good thread. I know LED's have come a long ways over the last year. I am looking to buy an area light and am considering LEDs. Does anyone have any recent experience that they can share to help?

 

[wolframore]

Try Costco for the LED flood bulbs. I'm very happy with mine. Clear bright light. I just leave it on at night when I go to lock up.