LED Lighting

Sep 16, 2010

LED Lighting

LEDs have some remarkable properties when compared to other types of lighting:

• Very low power consumption - typically 26-70 lm/W.
• Very long lifespan. 30,000 hours - 80,000 hours is quite normal. This makes them virtually maintenance free or 'fit & forget'. Ideal for inaccessible lights like masthead navigation and signal lamps.
• Shock and vibration resistant - no filaments to break.
• Low heat output - increases the life of small lamp enclosures.
• Easy to seal - high levels of water resistance can be achieved.

LEDs are best suited to: navigation lighting and replacement navigation bulbs, courtesy lighting and step lights, chart lights, small interior lights and berth lights, lighting subject to high vibration or shock loads. LEDs are generally not as suitable for illuminating large deck or saloon areas.

Important note: LEDs vary greatly in quality and output, we take care to source the best. It is difficult to make an efficiency comparison between LEDs and some other types of lighting. The light from an LED is usually concentrated in a narrow area of about 20-25°. So it is pretty meaningless to compare the output of an LED light directly with, say the output from a fluorescent light. Beware of claims which directly compare lm/W (lumens per watt) output for LEDs with outputs for other types of lighting.