LED is one of the most advanced lighting technologies to emerge in the last century. LED has an advantage and better performance than halogen lamps. One of the main features of LED is the long life of the bulbs.
How long do LED light bulbs last? LED lightbulbs have a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. This is about 10 times longer than most other types of bulbs on the market today. However, there are a few factors that affect the lifespan of the LED light like how much electrical load it has on it, heat stress, etc.
Keep reading this article to find out more.
Things That Can Affect The Lifespan of LED Light
There are several factors that can cause the life expectancy of the LED luminaire to be too short.
1. The LED Light Material Defects Can Cause It To Deteriorate
A diode that is made in LED (light-emitting diode) and a combination of different materials is the one that emits light when current passes through these materials the electrons in the component emit photons of light.
If the materials used to make it are of poor quality or have a defect, the heat and electronics will not flow, as usual, eventually causing a drop in LED performance.
The material defect that can cause the deterioration can be easily avoided by buying a high-quality lamp and avoiding buying a fake product that may have a material defect.
As a buyer, you should do your research before buying to be able to distinguish counterfeits from genuine products. To maximize the life expectancy of your LED light, make sure your LED components are based on a specification of your light.
2. Electrical Load
Operating the LED luminaire at a higher current than required may shorten the life of the LED luminaire.
If the LED luminaire receives more current than it should, it will stop working, which is called electrical overload. This stress can be caused by human error, such as repairing a car battery that has a higher voltage than is needed.
A problem with the power supply or mistakes in the installation of your LED light can also cause an electrical overload.
Another reason for an electrical overload can occur during the manufacturing or handling of the components of the LED light fixture, which can sometimes cause a static discharge during the assembly of the product.
Sometimes, if the component is not well fixed, the LED luminaire cannot control the electricity.
Electrical overloads can be controlled by using circuits in the thermal and electrical parts of a LED system. This helps to regulate the energy that is fed into the LED bulb.
3. The Ambient Temperature Of The LED Bulb Can Shorten Its Life
A high ambient temperature or temperature fluctuations can shorten the life of the LED light. One of the properties of LED light is much cooler than the descending light, for example, halogen bulbs produce more heat than LED light.
So, if it’s too hot, the LED light cannot control the heat and its life can slowly decrease.
4. The Heat Stress
The heat stress can be caused by LED components such as reflectors. One of the main purposes of LED lighting components is to regulate heat.
If these components fail to regulate the heat within a LED fixture, the heat will increase and can reduce the life of your LED fixture
How To Control Heat Stress
When installing the LED light, always consider the size of your fixtures and make sure the reflector dish can allow heat to escape.
Also, check if the LEDs are enclosed and have an effective heat sink with gas that can allow the heat to escape. Please note that the LED light with a well-designed heat sink can fight against a shortened lifespan.
5. LED Light With Chip Fitted
LED light has three types of chips as a chip on broad (COP), chip-scale package (SCP), and surface-mounted device (SMD), so when LED bulbs chips fitted will shorten the life.
Chip on broad has the lowest cost but also has a medium level of light output, for which its lifetime will not be the same as other chips, and cannot focus enough, which makes the product low-end and dissipation range are low, causing the temperature to increase, since the output of this is very low, then it’s lifespan also will be down.
The chip-scale package has a medium cost with medium power like a chip on a wide area and has a similar pattern to a halogen bulb because heat dissipation consumes too much power.
Also, for the surface mounted device one of its disadvantages is it has the highest compared to the other two mentioned above, but also produces heat at the highest lumen output since the light source is huge.
It is very possible to shorten the life of LED lights because sometimes the heat cannot be controlled, which could cause heat stress also electrical overstress.
It is advisable to use an LED light fixtures with constant current chips fitted to counteract the shortening of life.
6. The Complexity Of The LED Light Fixture
LED lights have a complicated system with many wires, so if they are damaged or scratched, it is easy to cause a shot or conduct heat, which can cause the temperature to rise or the bulb to burn out. It is advisable to do regular inspection and maintenance to check for any default.
Factors That Can Maximize The Life Expectancy Of LED Light
The quality of the LED light fixture is the main factor contributing to the longer life of the LED light fixture compared to other fixtures.
Although we have other factors than when put into consideration can maximize the lifespan of LED Light, to find out read on.
1. Components Of The LED Light
The component is very important when you consider your LED light. Make sure that you buy a component that is compatible with your LED light.
Another important point is the quality of the components, choose high-quality components and avoid buying low-quality and fake products that can easily damage your LED light.
Choose the appropriate components such as reflectors and power supplies with suitable voltage and appropriate power supply.
2. Operating Environment Of The LED Light
Make sure the operating environment of the LED light has good ventilation to allow the LED light to cool down. AS the LED luminaire does not handle heat well, avoid installing the LED luminaire near a heat source.
Although the LED fixture has a cooling component inside, it will be difficult to cool it down in a warm environment. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid any heat source when installing the LED fixture.
3. Turn Off The Light When It Is Not Needed.
Make sure that you turn off the light when it is not needed. Leaving the lights on unnecessarily will result in high energy consumption, which will increase the cost and shorten the lifespan.
It is advisable to use a sensor or automatic technology that turns on the light through a sensor when it is needed and turns it off when it is not.
4. Regular Checking Of Your LED Power Source
You must note that using a wattage or voltage that is not appropriate for your light can damage the circuit within a short period of time.
For example, if your fixture generates 60 watts and you choose to install a LED fixture with 12 watts, the fixture will be overloaded and damaged.
5. Check To See If Your LED Light Fixture Meets Your Needs
Depending on your needs, you may need to use a specific light bulb. For instance, some of the LED bulbs are designed for frequent switching cycles while others are designed for extended use.
So, make sure that the LED light you use meets your requirements to avoid overheating or overuse.
6. Using The Same Lighting Technology For The Same Luminaire
We are aware that halogen lamps generate a greater amount of heat when producing light than LED. Therefore, LED lamps should not be used near these light sources to avoid overheating.
It is better to continue using the same lighting technology, or if you need to switch, make sure you switch everything to LED.
7. LED Lights Are Very Sensitive To Heat
Any intense heat or cold can abruptly shorten the life of your LED light. The ambient temperature should not fluctuate to make your LED light last longer.
Final Thoughts
So, can we say that the LED light can achieve its stated lifespan? Maybe yes, maybe no. On average, we can say that the LED light will last about half of the stated lifespan, but 50% will last much longer.
Many manufacturers always offer a warranty for products that fall short of the standards. As consumers, we can always do our best to consider the above factors that can maximize the life of the LED light fixture.
FAQ’s
Can LED Light Last More Than 10 years?
When buying a LED light, it is often printed that LED has a life span of 5 years or 10 years, some even say 20 years, looking at these numbers, they look very promising to the buyer. A customer can do his own calculations and find out the truth. Most of the time, the expected life of the light depends on daily use.
Calculate The Lifespan Of LED Light
How can you calculate the lifespan of LED light? It is very easy to calculate the lifespan of LED lights. For example, if you turn on the light for an average of 10 hours per day, it means that it will be on for 3,650 hours per year for 365 days. So, if the LED light has an expected life of 50,000 hours, it will last 13.7 years.
Can The Luminosity Of LED Decrease?
Yes, it can decrease over time. All lights lose light output over their lifetime, and the LED light is no exception. Although the LED light has high light output decay point, which is called L70 over its descendant light. LED light, when reaches its nominal life span, its light output slowly decreases instead of abruptly decreasing and failing like other lights.
