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New 1156 and 1157 LED bulb quickly replaces existing bulbs and reduces labor costs
THE NEW WAY TO LOOK AT LED LIGHTING FOR YOUR
SCHOOL BUS FLEET WRITTEN BY BRANDEN SMELTZER
hile LED lighting technology continues to replace older traditional fleet lighting, the upfront costs are still a leading factor to the pupil transpor- tation industry as budgets continue to shrink. In the decision-making process, the main factors that en- courage district fleets to upgrade to LED technology are both safety and efficiency. On the efficiency side, front end costs are typically offset by the longevity of LED lamps, which reduces costs by eliminating reoccurring purchases of incandescent bulbs in addi- tion to the labor costs and vehicle downtime associat- ed with the related service work.
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Last month, a new product line of serviceable LED lights was introduced to the marketplace by UltraLED, a division of Heavy Duty Bus Parts, Inc., as a low cost alternative to upgrading fleets with the benefits of LED lighting technology. A common modus operandi to help reduce downtime related to out of service lamps is stock- ing a variety of necessary incandescent bulbs for the appropriate lights. The new product line
utilizes the common base/ socket as the incandescent bulbs and combines with LED technology, which results in an instant LED conversion during routine service. The concept is the same as UltraLED’s answer to the stop arm bulb, which upgrades that unit to rapid flash LED technology with the change of a bulb. The new additions to the serviceable line combines a single unit LED to a variety of common bases/ sockets to upgrade taillights, turn signals, daytime running lights (DRL) and clearance lights. Utilizing the existing base and lens reduces labor and the replacement cost to upgrade the entire lamp. Sealed unit LED lamps still have their place in fleet operations, and will remain prevalent with new units coming off the line. However, adding efficiency to fleet vehicles in the aftermarket is the focus of the replace- ment LED bulbs. While sealed LED lamps may come with a higher cost and a more time consuming replace- ment, lamps that require multiple LEDs to economically achieve the required photometry, such as 8-way over- heads, will also remain popular for both new units and aftermarket upgrades.
It remains important when making a decision between replacement LED bulbs and sealed LED lamps to evalu- ate many considerations. Some factors to consider when deciding to replace your fleets lighting with sealed LED lamps or upgrade with LED bulbs:
Evaluate Your Budget
If your budget is tight, the decision to use LED bulbs will save time and money and can be implemented over time by stocking the LED bulbs and replacing during “out of service” or routine maintenance, until all vehicles are upgraded.
Weather Conditions
If you’re located in an area that often experiences ex- treme conditions such as snow and ice, chemicals used on the roadway can lead to premature aging and corrosion. In this case, the sealed unit may benefit as they tend to use both a polycarbonate base and lens, which is resistant to such corrosion.
Evaluate Your Fleet
If your fleet is partially benefiting from new buses that were ordered with LED lights and you’re pleased with the results, consider your older buses and the age of the bus to upgrade. The average return on investment is much sooner with LED bulbs vs. sealed units and buses with 4-5 years of service life remaining will benefit by retrofitting them with LED bulbs vs. sealed LEDs.
Contact
Branden@directbus.com | 936-344-9957
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