Lighting
Calling time on those LED lighting imposters
Wholesalers must make it their business to check for independent test data, writes Michael MorrisonBSc Hons, MSLL, CEng, MCIBSE – Managing Director of Light Efficient Design UK Ltd.
W
hen LED products fail to perform as advertised, more oſten than not it is wholesalers and
contractors who are most in danger of tarnishing their reputations with customers, even risking further business opportunities. Lack of awareness and ineffective policing of
product test data and certification is at the root of the problem. This has aided and abetted the market being flooded with low cost low quality LED products from the Far East. Many wholesalers are also unwittingly making things worse by offering LED-hungry customers the lowest possible cost ‘solutions’. It has, therefore, become a vicious circle but one which should be broken in order to ensure LED continues to thrive while meeting the high expectations of end users.
www.ewnews.co.uk
Don’t be taken in by the impressive sounding performance claims printed on the often excellent packaging of low cost imports. Although most LED products state 50,000 hours lamp life there are many that don’t get close to this. And even after this milestone is reached those worth their salt should maintain at least 70% of their original light output.
Thermal management Good thermal management of the LEDs and drivers is absolutely essential to reach the 50,000- hour promised lifetime. Some manufacturers have thermal feedback circuits within the lamp to prevent LEDs and drivers running at above their maximum design temperature. High colour temperatures (6000K and more)
are also often advertised on low cost imports as that shows higher lumen outputs.
The output will be very blue and way below the 80 CRI that should be seen as a minimum for internal lighting applications. 4000k is probably the maximum with 3000k preferable for some interiors. It’s therefore absolutely vital to ask for and to
read carefully the test data, and ask for industry recognised certification which assures the product’s reliability, lifetime and quality of light. This is the only way of ensuring the LEDs wholesalers stock or are prepared to supply will actually meet or exceed customer performance expectations.
Reliability tests Testing a LED product and obtaining reliable data is not that difficult. But many wholesalers appear too busy or trusting, or both, to bother; despite numerous products on the market
●Continued over May 2018 electrical wholesaler | 35
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