LED Flood lights are the go-to solution for outdoor and indoor large-area lighting. They are energy-efficient, durable, and provide bright illumination, making them perfect for commercial buildings, sports arenas, parking lots, warehouses, and even for residential use.
However, when shopping for these lights, you might be confused as to what you exactly need to know to make a decision. There are several factors to consider to ensure you get the best performance for your specific needs. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to choose LED Flood Light Fixtures.
What Are Flood Lights?
The term "Flood Lights" can be used to mean many things, but generally, they are high-intensity, broad-beamed lights that are used to illuminate large areas. There are a variety of options of flood lights from small ones that are used on the outside of your home or a commercial building, to much larger ones used in large stadiums. The common denominator is that they are all meant to provide an intense beam spread to a large area that needs to be well lit.
LED flood lights, specifically, utilize light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as their light source, making them more energy-efficient, longer-lasting, and eco-friendly compared to traditional halogen or metal halide flood lights.
For this article, we will stick to mainly speaking about medium to larger Flood lights used for commercial applications
Why Choose LED Flood Lights?
There are many options for high intensity lighting when it comes to commercial applications: You have Area or Street Lights that are typically used on poles and LED Wall Packs that are meant to be fixed on building walls.
Flood Lights, however, are unique as they are more versatile fixtures than those types. You can see Flood lights out and about in a variety of use cases, from a construction site to lighting up a billboard or even illuminating a sports field.
The number of use cases that you can use flood lights for is what sets it apart. The idea is to give the lighting professional as many options as he can muster, so he can tailor his/her design to exactly what his/her client needs.
Most flood lights will come with the following:
Multiple Wattage Options
Multiple Mounting Options
Angle Adjustment Options
A variety of Beam Spreads
Compatible Accessories
With all these tools at their disposal, Lighting professionals have all they need to craft a custom tailor lighting solutions for their clients.
What To Look For When Shopping For Flood Lights
When shopping for LED flood lights, it's important to consider details such as beam angle and distribution, brightness level in lumens, wattage options, color temperature range and mounting hardware.
Beam Angle And Distribution (NEMA Beam Configuration)
Choosing the right beam angle and NEMA type for LED flood lights is important to provide optimal illumination. The NEMA classification system categorizes typical beam spreads from narrow to wide on both the horizontal and vertical axis.These beam spreads are numbered from 1 to 7, where 1 is considered "very narrow" and 7 "very wide". The first number is the horizontal spread, while the vertical is the last. For example, a 7X6 flood light has a "very wide" horizontal beam and a "wide" vertical beam spread.
A 2x2 spread would be used only when the area of coverage is minimal in a confined space. In fact, this is what we would call a "Spot Light". All it is, is a narrow version of a flood light.
Brightness: Total Lumens And Efficacy
When shopping for LED Flood Lights, a key factor to consider is the total lumens and efficacy. The lumens of an LED flood light is the amount of light produced by the fixture. One of the reasons LEDs have become so popular is because they produce plenty of lumens without using much electricity. This phenomenon is known as the luminous efficacy.
In general, you’ll want an LED floodlight with increased luminous efficacy, meaning that it creates more efficient energy use. This is displayed as Lumen per watt.
Wattage Options (Field Adjustable)
Wattage options are important to consider when shopping for LED flood lights, especially in commercial settings. Naturally, larger LED Flood lights meant to cover larger areas will require more coverage.
The amount of wattage needed might vary from location to location within the same job. This is why it's important to have fixtures that offer Field Adjustable Wattage options.
Field-adjustable wattage provides increased flexibility, allowing you to adjust the output of the light according to your needs and budget.
This allows you to streamline your commercial lighting purchases. Less time playing a guessing game, just order the number of fixtures you need, and adjust the wattage as needed on the job site.
Color Temperature Options Available Field Adjustable)
Color temperature is a key factor to consider when shopping for commercial lighting. Every commercial application requires a different CCT rating depending on the intended use case.
Essentially, color temperature is a characteristic of the light emitted by a commercial light fixture and is measured in Kelvin (K). It refers to the hue or tone of the light and is used to describe whether the light appears warm or cool.
A low color temperature (e.g., 2700k-3000K) appears warm, similar to the light emitted by your everyday incandescent bulbs, while a high color temperature (e.g., 5000-6500K) appears cool and has a bluish tint, and is often compared to daylight.
Color temperature should not be confused with the Color Rendering Index (CRI) which is a unit that measures how accurate colors appear under the given light source.
LED Flood lights typically have a Color Rendering Index of 80-90 and are typically not something that can be adjusted. Higher quality flood lights typically have higher CRI's.
Mounting Options & Accessories
Another important factor in selecting an LED Flood light is having the right mounting options available for your specific fixture. There are various mounting options available for flood lights and the ones that come with your specific fixture should be listed. Typically, they include the following
- Slip Fitter Mount
- Yoke Mount
- Trunnion Mount
- Knuckle Mount
The mounting options in combination with various mounting brackets is one of the reasons why flood lights are so versatile. Being able to mount the fixture at a certain angle gives the installers plenty of choices, but having that additional flexibility to adjust the fixture itself once mounted sets these fixtures apart from other outdoor lighting fixtures.
Ultimately, they can be pole mounted, wall mounted, and even ground mounted at various angles to meet your specific needs.
Other Important Specs
- IP rating options (IP65 &IP66)
- Voltage options
- Dimmability
To ensure that you select the best flood light for your needs, it is important to understand these additional specs.
IP Rating Options (IP65 &IP66)
When buying LED flood lights for business, one of the most important aspects to consider is the IP rating. An IP rating tells you how well a light can hold up against dust and liquids.
For example, an IP65 light is good at blocking out dirt and mud, making it great for outdoor use, even in places with water around like rivers or ponds. It also handles rain or other moisture pretty nicely.
IP66 rated lights are similar, but they stick up better under powerful jets of water coming from different directions. This makes them a good choice if you need external lighting in bad weather conditions like snow or heavy winds; they're perfect for parking lots with high ceilings, too!
Lastly, there's also the IP67 level which offers great protection against all sorts of elements including dust particles as well sealable joints preventing moisture from getting inside even during extreme weather events.
Voltage Options
Voltage is an important consideration when selecting a flood light. Most flood lights are rated from 120 volts to 277 volts, which covers the standard voltage options available in most commercial and residential applications.
Flood lights that operate at 120 volts are typically used for smaller applications, such as residential landscapes, while those that operate at 277 volts are commonly used in larger commercial or industrial settings. The higher voltage allows the flood lights to be used in larger areas and to produce brighter light output.
For even larger applications, flood lights are available with higher voltage options of up to 480 volts. These higher voltage options are often used in industrial settings, such as warehouses or factories, where large areas need to be illuminated.
It's important to note that the voltage rating of a flood light should match the voltage available in the installation location. Installing a flood light with a voltage rating that does not match the electrical supply can cause damage to the light fixture and create safety hazards.
Dimmability
LED flood lights offer a great deal of flexibility for businesses due to their ability to be used both indoors and outdoors, as well as in situations where you need more light or less.
One important factor that should be taken into consideration when buying these types of lights is dimmability; the ability to reduce the brightness/intensity of light output.
This feature allows users to make adjustments onsite - making it easy to switch between situations that require brighter or lower levels of illumination.
Dimmable LED flood lights are incredibly helpful when it comes to energy savings since they allow users to adjust wattage accordingly depending on how much area needs to be illuminated while still providing enough lumen output needed.
Types Of Flood Lights
No matter if it's for residential or commercial uses - the types of LED Flood Lights available have something to suit everyone. From low wattage flood lights for small spaces, to large wattage ones for larger areas; spotlights and security type versions – there are a plethora of options out there.
Low Wattage Flood Lights (small Commercial & Indoor)
For businesses looking for a cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting solution, low wattage LED flood lights are an ideal choice.
Low wattage flood lights are small flood lights that emit a lower number of lumens compared to standard flood lights. They are designed to be used in smaller areas that require less illumination, such as residential or commercial landscapes, gardens, pathways, or signage.
These flood lights typically come with a knuckle mount, which allows them to be easily installed and adjusted for optimal positioning. The knuckle mount also allows for flexibility in directing the light where it is needed, such as highlighting a specific feature or area.
High Wattage Flood Lights
High wattage flood lights are larger and more powerful lighting fixtures designed to emit a high number of lumens, making them suitable for illuminating large areas or objects at far distances. These lights typically have a lumen output of up to 50,000 lumens and are used in outdoor areas such as sports fields, parking lots, and large commercial properties.
In addition to their practical use for illuminating large areas, high wattage flood lights are also used to create a dramatic effect due to their high intensity brightness. They can be used to highlight architectural features or to enhance the aesthetic appeal of outdoor spaces.
High wattage flood lights usually come with a trunnion mount, which offers more versatility for different use cases. The trunnion mount allows for easy and flexible positioning of the flood light to ensure that the desired area or object is well-lit. This mount also allows for vertical and horizontal adjustment, making it easier to direct the light exactly where it is needed.
Spot Lights And Security Lights For Residential And Entrance
Flood lights are designed to provide safety, security, and visibility around buildings or commercial perimeters. Spot lights and security lights have become widely popular for both residential areas and professionally monitored entrances of private businesses.
Typically installed on a wall close to the entrance, spotlights help in deterring potential intruders from entering through a main door by providing an intense beam which allows for early-stage detection.
