In recent years, a move to LED lights has been seen across a wide number of sports, at all levels of participation from community to elite. In a previous Support Hub article, we explained the differences between LED and metal halide lighting, and now we are expanding on this topic by answering a question we get asked frequently: “How long do LED flood lights last?”.
LED Floodlights from a reputable manufacturer will have a lifespan of approximately 50,000 hours.
The lifespan may however be limited in the product warranty, with a maximum number of burning hours per year stated as one of the warranty terms.
What does this mean in real-life terms though?
In over a decade of installing LED lighting systems, our experience is that the floodlights on a community-use full-size 3G pitch will be used for around 600 hours a year.
With the right maintenance and best practices when it comes to usage, a good quality LED floodlighting system can last for a lifespan of 10-15 years. This could also possibly be extended with a driver change.
When an LED is always run at full power, more heat is generated which will ultimately affect the lifespan of the diode. This can easily be counteracted through the use of a dimming system though.
The use of a dimming control system helps to extend the lifespan of floodlights as the lights can be used at varying levels, depending on the type of activity taking place. This is particularly useful for pitches that are used for both training and fixtures and also for multi-sport playing areas.
Different sports require different light levels and therefore with a dimming system, floodlights can be switched on to a level appropriate to the sport or activity taking place at the time.
For guidance on light levels for your sport, click to take a look at our helpful overviews:
Football Pitch Lighting Requirements
Hockey Pitch Lighting Requirements
Rugby Pitch Lighting Requirements
Another factor that will reduce how long LED lights last is a lack of maintenance.
Maintenance really is the key here.
Proactive maintenance visits allow for the identification and resolution of potential issues before they become bigger problems, which in turn can lead to cost savings over the lifespan of the lighting system.
In particular, cleaning LED lights is important as dirt and other organic matter can cause drainage holes to become blocked. This may in time lead to water leakage which could severely damage components in the fitting.
Maintenance should be carried out on your floodlighting system in line with manufacturer requirements and the terms of the product warranty.
Are LED lights energy efficient?
Over their lifespan, LED lights should not significantly decrease in energy efficiency. Some manufacturers use a calculation to provide an estimate of power loss over time due to depreciation caused by dirt and other external factors.
However, if maintenance and cleaning is carried out in line with manufacturer and contractor recommendations, this issue can be easily limited.
Use of a dimming system will also help with energy efficiency of LED lights as varying the light levels to suit the activity means lights are not always running at full power. This will also translate to savings in energy costs over the lifespan of the LED lighting system.
So how long do LED flood lights last? To summarise, if they are used in line with the burning hours stated in the warranty and if appropriate maintenance is carried out, then it can easily be expected that LED lights will last 10-15 years.
For more information on the LED floodlights supplied and installed by Halliday Lighting, check out our LED floodlights here or contact us with your questions.
