8 Common Mistakes When Upgrading LED Lighting!
Canco Lighting Blog / By Will Xue
In the past, lamps was often viewed as a functional product, with traditional lighting environments providing illumination based on only the parameters of color temperature and brightness. With the rise of a new generation of consumers, lighting applications are no longer limited to their functional purpose, but also emphasize the role of light in space coordination, atmosphere creation, and scene-based functionality.
Have you ever considered upgrading your lighting? Today, Canco will share with you 8 mistakes that many people often make when upgrading LED lighting. Read carefully, I hope it will help you.
1. The light distribution of purchased lamps is inconsistent
This is perhaps the most common problem with upgrades. LED lights and fixtures often have more directional output. For example, if you replace halogen lamps with LED, there will be much less diffused light. This diffused light is actually useful, such as illuminating walls in hotel corridors. Similarly, if you replace fluorescent lamps with LED, one-third of the walls will be in shadow.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problem is to purchase samples first.
2. Purchased lamps are too dim or too bright
If you are considering using LED to replace fluorescent lamps, you cannot just match the light output (measured in lumens or lm). Since LED lights are directional, it is possible to get more light from the LED for the same light output. However, please note that the light output on the data sheet may be exaggerated, and different light distributions can make the room look dimmer.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problem is to purchase from reputable suppliers, check samples on existing fixtures or test samples in a laboratory.
3. Purchased lamps that are too "cold"
Color temperature is the scale that indicates the color of the light source, and the unit is Kelvin (K). Generally, incandescent lamps have a color temperature of 2700K and halogen light have a color temperature of 3200K. If you replace these lamps with LED lights with a color temperature of 5000K, the space will look very cold.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problem is to check the fixtures specifications and purchase samples.
4. Purchased lamps colors look boring
Color rendering index (CRI) is the ability to measure the ability of light to present colors. Generally, you need lamps with a CRI of 80 or 90. One weakness of LED lights is the R9 (red) value, which is not included in the CRI measurement. Make sure that R9 is also above 80, otherwise, the red color will look dull.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problem is to ask the supplier for the CRI value.
5. Lighting that is too harsh
When using LED lighting, it is especially important to pay attention to glare, particularly in office settings. Typically, LED panels transmit all light to the diffusing surface of the fixture, resulting in too much light. A good way to assess glare is through UGR (Unified Glare Rating), with a value of 19 or less being ideal.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problems is to do brightness calculations, calculate UGR, or ask suppliers to provide installation examples based on UGR ratings.
6. Incompatibility between lamps and dimmers
Dimming LED lights on dimmers designed for incandescent or halogen lamps may not work smoothly. In fact, at low levels, flickering tends to appear. This is because incandescent and halogen lights provide a standard resistive load for dimmers, while LED circuits make the load mismatched, and sometimes both sets of electronic equipment want to compete for dominance, resulting in component failure.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problem is to test the dimmer with LED or add a “virtual load,” such as an incandescent lamp.
7.No specific warranty period
Does the supplier offer a warranty? If so, how many years is the warranty? What if the driver or LED chip fails? Review the warranty terms in detail to ensure that you understand the coverage.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problems is to select reputable manufacturers and carefully read the warranty terms.
8. Not checking suppliers
In recent years, there has been a surge of new LED lighting suppliers entering the market, making it essential to verify them before making any purchases. Questions to consider include: How long have they been in the industry? Do they have professional manufacturing equipment? Will they provide installation manuals? etc.
Tips: The best way to avoid this problems is to Google the company’s website to find out more about them.
In conclusion, LED lighting has many benefits, and it is also important to choose the right LED lighting solution by avoiding these common mistakes. If you are looking for a Chinese LED Lighting Fixture Manufacturer, CANCO LIGHTING is an OEM&ODM Manufacturer Specializing in Architectural Lighting, Commercial Lighting and Decorative Lighting for Indoor Applications. Although we are not a big company, but we do much better quality compare to many big companies, one key advantage on lighting is better than most common lighting companies. To learn more about our products, you can click on our website Support, download the relevant product information.
