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Horticutral Lighting
Why my LED lights do not work after a short time installation or even a long time usage? Have you ever got the same questions?
Most LED lights fail because of LED chips, no matter LED high bays lights for indoor applications, or LED sport lights for outdoor applications. Some cases with multiple volume fail at same time, some cases with several pieces fail one by one. They normally got LED chips fail with EOS phenomenon, means Electrical Over Stress. Over voltage or current to LED chips or other components and generate over heat to break them down. It’s a very common phenomenon in electricity circuit, and known as electrical surge.
Electrical surge is a sudden spike in electricity net, it happens shortly in a second, but can end up the life of LED lights directly, even though they maybe provided 50,000hrs lifespan. It is usually ignored by people because invisible and silent.
What cause electricity surge?
- Dirty power: caused by electromagnetic interference
- Switch on/off for high power appliances, such as machines in factory.
- Overloaded power for multiple LED lights.
- Bad wiring such as LED lights are not grounded well.
- Lightning, which can kill electronics device like cell phone or LED street light, or sports light.
How to protect LED lights from being broken by electrical surge?
Choose qualified LED lights.
The EMC approved LED lights can reduce influence from dirty power.
Choose professional electricians.
They can test dirty power and know how to protect your LED lights from surges.
Do not overload your circuits.
Don’t install too many volume LED lights to same circuits. Even though you may mount circuit breakers, which can help cut the power when overloaded, but the sudden spike that trips the breaker may already damage your LED lights.
Use surge protectors.
There are surge risk in every circuits. So install surge protectors in all the electronics circuits of LED lights is necessary, such as driver, LED chips, and also gearbox. For most LED lights in the market, there is built-in surge protection in driver, so choose the one as higher as possible. Some LED light manufacturers also mount individual surge protector before LED driver, to offer double protection, especially for outdoor lighting which need mounting in high poles, such as LED sports light or street lights. Besides, rich-experienced electricians also mount surge protectors in gearbox before cabling to LED lights. Basically, the nearer mount the surge protector to LED lights, the better to protect LED lights, as lightning and its caused electromagnetic field induction may happen any where and generate electrical surge.
Replace surge protectors regularly.
Surge protectors have limit lifespan. A strong surge may end up life of the protectors that you are clear it’s ready to replace, in this situation, multiples LED lights may fail at a time after a strong surge. However, a lots of small surges will wear down surge protectors and they may not protect your LED parking lot lights or LED wall pack lights when you need it, so you may see that several piece fail one after one. Definitely, it’s essential to replace surge protectors regularly, normally it is suggested to replace every 2 years.
Remember, even though some LED lights are offered 5 years warranty, you won’t take advantage of the long life if you don’t protect your LED lights from electricity surge.
