life span
What is the life span of an LED bulb or light fixture?
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One of the biggest advantages of LED light fixtures, is their extended lifespan. While incandescent light bulbs were built to last around 1,000 hours, the most enduring LED light fixtures have been tested to last as long as 100,000 hours. On average LED light bulbs will not have to be changed for at least 20 years. That's 20 years that you don't have to worry about changing a light, and 20 years where maintenance workers at your facility can work on other tasks. LED is an investment that saves time and money! Some lamps have been shown to last even longer in ideal environments.
There are times where an LED fixture will not last as long as advertised, and that is due to several factors. Like any light source, LEDs can break down and wear out over time, and inhospitable conditions make them wear out faster.
Assuming 10-hour usage per day, and a best-in-class 100,000 hour LED lamp
Heat
One of the greatest enemies of any mechanical object is heat. While incandescent bulbs have filaments that became more maleable, and in some ways stronger as they heated up, LED bulbs are actually very susceptible to heat. The heat from LED lights does not radiate, but sits at the source, and has the potential to bake the circuits that make the LED work. That's why properly built heatsinks are an important factor in LED lamps. If the heatsink does not distribute heat well, and instead draws heat towards the bulb, the LED will not last, and could die in as little as one year. This is a known fault, and every manufacturer Inline purchases from, tests extensively to minimize any malfunctions from heatsinks. Some commercial and industrial bulbs go a different way building small fans, similar to computer fans into their LED bulbs, which draws cool air through the lamp when it is turned on.
Another element that can create heat is the environment the bulb is placed in. If the bulbs are transported to a hot humid environment or if they are put into an enclosed area, heat will build up on the bulb and reduce its life expectancy. Special lights are made for work in particularly inhospitable environments, and we recommend vapor tightfixtures for those purposes. Most bulbs we purchase have also been tested and approved for enclosed environments, so that should not affect their life expectancy.
Capacitor
The capacitor used to be the first thing to give out in an LED bulb, but substantial improvements have been made over the past 10 years. Most LED bulbs should last at least as long as the estimated lifespan printed on the LED box. When LED's age, they do not usually fail catastrophically, instead they very slowly produce less light. Manufacturers have determined that the point at which the dimming becomes noticeable is at around 70% of the original lumens. That's why many bulbs receive an L70 rating. When a bulb says that it will last for 25,000 hours of use, what it means is that after 25,000 hours in use, the lamp will only be producing 70% of its original light.
