LED Lighting Maintenance » Repair LED Lights

[Marc 10]

LED LIGHTING MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP
When commercial and industrial LED lighting systems were first introduced, some proponents of those systems claimed that they were maintenance-free with lifespan expectations in excess of 50,000 hours. LED systems do have fewer maintenance obligations than the metal halide and high-pressure sodium systems that they are replacing, but even minor maintenance will extend the life of an LED system and improve the economics of an organization’s decision to transition to LED’s. In addition, a handful of companies have crafted LED lights with advanced thermal management that reduces their degradation due to heat buildup, and simpler LED designs that allow for repair and replacement of LED lamps and fixtures with few or no tools.

LED Lighting Maintenance
LED lamps generate light through solid state electronics that are controlled by embedded drivers in the lamps and fixtures themselves. The actual components that generate light are less likely to degrade than the drivers, which can experience performance degradation due to heat buildup and thermal overload. A few of the pioneering manufacturers of LED lighting systems, including SpecGrade LED, have designed patented thermal management systems that more effectively remove heat from the lamps and fixtures. Heat transfer will be improved if the lamps and fixtures are kept free from dust and debris, and occasional cleaning of LED fixtures can lead to longer performance.

LED maintenance costs are typically divided between components and labor. Component costs will generally not vary, but labor costs can increase dramatically if a lighting system is complex and more time is required to access and repair fixtures, or if those repairs need to be done at off times when a facility’s regular operations have subsided. Next-generation LED fixtures and systems incorporate designs that facilitate quicker and easier repairs that can be completed with few or no tools. Modular LED systems also allow repairs and replacements of single fixtures without affecting other fixtures in a lighting array.

As LED control systems become more advanced, manufacturers will likely include features such as remote wireless control and monitoring. A facilities manager can then coordinate and control lighting in several locations from a single wireless internet-connected device. Organizations that are considering an LED retrofit or an installation of an LED system into a new facility should plan for updates and upgrades to those systems that wireless control and other future innovations. Adopting a more flexible LED system now will make upgrades simpler and less expensive in the future.

Organizations can plan for regular periodic maintenance of an LED system, or they can adopt a more reactive program that calls for maintenance as a response to performance issues. If, for example, a facility’s electrical utility costs begin to increase, or employees note that LED illumination is decreasing, the organization can then implement maintenance procedures in response to those observations.

 In all cases, LED maintenance and upkeep obligations add to overhead costs that every organization seeks to control. Those costs are already lower for LED lighting systems, but they can be reduced even further if an organization selects an LED system that includes advanced thermal management systems and that makes repairs and replacements as simple as is possible.

Source: specgradeled