How Long do LEDs Last?

Be sure to scrutinize when someone tells you that your LEDs are going to last 50,000 hrs. A lot of contractors (and manufacturers) are misleadingly using their L70 rating to tout the lifetimes of their fixtures and lamps. An L70 rating is just an extrapolated number to determine how long it will take for a particular LED to lose 30% of its initial lumen output. Theoretically an LED can last forever under the right circumstances. Unfortunately for us, LEDs are never under those circumstances. Especially in outdoor applications.

The real issue is heat which affects both the LED and the electronics that operate it. The driver in most LED fixtures and lamps will fail much sooner than the quoted L70 number. I will get into testing standards for LEDs in another (probably longer and more boring) post. For now, suffice it to say there are many factors that contribute to the lifetime of LEDs. Just be sure that you are working with someone who is going to be honest about what you are buying and try to remember in most cases, you get what you pay for.

Please feel free to give me a call to discuss landscape lighting in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Fairview, Allen, Richardson, Dallas, and the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area. 214-901-1197