LED Flood Lights Buying Guide

Unless you're a building manager or contractor, you probably haven't given much thought to LED flood lights. From roadways to footpaths, they light the way with bright pools of illumination. It's easy to take these bright lights for granted ' until you find yourself in a large area in the dark. If you're responsible for the lighting scheme for your business, warehouse or commercial space, outdoor flood lights are one type of lighting that's sure to be on your job list. Essential for safety and security, exterior LED flood lights provide bright, wide-beamed illumination for parking lots, sports arenas and other large areas. Let's explore the many uses for LED flood lighting, the kinds of floodlights you may need for your property, the features to look for and the ways Warehouse-Lighting.com can provide outdoor lighting solutions for your large spaces.

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What Are Outdoor Flood Lights Used For?

Once you become aware of commercial outdoor flood lighting, you may be surprised at the prevalence of its usage. There are many spots that benefit from the use of commercial LED flood lights:

• Building perimeters: Essential for workers and visitors, LED outdoor security light fixtures provide illumination that enables safe foot traffic to move from your building to your parking lot. OSHA has specific guidelines as to which areas must be illuminated.
• Sporting Venues: Commercial flood lights have been essential to ballparks, arenas and other playing fields ever since night games came into existence.
• Residences: Landscapers know that an outdoor flood light can bring a certain ambiance to house frontage and gardens, along with peace of mind ' outdoor security lighting is a well-known deterrent for potential intruders.
• Signs: Businesses can use an outdoor flood light to illuminate their building facade, their business name or their address to help visitors find them.

While primarily used outdoors, LED flood lighting fixtures can also be found indoors. Theaters and arenas use flood lights for many purposes before, during and after a game or performance.

Types of LED Flood Light Fixtures

Maybe you're looking for an outdoor LED security light to provide a safe area around your building or a high-lumen LED flood light to illuminate landscaping. Or, you're simply replacing flood lights that have seen better days. Whatever your needs, you'll find there are a wide variety of flood lights for sale.

Outdoor LED Shoebox & Cobra Head Flood Lights

Ideal for illuminating streets, parking lots and highways, cobra head and LED shoebox lights are powerful and energy-efficient. These bright lights are ideal for replacing less productive halogen and metal halide fixtures. You can increase their efficiency by adding a photocell to the fixture. This allows the light to turn on and off as it senses the presence of ambient light.

Mini LED Flood Lights

The diminutive version of traditional outdoor flood lights, Mini LEDs are small but mighty lighting solutions that can be installed near a building entrance or business sign to light the way. It's a simple means of creating a good impression on would-be visitors. You may decide to wall-mount an LED flood light or mount the fixture on the ground.

LED Stadium Flood Lights

If you're in charge of a sporting venue, you already know the importance of LED stadium lights. These fixtures are available in many different sizes to accommodate the acreage of your stadium or ballpark. Like all outdoor flood lights, stadium LED light fixtures can operate in any weather conditions and are not affected by the temperature. Plus, you'll enjoy energy savings because LED lighting costs less to operate.

LED Landscape Flood Lights

Specially designed to provide long-lasting, efficient landscape lighting, these bright flood lights provide plenty of illumination to any outdoor space. Housed in fixtures that feature durable construction, LED flood light bulbs are a long-lasting lighting solution. As with all LED bulbs, LED landscape flood lights require less time to warm up and supply better visibility. For business or residential applications, LED landscape flood lights are the ideal choice.

LED Colored Flood Lights

These decorative flood lights project a colored beam of light onto a wall, building or other object. You'll find them just about anywhere, from retail shopping centers to industrial parks to recreational facilities. Most colored flood lights are red, blue, amber or green. Versatile mounting options include pole-mounted or wall-mounted flood lights ' or you can mount the fixture on the ground.

What to Look for When Buying an Outdoor Flood Light

There are several factors to consider before you secure your LED flood lights. Scope out the area where your lights will be installed and determine your needs based on answers to the following questions:

• How large an area are you illuminating?
• What are the mounting options ' will they be attached to poles or are you using ground- or wall-mounted outdoor LED flood lights?
• Where is the electrical source?
• How many fixtures will I need?
• Do any existing fixtures need to be converted to LEDs?
• What do I need to know if I'm installing roadway lighting?

When shopping for outdoor flood light fixtures, confirm that the watts/lumens/volts are sufficient for your needs. Also, read product descriptions carefully to ensure the floodlights you're buying are powerful enough to handle the task at hand and durable enough to withstand the elements.

LED Flood Lights: Frequently Asked Questions

Why Are LED Flood Lights Better Than Other Kinds?

With a higher lumen output and lower wattage consumption, LED lamps are much more efficient than older halogen or metal halide fixtures. LED flood light bulbs supply powerful performance with lower energy costs. As a bonus, LED bulbs can last up to three times longer, saving you money on the maintenance costs and manpower required to replace lamps frequently.

What's the Difference Between Spotlights and LED Flood Lighting Fixtures?

A spotlight will focus a narrow beam of area, lighting to a maximum of 45 degrees. Bright flood lights illuminate larger areas with a beam spread that reaches up to 120 degrees.

What Is a Flood Light Coverage Chart?

This chart was developed to help you determine approximately how much light coverage you'll need for your space:

LED Flood Light Coverage:

Watts Lumens Area Size 15 1,663 Doorways or Foot Paths 30 3,720 Doorways or Foot Paths 50 6,180 Driveways or Small Yards 80 10,340 Driveways or Small Yards 100 13,500 Roadways or Parking Lots 150 20,250 Roadways or Parking Lots 230 31,050 Roadways or Parking Lots 300 40,500 Roadways or Parking Lots 400 50,200 Highways or Airports

Warehouse-Lighting.com Has the Best LED Flood Lights for Your Site

For all the commercial LED flood lights you need for the job, rely on Warehouse-Lighting.com. For over 20 years, we've built a solid reputation for providing outstanding lighting products for commercial, business and residential locations. From planning to installation, we partner with contractors, building managers and business owners to find the ideal lighting solutions to meet their needs.

Be sure to check out WareLight', our proprietary brand. It's always a great choice. Manufactured in the US, our WareLight' products are readily available to our customers and crafted with an eye to quality and reliability for a great price.

We'd be glad to help you light up your space. Shop for the best LED flood lights for sale at Warehouse-Lighting.com. Be sure to contact us if there's anything we can do to help!

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Definitions

Lumens ' Lumens measures the total amount of light emitted per unit of time. This unit essentially measures the brightness of the light.

Wattage ' Wattage refers to the amount of power a light projects. Generally speaking, higher wattage lights will project more lumens (brightness). LED flood lights come in a wide range of wattages. This ranges from 15 watts all the way up to 400 watts.

Color Temperature (Kelvin) ' Kevin or color temperature basically corresponds to the color of the light projected which also correlates to heat. LED flood lights generally come in two different measurements: K, and K.

DLC Listed ' DLC stands for Design Light Consortium and certifies that the product can perform under high levels of energy efficiency.

Photocell ' A photocell uses a sensor to detect the level of lighting available outside and turn on if necessary. In other words, once it becomes dark, the light will turn on. Certain LED flood lights are photocell compatible and can serve as 'dusk to dawn lights.'

Base ' The base for a flood light involves the type of mount to attach the fixture. For example, some mounting options such as a Trunnion Mount allows the flood light to cast illumination from side-to-side. Other mounting options such as a Slip Fitter Mount involve mounting the light up on a pole.

Lens ' The type of lens a lighting fixture uses will influence how light is dissipated. Two common types are a clear lens or frosted lens.

Voltage ' Voltage involves the amount of work required per unit of charge to move a test charge between two points. For LED lighting, this is the amount of power a lighting fixture provides a bulb.

Shorting Caps ' The Shorting Cap contains a shorting connection between the line and load of the receptacle keeping the lights on at all times when power is being supplied.

Motion Sensors ' Motion sensors inside outdoor lighting fixtures detect when there's movement close to the light and will automatically turn on. This is an ideal for security lighting purposes.

Dusk to Dawn Lights ' Dusk to dawn lights are any light which automatically turns on once the sun begins to set. Certain LED flood lights can be installed with a photocell and serve as dusk to dawn lights. It's important to check product descriptions and spec sheets to ensure your flood light is photocell compatible if you wish to use this functionality.

Selecting Wattage for LED Flood Lights

Wattage refers to the amount of power a light projects; thus, the amount of watts light bulb has pretty much dictates its brightness. In other words, the higher the wattage, the brighter the light will be. There are a wide range of wattages available for LED flood lights. This ranges from low wattage lights (15-40 watts) all the way up to industrial grade 350+ watt flood lights for major applications such as airports and sports stadium lighting. We'll break this down further below.

Low Wattage (15-40 Watts) ' Flood lights that are considered 'low wattage' operate with bulbs in the range of around 15 to 40 watts. These are ideal to illuminate small areas such as a footpath or door way. These bulbs generally provide ample illumination for residential purposes or very small areas around commercial buildings.

Mid Wattage (40-80 Watts) ' Mid wattage lights operate with bulbs in the range of around 40 to 80 watts. These are ideal to illuminate areas such as a small yard, garden, or driveway with a moderate level of brightness.

High Wattages (100 Watts or more) ' Once you get into triple digit wattage numbers, the bulbs are considered 'high wattage.' These bulbs are necessary for applications such as parking lot lighting, roadways, and other municipal or commercial lighting needs. According to the International DarkSky Association, roadway lighting may have wattages up to 400 watts. These high wattage bulbs are mounted on poles high above the ground.

Ultra High Wattage (400+ Watts) ' 400+ watt flood lights are the highest number of approved wattages. These are typically only appropriate for major municipal or industrial lighting verticals such as airport lighting, highways, large parking lots, or outdoor sports arenas.

What Lumens To Use

Lumens measures the total amount of light projected per unit of time. In other words, the higher the lumens the brighter the light. It's important to note, this number also correlates with wattage; thus, as the amount of watts go up, so does lumens.

Low Lumens (1,600-4,000) ' LED Flood Lights operating between 1,600 and 4,000 lumens are ideal for small outdoor area lighting such as a staircase, walk way, etc. These are very common for residential or small commercial needs.

For more information, please visit LED Flood Light for Outdoor.

Medium Lumens (4,000-10,000) ' 4,000 to 10,000 lumens is a mid range of brightness. This level is ideal for yards, fields, and slightly larger exterior areas around buildings.

High Lumens (10,000 and up) ' High lumens outdoor lights are generally used for municipal areas or larger commercial applications such as parking lots, cities, etc.

Ultra High Lumens (50,000 and up) ' 50,000 or more lumens is typically only ideal for large industrial needs like highways, airports, and large parking lots.

Wattage Lumens 15W 1,663 30W 3,720 50W 6,180 80W 10,340 100W 13,500 150W 20,250 230W 31,050 300W 40,500 400W 50,200

Color Temperature (Kelvin)

5,000K ' K LED flood lights are by far the most common. This color temperature projects a cool white illumination that emulates day time environments. This is very ideal for the illumination and security of outdoor spaces.

4,000K ' 4,000 Kelvin LED bulbs project a natural colored light you commonly find within workspaces.

3,000K ' 3,000 Kelvin is a warm color of LED light used primarily inside restaurants or houses. It's rare to find outdoor flood lights in K as it's not recommended.

Applications And Types

Apart from lumens, wattage, and color temperature, there are a variety of other distinguishing factors for LED flood lights. One other factor is the type of application it's used for which is largely determined by the mounting option.

Spotlights ' These lights can be attached to a flexible mount such as a Knuckle Mount and used to aim illumination at specific points; thus, serving as a spotlight.

Dusk To Dawn Lights ' When equipped with a photocell, flood lights can automatically turn on once the sun sets which makes them an effective security lighting option.

Parking Lot Lights ' LED Flood Lights are an effective way to provide illumination around parking lots as these lights can be attached to poles through mounts such as a Slip Fitter or Extruded Arm.

Building Perimeter Lights ' Flood lights are a great way to provide security around building perimeters. They can be attached to walls with Yoke Mounts and illuminate the area.

Field or Yard Lights ' These lights can also be used to illuminate areas around a landscape, field, or yard. It's ideal to use an adjustable flood light on a base such as a Trunnion Mount for this purpose.

Flood Light Bulbs

Light bulbs for floodlights are sorted by letter and number codes. Common types of LED flood R, BR, PAR, and MR.

BR Bulbs ' These bulbs are best for indoor locations that require broad lighting without excessive brightness such as a kitchen countertop.

PAR Bulbs ' PAR bulbs are designed to project an intense beam of light in one direction like a spot light. This makes PAR bulbs ideal for outdoor lighting applications.

R Bulbs ' These have very niche applications and are typically only used if you're replacing an old R bulb.

MR Bulbs ' MR bulbs essentially have the same applications as R bulbs and are rarely used other than as replacements for MR or R bulbs.

Accessories and Mounting Options

There are a variety of flood light mounting options as well as accessories for various purposes. We'll list a few of the most useful types below.

Extruded Arm ' The extruded arm mount is a L-shaped base which allows you to mount the light up on a fixture and provide illumination to a fixed area. This is the standard form of mounting for flood lights.

Slip Fitter Mount ' The Slip Fitter provides a pole mounting option. In this case, the light is attached to a pole and provides lighting around a broad area. This type of mounting is common for parking lot lighting.

Knuckle Mount ' The knuckle mount is adjustable and allows you to point illumination up or down. This works similarly to a spotlight and is commonly used for billboard lighting.

Yoke Mount ' The Yoke Mount allows you to attach the light to a wall and serve as a wall lighting fixture.

Trunnion Mount ' A Trunnion Mount uses a pivoting point to allow the flood light to cast illumination from side-to-side.

Shorting Cap ' The Shorting Cap contains a shorting connection between the line and load of the receptacle keeping the lights on at all times when power is being supplied.

Photocell ' A photocell uses a sensor to detect the level of lighting available outside and turn on if necessary. In other words, once it becomes dark.

LED Flood Light Brands

In this section we're going to break down a variety of manufacturers and distributors based on our research and knowledge of the market, each of these companies offer good quality products.

Hyperikon ' Hyperikon is a U.S. based distributor of several lighting products including outdoor lighting solutions. The company has their own research and development team to produce cutting-edge products for their customers.

Straits Lighting ' The Straits Lighting Company is a U.S based lighting manufacturer that specializes in producing top quality LED lighting solutions for commercial and industrial applications. Straits manufacturers a brand of LED flood lights called the Broadcast Series. This brand has three variations (FLK, FLL, FLF) each of these variations have different wattage ranges and applications.

LEDsMASTER ' LEDsMaster has a selection of high powered outdoor LED products. The company has their own in-house R&D team and produces lights that have exceptionally long life-spans.

LightPolePLUS ' As the name of the company may suggest, LightPolePLUS produces LED pole lighting fixtures for applications such as parking lots and sports stadiums.

Musco ' Musco produces lights for sports stadiums that are used by several professional leagues as well as little league stadiums. They offer a full line of temporary high mast lights.

ANGAR LIGHTS ' HANGAR LIGHTS is a supplier who specializes in airport lighting solutions. The company has dedicated their brand to this specific niche and even supplies lighting for the U.S military.

Bulbs ' Bulbs is known for producing light bulbs for residential and commercial use. They have an extremely large selection of LED tubes, bulbs, and lights for outdoor fixtures.

SuperBrightLEDs ' SuperBrightLEDs has a huge inventory of products and offers high quality flood lights for trucks and boats.

Larson Electronics ' Larson Electronics is a distributor and manufacturer of lighting products who produces industrial lighting applications. They sell top notch specialized products such as explosion proof flood lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are flood lights dimmable?
Yes, certain flood lights are dimmable; however, this often depends on the brand and wattage. It's important to check product specifications for this feature.

Q. What are the advantages to using LEDs?
One of the main advantages to using LEDs as your source of outdoor illumination is the fact they can save significant costs when compared to traditional lights. A study by Consumer Reports estimated that LEDs can save you on average, at least $100 and as much as $400 per bulb. These savings continue to increase as technology improves. LEDs also aren't susceptible to wear out overtime due to harsh outdoor conditions or continued use and thus require little to no maintenance costs. There are many other advantages as well such as eco-friendliness, reliability, etc..

Q. Where are flood lights used?
Flood lights are a highly flexible type of lighting fixture that can be used for virtually any outdoor lighting application. Common uses for flood lights include: exterior building security, parking lots and lighting for outdoor sports fields such as football or soccer.

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