How to Install Outdoor Flood Lights
If you want to make your home or business safer at night, then installing outdoor flood lights is the best way. These powerful lights have wide lenses and can illuminate large areas with minimal power.
They are also available with motion sensors and dusk to dawn sensors. The ideal wattage depends on the size of the area you want to light up.
Types
There are many different types of outdoor flood lights available for panel lighting homeowners, businesses, and sports arenas. These lights range from a couple of hundred watts to thousands of watts and can illuminate huge areas such as football stadiums. They also come with motion sensors to provide security lighting for residential properties.
One of the most popular types of outdoor flood light is a LED one that uses a high-efficiency diode. This type of bulb is bright and produces a full spectrum of colors, so it is ideal for outdoor lighting. Its long life span and low wattage make it an environmentally friendly option, too.
Other types of outdoor flood lights include CFL and halogen bulbs. The latter produce a bluish color and have an average lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. These lights are more expensive than LED floodlights but are still a good choice for those looking to save money.
There are also a variety of floodlights that can be installed as dusk-to-dawn lights. These are often equipped with photocells that turn the lights on automatically at nightfall. These lights are ideal for office buildings, schools, and college campuses where students have to walk in the dark to get to their cars after class. They can also help keep crime rates down, as criminals may be deterred by the brighter light.
Installation
Whether you want to illuminate your home or secure it, flood lights are an essential part of your outdoor lighting system. The installation process is easy, but you should consult a professional before starting the project. This is because working with electricity can be dangerous. Here are some of the key steps:
Before beginning, make sure that the power to your home is turned off at the circuit breaker. This will prevent you from accidentally turning on the lights. Besides, you should also wear gloves and read the manual for your light fixture to learn about safety concerns. After that, strip about a half-inch of insulation from the wires and connect them to their corresponding cables in the junction box using wire connectors. Usually, the wires connected to your floodlight are black and white, but you should also connect the green or copper cable to the ground wire.
After you connect the wires, tuck them away and seal the area where the fixture’s mount meets the wall with silicone caulk to keep moisture outdoor flood lights out of the area. You can also use a mustimeter to test the connection. If there are any problems, you can turn on the breaker again to fix it.
Once the floodlights are mounted, you can adjust their angle to ensure that they cover your entire yard. Then, you can connect the external power supply. If you are unsure about how to do this, consult an electrician or consider alternative power sources such as solar or battery-operated flood lights.
Energy efficiency
Many companies choose LED flood lights for their long lifespan, energy efficiency, and minimal maintenance. They also offer a variety of features, such as adjustable brightness and color temperature. They are a great choice for commercial lighting, especially since they can save you money on your electricity bills and qualify you for tax credits.
Aside from providing illumination, these lights can also be used for decorative purposes. They are ideal for highlighting architectural features on buildings and are available in different colors to create a unique look. They are also a good option for security lighting.
LED flood lights have a high lumen-to-wattage ratio, which means that they produce more light with less power than HID lamps. They also have a lower operating temperature, which reduces the risk of failure and extends the lamp life. Another benefit of LED flood lights is that they are environmentally friendly. They consume fewer resources and are less toxic than traditional bulbs.
The wattage of the LED flood light depends on the size of the area to be illuminated. A larger area will require a higher wattage to provide adequate lighting. A good rule of thumb is to use a wattage equal to or slightly above the maximum wattage for the fixture. This way, you can be sure that the fixtures will not overheat and fail.
Cost
High powered LED flood lights are ideal for businesses looking to light up large areas, such as parking lots. They are also a great choice for home owners looking to improve the safety and security of their homes. These lights use LED bulbs, which are more energy efficient than traditional halogen bulbs. These bulbs are designed to last longer, reducing maintenance costs and downtime. These lights are available in various lumen outputs to suit different needs.
The cost of a high powered LED flood light depends on its wattage. Higher wattages consume more power and produce more heat, while lower wattage models are more energy efficient. You should also consider the size of the area you want to illuminate when choosing a flood light. The larger the area, the more light you will need.
Other factors to consider when buying a flood light include color temperature, brightness level, and dimming and control options. For example, some flood lights have built-in motion sensors and timers that can save you money on electricity bills. Others have a knuckle mount, which allows you to point illumination in specific directions and serve as spotlights.
Another factor to consider when purchasing a flood light is its weather resistance. Look for an option that is resistant to rain, snow, and sleet, as well as dust, dirt, and corrosion. You should also look for an option that dissipates heat effectively to prevent overheating.
