Outdoor lighting

[Wakey]

I’ve got four 500 W halogen fixtures outside my home. I’m not interested in motion detecting, in fact they are never on unless I turn them on to let the dog out or run the grill, etc.

The bulbs don’t seem to last very long considering how little they are used.

I thought I might change them all out to LED fixtures and after poking around for a couple hours on Amazon, it looks like the fixtures don’t last long at all. So basically I’m in the same boat, but instead of replacing a bulb, I will be replacing the entire unit.

Are there any 500 W halogen bulbs made in America or in general that last more than a year or two?

Also, I’m very careful changing the bulbs, not putting my fingers on the glass and I clean the contact points very well.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've been very disappointed in LED bulbs. I like the light they put out, and I hope they use as little energy as they claim, but their life span seems to be significantly less then advertised!!!

I've changed all my outdoor lights to those with the LED built into the fixture. So far, in the last 5 years of so that I've been doing this, I don't have a single failure.

 

[Wakey]

I've changed all my outdoor lights to those with the LED built into the fixture. So far, in the last 5 years of so that I've been doing this, I don't have a single failure.

That is what I was researching, new housings with LEDs in them.

Well that’s better than the life of the halogen bulbs I’ve been using. Did you buy them locally or online?

 

[EarPlug]

I have had great luck with these.

Lighting Ever 2 Pack 100W Outdoor LED Flood Lights, 5000K Super Bright for Yard, Garden, Driveway, Pool, Parking Area, Playground, Outside Floodlight Fixture

Lepro 2 Pack 100W Outdoor LED Flood Light 8600lm Super Bright Outside Floodlight Fixture, Waterproof 5000K Daylight White Commercial Security Lighting for Yard, Garden, Driveway, Pool, Parking Area, Playground

www.lepro.com

 

[ultrarunner]

4 years ago I changed out 4 250W outdoor dawn to dusk at work with Home Depot LED wall pack.

They have more than paid for themselves no issues yet…

 

[grsthegreat]

There is no way to make 500 watt halogen lamp last more than a couple of years. Ive replaced so many of them….i cant even think of a high enough number.

go with the leds, but replace complete fixture.

 

[Ken45101]

So often we tend to buy cheap and with Chinese stuff quality control suffers. IOW, you get what you pay for...

That said, we have had good experience with 20w motion control lights from Amazon. I use them inside and outside the barns. And some bigger dawn to dusk outdoor lights from Rural King.

 

[ultrarunner]

All the walks around the hospital used 100W Mercury Vapor… last a longtime but not cheap.

I re-wired the heavy cast aluminum fixtures for straight CREE 60W Edison Base bulbs… have yet to change one and a simple solutions which saves money everyday…

 

[2manyrocks]

I've had these installed for the last 9 months and was pretty surprised by their motion sensitivity and light output. The nice thing about being solar powered is not being limited by having to have 110v power where I want them. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083FKXK3N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[grsthegreat]

All the walks around the hospital used 100W Mercury Vapor… last a longtime but not cheap.

I required the heavy cast aluminum fixtures for straight CREE 60W Edison Base bulbs… have yet to change one and a simple solutions which saves money everyday…

Im surprised they havnt been swapped out to LED Yet. Nearly every building here has been swapping out over the years. I just did a building for the state of idaho and Avista utilities paid the entire bill. Lower energy use saves the utilities from expanding generation facifities.

 

[ultrarunner]

We were approved for a no cost swap with PGE… and then the program was frozen due to PGE financial woes… same for my residential HVAC contractor signing up efficiency upgrades.

PGE has done this several times in the last 25 years and the rebates did not have any disclaimers back in the day…

 

[ponytug]

I have swapped out all my outdoor halogen lights for CFLs(originally) and LEDs. I have had good luck with the Home Depot motion control versions (high output), and the panel style LEDS. I use screw together wire nuts for the LED wires, as they ship with such small gauge wire. For me, CFLs outdoors are suboptimal; slow warm up to full output, poor cold weather performance.

LEDMO 50W LED Flood Lights, Waterproof IP65, Warm White, 3000K, 4500lm, 250W Halogen Equivalent, Security Lights, Floodlight - - Amazon.com

LEDMO 50W LED Flood Lights, Waterproof IP65, Warm White, 3000K, 4500lm, 250W Halogen Equivalent, Security Lights, Floodlight - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

All the best,

Peter

 

[newbury]

I've been very disappointed in LED bulbs. I like the light they put out, and I hope they use as little energy as they claim, but their life span seems to be significantly less then advertised!!!

I've changed all my outdoor lights to those with the LED built into the fixture. So far, in the last 5 years of so that I've been doing this, I don't have a single failure.

Could you provide a brand or a link?
I've 4 "security" pole lights, rented from the power company. I think they are 100 watt High Pressure Sodium. The power company replaces them about every 3 or 4 years. They are mounted high on telephone poles and require a bucket truck to access. I tried explaining to my wife that if I got a bucket truck I could save $25 a month on light fees.
I've bought several $50 Tendelux "Ir illuminator lights" all burned out at end of 2 year warranty.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a couple LED Floodlights from the electrical section at Home Depot where all the grey plastic junction boxes are sold. Odd, but that's where they keep them. Really good, I'll buy more of them. I can't find a link on the Home Depot website, so hopefully they still sell them.

I have both of these lights from Amazon and they have been great too!!! The smaller one is on the side of my shed and the back of my house so I can see in the puppy yard. The big streetlights are on my driveway. I have four of them and will buy at least two more sometime in the future. They are twice what my sodium halide lights where with clearer light. I could read a book under them at midnight!!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TYCV2DC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D9GF8LC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Gem99ultra]

I really like LED lights, for both the brighter light and lack of drawing in bugs. On the other hand, they never last those 5,000 hours advertised. Sometimes it's more like 500 hours.
And the motion detection features begin to go haywire with cold weather. Sometimes they'll come on for no reason, and rarely stay on for the length of time shown on their calibration setting.
All-in-all though, they are definitely better than halogen and regular incandescent.

 

[Wakey]

I purchased these for just over $50 each. I wanted something comparable to a 500w halogen. They will arrive Friday.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

https://www.amazon.com/iMaihom-Waterproof-Floodlight-Adjustable-Playground/dp/B092D2ZYJC

 

[RoyJackson]

I'm no expert on lighting and maybe this is an "old wife's tale", but constantly turning LEDs on and off reduces their life span.
We have two (three bulb) LED outdoor dusk to dawn fixtures...one by the garage, the other out back. Both have been operation dusk to dawn for at least 4 years...so far, no problems

 

[Wakey]

The lights showed up yesterday and I put up 2 of them. They are very bright! I’ll get the other 2 up today before football starts.

I’m going to install 2 smart switches to control them, looking into that now.

My cameras arrive today

 

[bdhsfz6]

I swapped out all 12 of my outdoor incandescent flood lights with these:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019D4HYLQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I used the existing fixtures and they throw twice the light. I was concerned about the low price but it's been 5 years now with no issues.

 

[techman]

I replaced my 300w and 500w halogen floods with LEDs. The LEDs are from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WK16J75/
A couple are 2-3 years old, no issues. The 50 w unit is brighter than the 500w halogen they replaced. I replaced the 300w halogens with 30w ones.

paul