Industrial Lighting 101: Make sure it is a true 65°C fixture
Are you upgrading the LED lighting in your unconditioned facility? Don’t be fooled by the “advertised” ambient temperature rating claiming it is a 65°C fixture. Many manufacturers use potentially deceitful spec sheets to make you think their fixture will withstand those high ambient temperatures. The marketing claims and the fine print in the spec sheets are contradictory. Make sure it is a true 65°C fixture.
When selecting the best fixture for your LED lighting upgrade, you need to verify it is a true 65°C rated fixture. Many times, the fixture’s spec sheet will state on the cover it can handle ambient temperatures up to 65°C or 149°F. But, don’t be fooled by marketing gimmicks. You must read the fine print, which is typically buried at the very end, sometimes not shown at all.
We’ve seen many highly reputable, well-known manufacturers’ spec sheets stating their fixtures are 65°C rated, when in reality, they are not.
In one example, the fine print at the very end of the spec sheet admits the fixture will automatically start to dim itself when it hits 55°C. As temperature raises, the fixture keeps dimming trying to reduce the temperature of the LEDs. Once the ambient temperature reaches 65°C, the light output is reduced by 40%. So, we can say it’s not really a true 65°C rated fixture when almost half of the light is lost at the “rated” temperature. This example is when the fixture is brand new. Now think of what will happen to the light output years down the road.
To this manufacturer’s credit, at least they did publish this information, although buried in the fine print where most people never look. Just imagine the fallout in performance and longevity from the less-reputable players. If it isn’t published, demand to see it before making any purchase decisions.
Flex Lighting Solutions’ Essentials Series, on the other hand, is a true 65°C rated fixture that is uniquely designed for industrial, dirty and/or hot facilities. Our exclusive thermal design allows the fixture a continuous operation under 65°C temperatures without having to dim itself like the other “similar” fixtures.
At 65°C, the Essentials Series LED high bay provides 97% of the light output stated in the spec sheet. That is only 3% lumen loss compared to 40% loss from other fixtures.
In our spec sheets, you will find easily all important information about lumen output over time, lumen output vs. ambient temperature, dimming safety mechanisms and other lumen multipliers to calculate true performance. We want to help you compare and make the right purchase.
