Testing LED lights isn’t just some corporate box-ticking exercise. It’s a crucial step in making sure those energy-saving bulbs actually live up to their claims and keep you safe.
See, LEDs might sip electricity compared to old-fashioned incandescents, but it takes serious scrutiny to guarantee they’ll deliver as promised. Take shortcuts on testing, and you could end up with flickering office overheads, dim hospital hallways or household lighting that conks out unexpectedly. Not exactly what you paid for.
But do it right, and LEDs will shine reliably for years. Comprehensive testing gives you the confidence that your lighting will perform exactly as intended, come what may. No surprises, no disruptions, no compromises on safety. That’s peace of mind no facility can afford to be without.
The Necessity of LED Testing in Everyday Life
LED testing extends beyond commercial and industrial facilities into daily residential life. Within homes, proper LED performance testing prevents fire risks and injuries. It also confirms lighting operates at optimal efficiency to minimise energy costs.
By validating attributes like voltage, luminance, and thermal output, LED testing averts electrical faults that could spark dangerous home fires. It ensures lighting intended for wet areas like bathrooms has sufficient water ingress protection. Testing also identifies any components prone to overheating that could pose burn hazards to homeowners.
Additionally, testing verifies LED luminaires and lamps achieve projected lifetimes of 50,000 hours, which equals to 15 years if you use the light bulb 10 hours a day. It guarantees lighting maintains adequate brightness and colour properties over time. Proper testing reduces the hassle and expense of premature LED failures.
For all homeowners, LED testing provides the security of knowing lighting meets safety certifications and quality benchmarks. It instils confidence in an LED system’s ability to operate reliably for decades with minimal maintenance.
LED Testing: Beyond the Basics
While LED testing checks basic functionality, its scope extends deeper for commercial, industrial, and speciality applications. Facilities like hospitals, schools, and warehouses require rigorous LED testing to meet complex illumination, safety, and compliance needs.
Thorough testing audits all LED system components, from drivers to emitters. It verifies suitability for harsh conditions involving wide temperature fluctuations, moisture, dust, and chemical exposure. Speciality tests tailor evaluations to a space’s explicit purpose, such as colour rendition for art galleries or UV output for water purification.
LED testing also validates adherence to required safety and performance standards. For example, LED products must satisfy UL standards for light source safety. In medical settings, LEDs undergo Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing to prevent disruptions to sensitive diagnostic equipment.
By neglecting comprehensive testing, facilities jeopardise lighting quality, legal compliance, and, most critically, human well-being. However, appropriate LED testing eliminates doubts and mitigates risks for seamless lighting performance.
LED Testing Standards: A Benchmark for Quality
LED testing in the UK follows published standards that establish consistency and excellence across the lighting industry. These criteria allow objective evaluations of LED product safety, lifespan, and performance capabilities.
Standards set by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) provide LED testing methods and requirements. BS EN 13032-1 outlines photometry measurements, while BS EN 60598 specifies general luminaire safety standards.
IEC 62722 covers LED luminaire performance testing. IEC 62717 sets requirements for LED luminaire thermal management. Following these stringent UK and international standards ensures LED products meet safety and quality benchmarks.
The Lighting Industry Association (LIA) also provides best practice guides for LED testing and integration. Compliance with LIA guidelines demonstrates a commitment to excellence in design, performance, and service. Adherence to rigorous UK testing standards eliminates doubts and drives continuous improvements in LED lighting.
Implementing LED Testing in Your Maintenance Routine
To maximise LED lighting investments, integrate testing into regular maintenance schedules. Tailor testing frequency to your environment and application. Warehouse facilities may test annually, while hospitals test more frequently to protect patient safety.
Schedule visual inspections to check for damage, dirt buildup, moisture ingress, and colour shifts. Conduct photometry testing to verify output and uniformity. Thermography scans identify hot spots that could impact LED lifespan.
Keep detailed logs of testing dates, procedures, results, and maintenance performed. Refer to logs when evaluating LED condition and planning replacements. Retain lamps from batch testing to quickly replace failures.
Quality testing depends on proper instruments, experienced technicians, and reporting. Work with qualified testing partners who follow approved methods and provide detailed results. Ensure they can customise evaluations to your specific needs.
With strategic testing and maintenance, LED systems will fulfil their extraordinary lifetime potential while operating safely. Consistent testing provides essential data to preempt failures and optimise lighting performance.
The Economic Argument for Regular LED Testing
Though an added expense, LED testing offers significant long-term savings that outweigh the investment. Preventing outages and maximising efficiency reduces operation and maintenance costs.
Comprehensive LED testing pinpoints flaws that could trigger premature failures. Identifying and replacing defective drivers and connectors preempts disruptive mid-life outages. Testing confirms LEDs operate at optimal luminance levels, averting overdriving that shortens lifespan.
By providing critical performance data, testing enables proactive maintenance and strategic parts replacement. This minimises expenses from emergency servicing, downtime, and unplanned lamp replacement. Testing also ensures lighting remains energy efficient, lowering energy bills.
Over decades of use, these savings offset LED testing costs several times over. When weighed against the value testing provides regular evaluations are a smart budget allocation. They protect against far greater financial risks incurred from unsafe or underperforming lighting.
Choosing the Right LED Testing Service: Why Hexo Electrical Testing Stands Out
With LED testing critical for safety and performance, selecting the right partner is vital. When choosing a testing service, prioritise expertise, customisation, and a proven performance record.
Hexo Electrical Testing provides premier LED testing services tailored to unique client requirements. Our engineering team possesses extensive lighting knowledge, having worked with top manufacturers and facilities. Hexo uses industry-leading testing equipment to evaluate parameters from inrush current to colour rendition.
As a trusted lighting advisor, Hexo manages the entire testing process from assessments to reporting. Our experience across diverse industries enables customised testing so LED systems excel in specific conditions. We are accredited by organisations like NICEIC and CHAS that validate our commitment to safety, quality, and service.
With a mission to enable intelligent lighting choices, Hexo Electrical Testing delivers LED education, support, and testing built on long-standing industry leadership. Contact us today to create a strategic testing plan for your facility.
Take the Next Step With Hexo Electrical Testing
Be proactive about your LED lighting by partnering with Hexo Electrical Testing, your local testing experts in London, Greater London, and the South East. We make it easy to implement customised testing tailored to your specific requirements.
Our engineers provide consultations from initial site evaluations through designing strategic maintenance schedules optimised for your facility. We identify risks and determine ideal testing intervals to maximise your ROI.
With technicians across London, Greater London, and the South East, Hexo serves clients while maintaining a local focus. We work with commercial, industrial, retail, healthcare, and other sectors. Our team is trained and experienced in bespoke LED testing following UK standards.
Hexo owns advanced photometric, electrical, mechanical and environmental testing equipment to evaluate all LED system components. We provide detailed reporting on performance indicators based on standards like BS EN 13032-1 and BS EN 60598.
Contact Hexo Electrical Testing online or call 0207 315 4151 to discuss your needs or request a quote. From hazard testing to lifecycle verification, our local experts deliver compliant LED testing services to optimise lighting quality, efficiency and reliability. Invest now in revealing crucial insights through rigorous evaluations.
FAQs
What is the importance of LED testing?
LED testing verifies critical safety and performance attributes. It ensures lighting operates reliably at the right brightness and efficiency. Testing also validates compliance with industry standards.
What test is needed for LED light?
LED tests check parameters like luminous flux, colour rendering, beam angle, ingress protection, temperature, and lifetime. Different tests target specific LED properties to ensure lighting suits its intended application.
What is the need to perform a lighting performance test?
Performance testing confirms that lighting meets intended specifications for metrics like luminance, colour quality, distribution, and lifetime. It ensures optimal efficiency, visual comfort, and safety.
What is LED and why is it important?
LED stands for light-emitting diode. LEDs are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electrical current is passed through. LED lighting offers benefits like energy efficiency, long life, durability, and design flexibility.
How do you know if LED lights are bad?
Signs of bad LEDs include flickering, dimming, colour shifts, burning smells, excess heat, and failures to illuminate fully. Any issues should prompt immediate inspection and replacement.
What happens when LED lights stop working?
When LEDs stop working, it is typically due to electronic driver failure or degradation of light-emitting diodes. LED lifespan depends on temperature, current, and manufacturing quality. Testing helps predict and prevent premature failures.