The boating community has made a big impression with LEDs. They are loved by boaters of all sizes and makes for their high output and efficient operation. Most boaters know the main benefits of installing LEDs instead of old incandescent light bulbs. However, this knowledge is often not well-rounded and many of the advantages that make LEDs so great are often overlooked. Here are my top five reasons to upgrade your boat’s lighting to LEDs. You may be familiar with some of these, while others may not. Some may require more work than you originally thought. Let’s take a look at them and learn what LEDs can do for your boat.
1. Efficiency.
This is the biggest reason boaters are switching to LED lighting. Boaters know that managing power consumption can be difficult with onboard lighting. A pair of high-power halogen spreaders, which can drain batteries quickly, can cause a panic in skippers. LEDs remove the need to worry about power consumption so skippers can enjoy their onboard lighting in the way they were intended. Skippers can reduce their power consumption by up to half with an LED boat light. This compares to a halogen’s 17 lumens/watt. Your boat will now consume only 8 amps, where it used to draw 32 amps when all lights were on. This efficiency is impossible with incandescent bulbs and allows a skipper to enjoy his onboard lighting without worrying.
2. 2. Longevity
For a sailboater, there are few things more frustrating than climbing a mast to change an anchor or headlight. Even worse is the situation for larger boats that have very high masts and incandescent lamps that can fail or burn out several times per year. These lights will only need to be replaced once every five to ten years. This is the type of durability LEDs offer boaters. Switching to LEDs can bring great benefits for luxury yacht owners and power boaters. LEDs last up to 10 years so you will not have to spend money on new bulbs and also need less maintenance. You won’t have to worry about bulbs going out in the most unfortunate times. They are more expensive initially but the LEDs’ high efficiency and long-lasting nature will pay off in a few years. From then on, it is pure savings and you can enjoy modern, hassle-free lighting.
3. High Durability.
Boaters have a lot of complaints, particularly powerboaters, long-range cruisers and commercial fishers. Their incandescent lighting tends to fail under harsh conditions. The fragile incandescent bulbs are unable to withstand heavy seas, driving rain and the pounding of plowing through waves. The bulb’s thin wire filament will eventually break down under constant vibrations and banging. LEDs, on the other side, are an entirely different animal and can withstand such conditions. Solid state lighting is also known as LEDs. This basically means that the LED behaves more like a transistor rather than a lightbulb. LEDs are not a glass bulb. They do not contain any internal gases or vacuum. And, most importantly, they have no fragile wire filament that can break or burn out. A marine-grade LED light is able to withstand harsh conditions without a problem. It can also be installed in a high quality housing with high quality hardware and will continue running without a flicker.
4. 4. Versatility
Most people picture LED boat lights as a fixture that looks like our existing incandescent fixtures. Many people forget that LEDs are actually solid state electronics, which are extremely small in size. They produce a lot light, despite being small in size. They can fit into many different types of fixtures and housings, giving boaters more lighting options. For example, LEDs can be made into strips. These can be taped or glued to place under cabinets, gunwales and along stair edges. This allows boaters to create a beautiful and effective illumination without having any fixtures visible. These strips can be used as wall washers in hallways or closets. They can also be used as spreaders and spotlights. They are available in color-changing configurations and can be integrated into appliances and furniture. You can also get them in traditional designs. They will replace existing cabin lights by simply changing a bulb. Let’s take a look at what an incandescent lightbulb can do.
5. Money Savings
You did indeed read that correctly. LEDs can save you money, that’s what we said. You might not believe it when you first see the cost of an LED spreader light, but you will be able to save money in the end. Consider a 50-watt halogen spreader light. Depending on the quality, these lights will run between $50.00 and $100.00 per hour. It will also need to be refilled with new bulbs every 500-1,000 hours, depending on the quality and cost, at $5.00 per pop. If it is operating in harsh conditions, this may not happen as often. A $120.00 LED spreader light that produces the same amount of light will draw 12-14 watts at 1.5 Amps per hour and won’t need to be replaced for approximately 50,000 hours. To match the LEDs’ longevity, you will need to use less fuel to recharge your batteries. Add in replacement lenses and housing seals and the halogen spreader bulb’s wear and tear, and you will see that it is no longer a valuable investment.
If you are in need of LED lights for your boat please visit nove sea.