Floodlights, also known as security lights, provide a more cost-effective way for homeowners to add bright exterior lighting to their homes without compromising their finances in purchasing costly fixtures and numerous bulbs. Strategically positioned floodlights are not only helpful for the homeowners in using their deck, basketball hoop, or swimming pools for longer hours, but they also repel thieves and wild animals from entering your home.

If you’re looking for Outdoor LED Flood Lights for your home, various choices can confuse you easily and distract your mind before moving forward. You’ll be able to pick the right floodlight for your home if you have a good picture of your lighting goals and a detailed understanding of the different products available in the market. Before purchasing floodlights, keep the following things in mind:

Floodlights with LEDs

LED bulbs are the most cost-effective choice for exterior security lighting. LEDs seem a bit more expensive than CFLs and other bulb variants, but the savings on energy bills and their longer lifetime acknowledge that these LEDs provide long-term savings. As compared to fluorescent bulbs, these bulbs consume less energy and have a longer lifetime. It is estimated that they last up to 50,000 hours (46 years) if only used 3 hours a day and kept in good condition. They bright up with no delay and start generating full brightness immediately when the switch is switched on, or the sensor is activated.

The location

There should be three things to keep in mind before determining where to mount these floodlights:

The bulbs should be angled downward at 22-degrees so that they can shine brightly on the goal without blinding anyone.
The lights should not be directed towards the neighbouring house, which can bother the neighbors and compromise their privacy.
The floodlights should be placed at least 9 feet above the ground to keep them out of the reach of anyone, especially from children, because it can possibly be dangerous and harmful for anyone who can touch them.

Motion Detectors

Floodlights equipped with infrared sensors have a 180-degree range of motion, detecting heat waves when someone or something moves within that range. These led lights will remain active for 1 to 10 minutes, depending on the sensor, before turning off automatically. This light is a great safety device that often saves electricity when the homeowner forgets to switch off the lights.

Lights from Dusk to Dawn

If protection is the primary concern, dusk to dawn lights are the best choice. These security floodlights turn on as the sun sets and turn off as the sun rises in the morning. If you plan to use this form of floodlighting, be extra careful and check with the neighbours to ensure that these all-night lights will not cause them any inconvenience.

LED Floodlight with Sensor

These days almost every LED floodlight comes with a built-in option to have a sensor or can wire up an external sensor to the floodlight. A sensor LED floodlight is an excellent choice because it saves energy and allows you to customize the light’s sensitivity and duration.

IP Rank

To stop water and dust from getting into the fitting, look for an IP54 LED flood lights, or ideally, a higher IP rating of 65. Since LED floodlights are built-in and they repair the entire light once they die, make sure to go for a high IP rating.

Lumens Vs. Wattages

It is vital to determine how much area coverage is required because each floodlight can have different specifications from the other one. Most of the LED products are chosen by considering the number of lumens instead of their wattages. LED floodlights can hop wide distances with each wattage, but they’ll effectively do the same thing.

A rough relationship of floodlight Wattages and the distance they can cover is as below

10w LED Floodlight covers a 10 x 10-meter field
30w Lead Floodlight covers a 20 x 20-meter field
50w LED Floodlight covers a 30 x 30-meter field
100w LED Floodlight covers a 50 x 50-meter field
200w + Floodlighting covers a 100 x 100-meter field

Brand

It’s mandatory to buy lighting from some reputable brands. As mentioned in the previous point about the sensitivity of these LED lights, it is recommended to buy something reliable. Floodlights come with a wide range of prices and quality, making them difficult to choose from.

Final Words

Finally, you must consider the flood lights’ aesthetic features. There are a variety of finishes to choose from. Copper, stainless steel, and coloured lacquer on top of aluminium are all common options. Select something good assembles with great features that suit the home’s colour or theme as a general rule.