Recommend an energy efficient outdoor sensor light

Peig Sayers

We've had some burglaries on our tce lately and we don't have a sensor light over our patio door (they're breaking in from the back lane). I'd like an energy efficient one but strong enough to light up the back yard. I don't mind spending if it's good quality.

Any recommendations?

thesteve

I stuck one of these up recently for that reason;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESP-GuardCam-Security-Camera-System/dp/B002YWZXX6/ref=pd_sim_diy_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=18B71S7NB3877QZNC9FC

but it looks like they have a LED version out now that's lower power;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GuardCam-LED-Combined-Security-Camera-System/dp/B007J4AFG4

Peig Sayers

thesteve wrote: »

I stuck one of these up recently for that reason;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESP-GuardCam-Security-Camera-System/dp/B002YWZXX6/ref=pd_sim_diy_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=18B71S7NB3877QZNC9FC

but it looks like they have a LED version out now that's lower power;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GuardCam-LED-Combined-Security-Camera-System/dp/B007J4AFG4

Thanks. Hasn't got great reviews and I don't really need a camera one. What about this one? I can get it cheaper on the German site.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0049OB7VY/ref=asc_df_B0049OB7VY18845344/?tag=shopzil_ret294-21&ascsubtag=14001675876042807224210020400008005&creative=22114&creativeASIN=B0049OB7VY&linkCode=df0

fred funk }{

A properly installed sensor light shouldn't come on unnecessarily and doesn't be on for very long if calculated over a set period of time.

I would recommend a 300 watt halogen, plenty of light and cheaper than the 500 watt to run.

In my experience, the LED's don't match up to the halogens and they're pricey too and it will take a very long time to get your money back from the initial outlay.

NIMAN

thesteve wrote: »

I stuck one of these up recently for that reason;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/ESP-GuardCam-Security-Camera-System/dp/B002YWZXX6/ref=pd_sim_diy_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=18B71S7NB3877QZNC9FC

but it looks like they have a LED version out now that's lower power;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/GuardCam-LED-Combined-Security-Camera-System/dp/B007J4AFG4

How have you found it?

I actually own one but haven't got round to getting it installed yet?

Have you checked the quality of the images it captures? Good, average or poor?

KoolKid

Moved to Electrical.
Probably better suited to here.

Peig Sayers

fred funk }{ wrote: »

A properly installed sensor light shouldn't come on unnecessarily and doesn't be on for very long if calculated over a set period of time.

I would recommend a 300 watt halogen, plenty of light and cheaper than the 500 watt to run.

In my experience, the LED's don't match up to the halogens and they're pricey too and it will take a very long time to get your money back from the initial outlay.

Any recommendation for a 300w halogen?

Sir Arthur Daley

Peig Sayers wrote: »

Any recommendation for a 300w halogen?

Steinel do an led sensor light, I have fitted alot of these.

http://www.arrowelectricals.co.uk/fire-security-and-safety-c67/security-lights-c70/steinel-xled-home-1-pir-sensor-14w-led-outdoor-security-flood-light-in-white-p2597

Dont get cought up on the price that is on that website, they are just over the €100 mark here and you will see a return on the price of it with the low running costs.

2011

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

Steinel do an led sensor light, I have fitted alot of these.

http://www.arrowelectricals.co.uk/fire-security-and-safety-c67/security-lights-c70/steinel-xled-home-1-pir-sensor-14w-led-outdoor-security-flood-light-in-white-p2597

I fitted a very similar (but not identical) Stinel light to my own home.
They are excellent, well worth €100ish.

Apart from the low energy consumption they never rust (100% plastic), fantastic light output & quality, 3 year warranty, high quality reliable PIR and they look great.

2011

fred funk }{ wrote: »

In my experience, the LED's don't match up to the halogens and they're pricey too and it will take a very long time to get your money back from the initial outlay.

I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but not anymore.
LED technology has improved and electricity prices have increased.

In addition halogen lamps are more more prone to failure so I would argue that an LED light such as the Stinel unit above is better from a security perspective.

KoolKid

I have 2 30w LED lamps for may back garden.
Much better IMO haven't needed to go near them once. Light is also move evenly spread compared to 500w halogen.
We are doing loads upgrading these lamps.

2011

KoolKid wrote: »

I have 2 30w LED lams for may back garden.
Much better IMO haven't needed to go near them once. Light is also move evenly spread compared to 500w halogen.
We are doing loads upgrading these lamps.

They look more professional too.

In my own case I have increased the on time due to the low running cost.

thesteve

NIMAN wrote: »

How have you found it?

Quality is average but I knew it would be based on it's specs. The field of view is also pretty narrow for mounting it like above the patio door. It's designed to be up higher I believe.

Peig Sayers

Thanks for the advice. Went ahead and ordered from Amazon.de

Peppa Cig

fred funk }{ wrote: »

A properly installed sensor light shouldn't come on unnecessarily and doesn't be on for very long if calculated over a set period of time.

I would recommend a 300 watt halogen, plenty of light and cheaper than the 500 watt to run.

In my experience, the LED's don't match up to the halogens and they're pricey too and it will take a very long time to get your money back from the initial outlay.

I have a few 300w around but even cats activate sensor. Can sensitivity be adjusted? Paying to provide light for cats!

fred funk }{

2011 wrote: »

I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but not anymore.
LED technology has improved and electricity prices have increased.

In addition halogen lamps are more more prone to failure so I would argue that an LED light such as the Stinel unit above is better from a security perspective.

TBH, I haven't seen any of the very latest LED floods but any of the ones I have seen haven't come close to the quality of light from halogens.

I only use the Philips 300w bulbs and very very rarely do they blow and when calculated they actually use very little power.

2011

fred funk }{ wrote: »

TBH, I haven't seen any of the very latest LED floods but any of the ones I have seen haven't come close to the quality of light from halogens.

Check out the Stinels, you will not be disappointed.

I only use the Philips 300w bulbs and very very rarely do they blow and when calculated they actually use very little power.

Obviously they use 300 watts of power

With an luminous efficacy of about 19 lm/W compared to LED lamps that can have a luminous efficacy of up to 260–300 lm/W.
See link.

I will not pretend to know the luminous efficacy of my 14W LED Stinel sensor light, but at a guess it provides at least as much light as a 200W halogen light and the colour rendering/light quality is just as good (if not better). So for the same light output as a 200W halogen it is over 14 times more efficient.

fred funk }{

2011 wrote: »

Check out the Stinels, you will not be disappointed.



Obviously they use 300 watts of power

With an luminous efficacy of about 19 lm/W compared to LED lamps that can have a luminous efficacy of up to 260–300 lm/W.
See link.

I will not pretend to know the luminous efficacy of my 14W LED Stinel sensor light, but at a guess it provides at least as much light as a 200W halogen light and the colour rendering/light quality is just as good (if not better). So for the same light output as a 200W halogen it is over 14 times more efficient.

Must check them out, they look the part.

As you know, a sensor light is on for a very short time and costs very little to run even at 300w.

If the light is on for one hour per week it will cost 45 cent per bimonthly bill. If the timer on the sensor is set to one minute that's sixty activations per week. Quite a lot.

I'm a fan of LED'S and have a lot of them in my house but I'm yet to be impressed by LED floods.

ted1

B and Q sell floods fot 12 euro at 100+ euro the ones above offer a very poor payback period.

How many hours will the light be used per week?

If you spend 110 euro on a 14w one as oppose to 12 euro for a 300w one and use it for 1 hour every day it'll be 5.5 years payback.

If you use it for only 20 minutes a day your up to 15 years payback

Sir Arthur Daley

ted1 wrote: »

B and Q sell floods fot 12 euro at 100+ euro the ones above offer a very poor payback period.

Why does the steinel offer poor pay back?

ted1

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

Why does the steinel offer poor pay back?

Because its 110GBP as oppose to a about 12 euro for a 300w equivalent.

It's being used as a security light and as such will get very little use.
Taking an average price of .18 cents a kwh and a diffetence of 286w the saving is 5.148 cents an hour.
110 GNP= 135 euro- 12= 124
.05148/124= 2408 hours.

So the pay back time is roughly 2408 hours. A security light might see 20 minutes of a use a day. ( realistically far less.)
2408*3/365=19.8 years

Sir Arthur Daley

Have you taken into account you will have to replace the €12 fitting every couple of years and how many tubes will you throw at all the fittings for that 19.8 years?

tomdempsey200

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

Have you taken into account you will have to replace the €12 fitting every couple of years and how many tubes will you throw at all the fittings for that 19.8 years?

you'd be surprised how long some of the halogen sensor fittings and tubes last

Sir Arthur Daley

tomdempsey200 wrote: »

you'd be surprised how long some of the halogen sensor fittings and tubes last

Very true, I often see a halogen tube only last 3 days.

tomdempsey200

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

Very true, I often see a halogen tube only last 3 days.

halogen fittings and bulbs can last years ,but may not

the LED will, but keep your receipt in case it's an expensive dud

Sir Arthur Daley

tomdempsey200 wrote: »

fittings and bulbs can last years but may not

They dont though, ur post contradicts itselfs.

tomdempsey200

Sir Arthur Daley wrote: »

They dont though, ur post contradicts itselfs.

some do

2011

ted1 wrote: »

B and Q sell floods fot 12 euro at 100+ euro the ones above offer a very poor payback period.

How many hours will the light be used per week?

If you spend 110 euro on a 14w one as oppose to 12 euro for a 300w one and use it for 1 hour every day it'll be 5.5 years payback.

If you use it for only 20 minutes a day your up to 15 years payback

It is not all about payback.
There is more to it than that:

1) Let's be honest, the Stinel lights look far more aesthetically pleasing than the €12 light. This this is important in terms of the image & reputation of the installer.
2) I simply would not trust a sensor light that is this cheap. I would expect it to be very low quality and troublesome. In all likelihood this type of light will result in callbacks and will result in an amateurish appearance to both the installation as well as the installer.
3) The Stinel has a 3 year warranty.
4) The Stinel will never rust unlike all of the cheap sensor lights I have seen.
5) Due to low running cost of an LED fitting most people would increase the on time, generally making it far more useful / convenient.

In a nutshell you get what you pay for. In terms of payback calculations it would be better comparing it to a €60-70 quality halogen light fitting.
Few professionals will install a €12 sensor light fittings.

Stoner

On a few jobs I've seen the LED floods that are stocked in most wholesalers in Ireland starting to fail now. The ones that are 10 Watt then 30 , 50 and 70 Watt.

Initially they work well, they are good with CCTV too, but they are not lasting. Like everything else with LEDs they are nailing the output at the expense of lamplife.

there are some out there with a decent heat sink though. For a decent LED flood you have to pay for it, if they don't last then there is no payback IMHO.

I'd have to agree with not liking the 12 euro fittings (yet I have three on my house) At lease the ones the wholesalers sell have a decent connector block in them.

the first halogen fitting i was involved in installing a long long time ago is one of the open front units where the lamp is exposed to the elements. It was installed 25 years ago and connected to its own sensor that is remote to the fitting. The lamp has never been changed. That must be some sort of record, but it shows you how much excess heat can kill the life of a lamp too I guess.

cerastes

how do the cfl outdoor sensor lights fare compared to halogens? any problems with lights switching on and off regularly on bulb life? I replaced a lightfitting with a newer type but want to get one with a sensor or add a sensor so it activates if someone approaches the door/garden and turns itself off when it gets bright.