LED Flood Light Information Center
What Are Flood Lights?
Flood lights are a common type of outdoor lighting fixture that’s used for many applications. The name comes from the fact that the fixture is designed to “flood” the area with illumination. Flood lights are commonly used to provide security around the perimeter of a building; they are also commonly used for parking lot lighting and general outdoor illumination.
These fixtures are often square or rectangular shaped and operate similarly to a spot light in that aim the light where you wish to cast illumination.
There are many variations for this broadly used lighting fixture and it can be fitted with various mounts and accessories depending on your individual lighting needs.
LED Flood Light Applications
Flood lights are one of the most versatile options available for outdoor lighting. These lights have a wide variety of mounting options and can be adjusted to fit virtually any lighting needs. Common uses for these lighting fixtures include:
- Parking lot lighting
- Building perimeter lighting
- Yard and landscape lighting
- Roadway & street lighting
- Flagpole lighting
- Billboard & Signage
- Soccer and football fields
- Outdoor sports arenas
- Construction sites
- Pathways and walkways
Selecting Wattage and Lumens
Choosing the correct wattage and lumens will depend on individual lighting needs. For example, 15 watt lights are ideal for smaller lighting applications such as illuminating a walkway or door while 400 watt lights are necessary for larger industrial sized applications such as highways, airports, or stadiums. We've prepared a chart below to give you an idea of different wattage and lumen levels for LED flood lights and when they're applicable. The chart also has HID wattage equivalents if you're replacing existing fixtures.
Dusk to Dawn Flood Lights
The use of dusk to dawn photocells have been an increasingly popular choice for flood lighting, thanks to the improved energy efficiency these provide. While most existing systems utilize a set timer schedule to turn lighting on and off, this can result in inefficiencies.
This is particularly true over the long term with seasonal time changes, which requires regular adjustments to ensure the lights come on and off at dawn and dusk. With a photocell, this guesswork and continued maintenance is no longer required, saving both time and electricity.
We carry a variety of parking lot lights with integrated photocells as well as individual photocells as an accessory. It’s important to check each product for photocell compatibility.
LED Flood Light Brackets & Adapters
Tenon Adapter for 4 Inch Square Poles - Allows you to mount a standard 2-⅜” slipfitter on top of 4 inch square poles.
Tenon Adapter for 4 Inch Round Poles - Allows you to mount a standard 2-⅜” adjustable slipfitter on top of 4 inch round poles.
Tenon Adapter for 5 Inch Square Poles - Allows you to mount a standard 2-⅜” adjustable slipfitter on top of 5 inch square poles.
Tenon Adapter for 5 Inch Round Poles - Allows you to mount a standard 2-⅜” adjustable slipfitter on top of 5 inch round poles.
Side Tenon for Square Poles - Allows you to mount a standard 2-⅜” adjustable slipfitter on the side of square poles.
Lens and Light Distribution
Type III Beam - The Type III LED light distribution throws light forward and to the sides, producing a filling light flow. This is popular for roadways, general parking areas, and perimeter lighting.
Type IV Beam - Type IV LED light distribution produces a semicircle of forward light, with minimal back lighting. This is typically used for fixtures that are mounted on the sides of buildings and walls illuminating the perimeter of both public and commercial parking areas.
Type V Beam - Type V LED light distribution produces a square umbrella lighting pattern for interior pole locations. It is intended for fixture mounting at or near the center of roadways, center islands of parkway, and intersections. This is a perfect pattern for areas where even light distribution is necessary, such as large commercial and industrial parking lots.
Accessories And Mounting Options
We have a wide variety of accessories and mounting options available for our LED flood lights. This makes our lighting fixtures highly versatile and well equipped to provide high quality illumination for any of your outdoor or security lighting needs.
Knuckle Mount - The knuckle mount is an adjustable mounting option that allows for aimable illumination. A knuckle mounted LED flood light is easily installed in outdoor settings at the ground level and is typically used to provide lighting to signage, trees, or other areas that require upward illumination.
Extruded Arm Mount - The extruded arm mount for flood lights are a standard mounting option that’s L-shaped. This mount allows you to hoist up the lighting fixture and provide targeted lighting to a fixed area.
Slip Fitter Mount - A slip fitter mount is used for pole lighting. In this case, the mounting bracket is used to attach the flood light to a pole and provide illumination over a wide outdoor area. This type of mounting is ideal for parking lot lighting and other applications which require a pole mounted fixture.
Trunnion Mount - A Trunnion Mount uses a pivoting point to allow the flood light to cast illumination from side-to-side. This is a great option if the flood light will need to be tilted or shifted.
Floodlight Photocell - A photocell uses a sensor to detect the level of lighting available outside and turn on if necessary. In other words, once it becomes dark, the light will turn on. Lighting fixtures that use this technology are commonly referred to as “dusk to dawn lights.” We have photocells available for our LED flood lights to enhance security around outdoor areas.
Yoke Mount - The Yoke Mount allows you to attach the flood light to the wall of an outdoor and project illumination to a desired area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Where do you buy LED flood lights?
An LED flood light is a fairly common type of outdoor lighting fixture and is available through various lighting retailers. At Commercial LED Lights, we stock some of the highest quality LED flood lighting fixtures on the market. Most customers find us to be a reliable one-stop-shop for their outdoor and commercial lighting needs.
Q. How long do LED flood lights last?
The lifespan of a lighting fixture depends on several factors such as wattage, lumens, manufacturer, style, etc. With that said, LED flood lights tend to have a long life cycle when compared with metal halide or HID flood lights. In fact, many of the LED flood lights we carry come with a 5 year warranty and are rated for around 50,000 hours. You can check a specific flood light’s product specification sheet for further details.
Q. How do you install outdoor LED flood lights?
For detailed information on how to install specific outdoor LED flood lights, check the individual product’s specification sheet and installation guide. However, generally speaking it is as simple as attaching the lights in their appropriate locations via the chosen mounting bracket or arm, then routing the wiring to a power source. Some mounts will have enclosed wiring options such as slip fitter and knuckle mounts and others will have exposed wiring such as yoke and trunnion mounts.
Q. What is the difference between flood and spot LED lights?
The difference is primarily in the beam pattern these lights produce. Flood lights, as their name implies, flood an area with light thanks to their broad beam angle. Spot lights on the other hand produce a highly focused beam pattern in order to project intense light from as far away as possible. In many cases these two types of lights are used in conjunction with each other in order to provide a complete lighting setup for a specific application.
Q. What wattage is ideal for outdoor led flood lights?
There is no ideal one size fits all wattage for LED flood lights. Instead, the wattage chosen is dependent on the specifics of the application, namely the distance from the light, as well as the size of the area to be illuminated. Lastly, the desired intensity of the light will affect which wattage is chosen.
Q. What are the best outdoor flood lights?
The best option for outdoor flood lighting will depend on your individual lighting needs. For example, if you’re looking for a simple light that mounts on the ground and provides directional illumination toward a desired area, we typically advise to go with a yoke mount LED flood light. These fixtures are mounted on a simple U-shaped bracket and are highly flexible as they can mount on virtually any flat surface. For most lighting applications, you can use a yoke mounted flood light with watts ranging from 80-150 watts; this will be bright enough to provide sufficient illumination to most residential and small commercial applications.
LED Flood Lights v.s. Metal Halide Flood Lights
LEDs offer several advantages over traditional lighting options. For instance, LEDs turn on instantly and don't require time to warm up. LEDs also aren’t susceptible to wear out overtime due to harsh outdoor conditions or continued use and thus require little to no maintenance costs.
LED Flood lights also provide more environmentally friendly lighting, higher energy efficiency, and are generally more easy to install than their metal halide counterparts.
In fact, there was a case study conducted by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) on Lynwood Honda after they upgraded their lighting system from metal halides to LEDs. According to the study,
“He selected new LED luminaires of 239 W and 110 W to replace the existing 1000 W and 400 W metal halide lighting. In addition to the main show lot lighting, the dealership also used some 40W LED wallpacks and two building flood lights of 70W, and two 120W area lights… the owner says the new LED lighting definitely makes the area seem brighter and enhances the appearance of the vehicles on the show lot”
Available Brands
Broadcast Series (Straits Lighting) - This LED flood light which is manufactured by Straits Lighting delivers exceptional performance and energy savings in a compact design. The high output LED chip provides uniform illumination to any office building, retail store, school, or security lighting application. The durable bronze finish and long-lasting LEDs ensure durability in the most demanding environments while saving energy and maintenance costs.