LED Lighting Life

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

joe jaskot

Dovii
MFK Member
Sep 16, 2011
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Clifton, NJ
How long do LED lighting systems last? I see with the Marineland LEDs that they last 17,000 hours. So figure if you run your light for 10 hours a day, the fixture will last about 4 1/2 years. I realize that they save you money in electricity, but are they really cost effective if you have to replace the entire fixture every 17,000 hours? Are there other brands of LEDs that have a longer lifespan and are reasonably priced?
 
If you can get away with running them 8hrs a day you'll get almost 6 yreas out of them. I figure that combined with the low cost to run them makes them a pretty good deal.
 
Some are rated as high as 50,000 hours. Just depends on the quality.

I still don't think it is worth the money to invest in LED fixtures that don't allow you to simply change bulbs/LEDs. Long term cost effectivness goes down just like you say and you have to replace the fixture, not just swap a bulb.
 
I disagree. Say you had a T5 or T8 light fixture, how long does the bulb typically last? The bulbs aren't cheap so if you were to purchase a beamswork 48" single bright for $68 dollars every 5 years compared to a new bulb (or 2) at $13 / bulb / year, the led is cheaper. And that isn't including the cost efficiency.
 
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