There are a lot of uses of floodlights all around us. Basically, a floodlight is a light that can lighten up a large area. Floodlight is used from indoor to outdoor, public places, street, landscape, playground backyard tec in a whole lot of areas.
The types of floodlights can be divided into two ways. One is by bulbs and another is uses or special features. The different types of floodlights based on their bulbs include; Sodium Vapor, Halogen floodlights, HID Floodlights, Incandescent Floodlights, Fluorescent Floodlights, and LED floodlights. The types of floodlights based on used are indoor, outdoor, residential, security, landscape, commercial floodlight, etc.
Although its functions remain the same in any category, they still have particular features and parts. Let’s discuss all of them.
Table of Contents
Different Types Of Flood Lights Based On Bulb
There are many types of floodlights available in the market today. However, in this article, we will discuss the best characteristics and benefits. That will help you weigh their advantages and disadvantages and decide the ones that suit your choice for outdoor floodlighting.
Sodium Vapor
Sodium vapor lamps are electric discharge lights that use ionized sodium to illuminate light. The sodium vapor technology is the main constituent used in constructing low-pressure sodium lighting. When you expose this vapor to electrical current, it glows, thus providing illumination.
LPS (low-pressure sodium) vapor has inner discharge tubes produced from borosilicate glass that is matched to metal electrodes. It also contains argon and neon gases and a small amount of metallic sodium.
As a result, when electric current goes through the electrodes, the argon and neon become ionized. Thus, producing a red radiance until the sodium vaporizes by the hot gas. Then the vaporized sodium will ionize and illuminate an almost monochrome yellow.
On the other hand, HPS (high-pressure sodium) vapor contains an internal discharge tube that is created from translucent alumina. This element can resist the corrosive impacts of sodium and mercury combined under higher temperatures and greater pressure.
High-pressure sodium lights shine whiter, making them common for road intersections, sports stadiums, tunnels, and other areas requiring full spectrums of shining colors.
Pros:
Totally energy efficient
Low maintenance
Cons:
Takes a long time to produce light after being switched on
Poor color production
Not best for security systems
Halogen Floodlights
Halogen floodlights are one of the top options for floodlights because of their superior quality performance. Halogen lights are dazzling and perfect for outdoor purposes. An electric current activates the tungsten filament and halogen gas inside the bulb. As a result, it can produce strong, steady, and powerful illumination of white light.
The higher intensity of the halogen bulb makes the difference compared with other bulbs even at the same watts. The biggest weakness of halogen bulbs is they have a comparatively shorter lifespan than led or fluorescent bulbs.
Pros:
Superior white color.
Cons:
Short lifespan.
Heats-up fast.
HID (High-Intensity Discharge) Floodlights
Like every other bulb type, HID floodlights have great pros and cons. This type of floodlight has a very long lifespan. Its lifespan is up to 3 times higher than that of halogen floodlights. HID lights use an inner ballast within the bulb.
It creates an electric curve that glows to produce light that radiates out of the bulb. As a result, the light produced from HID floodlights is very intense. Moreover, its bulbs only require a few replacements at the time of its haul.
However, the downside is that this type of floodlight generates UV radiation. So if you want to use them, you must ensure to get UV-blocking filters to block the UV-induced degradation of its body parts. Furthermore, being exposed to faulty or broken HID lights with non-functioning UV-blocking filters can pose a health hazard to human beings and animals. This is because of the harmful mercury within the lamps and the variable chemicals used in their production.
The HID lamps come in many types, namely;
Metal halide or ceramic MH lamps.
Xenon short-arc lamps.
Mercury vapor lamps.
Sodium vapor lamps.
Pros:
Rates highest in energy efficiency.
The longest lifespan.
Cons:
Takes a long time to provide light after being turned on.
Not compatible with motion detectors.
Incandescent Floodlights
For incandescent floodlights, an element within the bulb is positioned within a vacuum. When an electric current heats this element, it produces light.
Pros:
Lower initial cost
Cons:
Incandescent floodlights have a short lifespan.
Compact Fluorescent Floodlights
Compact fluorescent lights, otherwise known as CFL, contain phosphorescent coating and mercury gas inside the bulb surface. Thus, as the electric current goes through the coating, the bulb will start glowing. They are cheaper than led bulbs also energy-efficient compared to other types of bulbs. The lifespan of fluorescent bulbs can vary based on use and maintenance. If you switch on/off very frequently, the longevity of the bulb will reduce significantly. But usually, they have a long lifespan. Not as much as led but still long. So if you can’t make sure to dispose of or recycle, you should not use it.
Pros:
Lower prices.
Highly efficient in performance.
Lesser energy consumption.
Very long lifespan (15,000 hours for each bulb.
Cons:
Highly toxic.
Doesn’t turn on instantly.
Constant use reduces its lifespan.
Sensitive to the changes in temperature.
LED or Light-Emitting Diode Floodlights
The LED floodlights serve as the best choice among other types if you judge them by features, physical qualities, lifespan, and energy efficiency. The led bulbs consume a less or equal amount of energy like fluorescent bulbs with a lot more verity and features. In terms of lifespan led bulbs are a clear winner and can sustain up to 50000 hours. So, you properly see great benefit both in electricity bill.
Also led bulbs are environmental -friendly. It doesn’t produce anything more harmful or healthy or environmental compared to other types of bulbs. But it costs a little more than the other types of bulbs. LED floodlights to use a semiconductor device that generates light as electric current passes through them. The light glows as the molecules that convey current called holes and electrons join within the semiconductor substance.
Pros:
Extremely long lifespan (50,000 hours).
It is eco-friendly.
Produces the highest brightness.
The lights are controllable.
Very durable.
Maximum efficiency in electricity consumption.
Illuminate efficiently even in tough weather.
High quality.
Replacing the bulb constantly is not necessary.
Cons:
They are very expensive.
Different Types Of Flood Lights Based On Usage
There are certain ways you can use floodlights. They are classified into;
Regular Floodlights
These particular types of floodlights are mainly unadulterated lighting fixtures. They do not have other parts, features, or additions. Thus, regular floodlights come with electric wires to power the lamp, light bulbs, and casing.
There are no limitations on how to use regular floodlights. Moreover, you can use them in almost any place. Regular floodlights make use of Halogen, CFLs, or LED light bulbs. Also, regular flood lights consist of plastic or aluminum casing and require wiring to a junction box.
Security Floodlights
Security floodlights have been very popular in recent times. Just as its name implies, the major usage of security floodlights is for security purposes. This particular type of floodlight consists of a motion sensor that detects any form of motion ahead of the light fixture. As a result, any time somebody crosses by the security floodlight, its motion sensor can detect that particular motion and activate the lights immediately.
Apart from security purposes, security floodlights provide other home benefits. The best place to use it in front of your door is to use it to brighten your doors during the night. Due to its motion sensor, the light can sense when you are close to your house and shine a light on that area. Thus, you can walk upstairs or pass through your house safely, as well as find your keyhole to open your door conveniently. You can also combine security lights with solar panels for more effectiveness. With solar security floodlights, you can effortlessly brighten those dark areas in your home. These include a backyard, small parking lot, garage, garden, pathway, driveway, or other places that require illumination.
Landscape Floodlights
Floodlights are also one form of landscape lighting. The main use of landscape flood lights is to shine on certain areas or objects starting from the ground level. This is where this particular flood light differs from other types. All the other types of floodlights are placed very high above the ground. In contrast, landscape floodlights are mounted straight into the ground.
Landscape floodlights come with ground mounting legs or support legs that you can stick within the ground. The main function of this particular flood light is to highlight certain areas. For instance, you can use landscape floodlights to illuminate your house walls or specific landscape objects in your backyard, such as; decorative trees.
You can also use landscape floodlights to decorate your garden or point up until your fountain. The best bulbs to use for the landscape flood lights are colored LED bulbs. They can deliver a higher artistic look to your garden, house, or backyard. Landscape flood lights are also compatible with solar panels for a higher energy-saving decoration lighting remedy.
To know how to choose the right landscape floodlight read this guide.
All-In-One Fixture Floodlights
Just from its characteristics and look alone, you can see that the all-in-one fixture floodlights are unique. You can see that all the features like; bulb, rechargeable battery, motion sensor, and solar panel are joined in one lamp.
This type of floodlight is very compact than its contemporaries and takes little space. Moreover, you can use the all-in-one fixture floodlights in areas where other types of floodlights will be too big, such as; your porch, boat, patios, or other places.
Due to its lighting bulbs located in the front or beneath the fixture, you can only install the all-in-one fixture flood lights on any vertical wall. You can also equip this type of floodlight with a solar panel just like the others.
However, the challenge this particular flood light faces is that the place you can install them is limited. It is due to the solar panel, which is fixed above the fixture. Another challenge of the all-in-one fixture floodlights is that they generate lower illumination than the regular floodlights.
Another trendy flood light type is the work lights. They are very different from all the other floodlights regarding reliability and durability. Work lights are created from heavy-duty casings and are mountable to enable them to tolerate heavy working conditions.
Beneath its sturdy casing is the regular floodlight, which is in every other floodlight sub-type. This light consists of a long-lasting metal (aluminum) casing and grip handle to transport the light fixture. There is also a safety grill which serves as a protective front glass, a stand, and a lighting bulb.
With its exceptionally sealed casing work, floodlights are weatherproof, enabling you to use them even in severe weather conditions. Work floodlights usually come in a tripod style or adjustable or low stand. As a result, you can adjust it to any position to get the best light angle.
Flagpole or Post Floodlights
This particular flood light type has a unique mount that you can set up on a post. Flagpole or post floodlights shine lights on flags at nighttime. You can also use the floodlights for decoration purposes or another lighting solution.
Pole flood lights come in 2 different types. You can attach one type to a pole and the other atop the pole. The lights for this particular type of floodlight are between the floodlight and spotlight. Its floodlights are built to show light on a wider area. In contrast, its spotlight consists of a narrower light beam that can only illuminate the smaller area opposite the light.
Flagpole or post floodlights are very compatible with solar panels. This floodlight is more compact and highly convenient to set up with solar panels. Moreover, you don’t have to use wire on the pole since its charging is from solar energy. This particular floodlight is especially for open places where it can receive direct sun rays to charge the batteries.
FAQs:
What Type of lighting is a Flood Light?
Floodlights have a very large beam angle. This means they can produce a wider range of light over large spaces. Floodlights are also security lights. You can also use them to illuminate a wider area in an industrial setting. Also, most times, you can power them with electricity, solar energy, or batteries.
What is A Standard Flood Light?
A standard floodlight should be able to cover a very wide area. It should be able to emit at least 700 lumens. Furthermore, a standard floodlight IP rating should range from 44 to 64 during mild weather. But during extreme climatic conditions, the IP rating should reach 65 or more.
The requirement for the standard floodlight should be high brightness. Thus, it can produce from 700 to 1300 lumens. Of course, if the lights are brighter, they will produce more lumens, thereby securing your space more.
Conclusion
There are indeed many other different floodlights available on the market. However, the six options mentioned above are the commonest you can get for your outdoor floodlights.
Halogens are no longer regarded as the most efficient presently since the advent of LEDs. However, most individuals consider LED bulbs to be the rulers of the lighting kingdom. So when you check out these 6 types of floodlights one after the other, you will find out that the most energy-efficient is the LED option.
Scott is a very nice guy with an electric obsession. He is an electrical engineer and a workshop owner in Chicago downtown. He is also a father of 3 child. From childhood he has been an electronics friendly child and always loved to be busy with repairing something.
