Choose an LED Landscape Lighting designer with great care

Choose an LED Landscape Lighting designer with great care

By Mike Gambino

Now more than any other time in history you’d better do your due diligence before hiring a designer for your LED landscape lighting project at your home or business. One of the main reasons is the relatively new LED technology which has been ever changing and evolving since it’s inception just a short few years ago. Changes are happening so fast that products produced only three years ago are significantly inferior to those manufactured now. Color , brightness and control options are significantly and constantly being improved.

This article is not even going to go into the many virtues and in depth experience that a landscape lighting designer must possess. Instead it will focus on only one aspect which is a critically important one and that is LED lamp selection. This will alone make or break your project.

In the world of LED lighting relying upon manufacturer specs will get you into a load of trouble because their really is no defacto industry standard when it comes to the LED lamp. One manufacturers claim of 2700 kelvin (which is the light color of the old edison incandescant light bulb that most of us know  and love)  and another brand’s are sometimes on the opposite spectrum of the charts so to speak. In other words it is virtually impossible to color and brightness match LED lamps made from different manufacturers. Only those who are out in the field everyday and have access to the best manufacturers products know what will look and perform best in their designs.

Those who sideline or do only an occasional landscape lighting design are at a severe disadvantage to those specialists who are on the cutting edge of what the premium performing LED’s are capable of. We also have done the vetting for the client testing both performance and longevity paring down our selections to only the finest products that will perform and last.

What makes the process of LED lamp selection even more difficult is that many of them look alike because manufacturers use the same casings. But its what is inside what counts. The LED chips, pcb board and most especially the electronic drivers. My intent is not to get too technical but to make readers aware of the complexities and experience necessary that goes into working with this new technology.

Zaelke-1Color

Unlike halogen light bulbs which generally operate at around 3,000 degrees kelvin color temperature, LED’s are available in a wide range of color temperature options 2500-7500. What this means is that the color that your LED lamp produces could be a satisfying warm incandescent feel, a cool white color or is on the extreme cool end bordeing on blue/green in color. How is this going to effect the subject which this light shines upon?

Will it make it look sharp and vibrant like its jumping out of its setting. Drab and flat and unappealing just ho hum. Or will it look like its ready to wheeled out to the morgue and prepared for burial?

These are the extreme effects that light color can have.

Zaelke-2Brightness and wattage

Brightness is measured in lumens and energy consumption is directly related to wattage the lamp needs to operate on. So theoretically a lamps efficiency can be judged in regards to the amount of light it produces in regards to the amount of energy it consumes.  This sounds like a great way to compare however specification sheets are prepared by the manufacturers themselves and they are full aware that these specs are being judged by the designer or end purchaser of their products. To say that these figures are in some cases exaggerated would be and understatement. Without being tested by independent laboratories these figures just can’t be relied upon and trusted at face value.

If these figures are taken at face value  and not verified by the designer by actual field testing or even better with a light meter then they are flying blind. Changing LED lamps after they have been purchased because they don’t perform is a costly proposition . I am unaware of any manufacturer that offers performance warranties and once they have been powered up and used they cannot be returned.

Facebook-iceThis landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.

2 Comments
  • Mark Carlson
    Posted at 06:08h, 03 May Reply

    These are good points again Mike, thank you for your post. You didn’t bring up the problem that many of these lighting companies are using products that are substandard or mediocre at best primarily because they are getting added incentives to do so. Some of these guys are willing to sacrifice quality for the free trips and incentives being passed down by the manufacturer. I think it’s important for the consumer to do a little research when they are given a brand to work with and see if these manufacturers are promoting incentives like these trips, to the contractor.

    In my eyes, that’s a sure sign that the products aren’t that good to begin with. If the manufacturer has to entice a contractor to buy their products by giveaways….something is wrong.

    I think it’s important to mention that if the consumer can buy these products directly on-line from the manufacturer or importer or whatever they are, that’s another ‘red flag’ to beware of. It’s hard enough for the professional lighting designer and contractor to keep up with what is really good versus what is not, so you should not expect the consumer to get quality in this fashion.

    Anyways, I apologize….this is a little lengthy, but I appreciate your articles….always great information for the entire industry.

  • Mike Gambino
    Posted at 13:01h, 03 May Reply

    Yes Mark you bring up some great and valid points. I know on your blog you have covered the inflated warranty that some are using to draw in buyers to make their products appear to be an attractive choice . This takes the focus off of their lack of actual performance in the field and like you said if their products were so great their would be no need to give away the farm so to speak to sell them.
    To me it’s a shame that the end consumer , homeowner knows nothing about the behind the scenes enticing that some manufacturers do so their products will be specified on projects. Free trips, percentage rebates disguised as incentive programs (kickbacks?), dinners, drinks, fishing trips etc. All of this paid for out of the increased cost to the consumer for the product.
    I guess when you lack integrity you can talk up a turd and try to pass it off as a gem when their is a financial incentive to do so.

Post A Comment