- Why are LED wall packs a good long-term investment?
- How much light do I need each wall pack to emit?
- Can I match the light output of my old wall pack lighting fixtures?
- Can I match my current style with new LED wall pack fixtures?
- How durable are LED wall packs?
- What mounting type should I get for my light?
Why are LED wall packs a good long-term investment?
Lighting the outside of your building is a big part of making sure customers, staff, and other visitors feel comfortable. It provides added security and appeal, while making it easier to navigate. One of the most popular commercial outdoor lighting fixtures for achieving this is a wall pack. LED lights are increasingly popular as wall pack lighting, because they’re low maintenance and cost effective. LEDs are by far the most energy efficient product on the market, so installing them means you won’t have to worry about constantly replacing them. Finally, LEDs produce higher quality light and have more options to choose from than traditional fluorescent or metal-halide options.
How much light do I need each wall pack to emit?
This can be a tricky question to answer. A lot of it will come down to your personal preference. Some people think the brighter the better. But some municipalities have strict regulations when it comes to lighting. For example, let's say your commercial building borders a residential neighborhood. The city may have laws that dictate how bright and how far your light can shine. So lumen output and beam angle will play a big role in determining the best LED wall pack for your needs.
Can I match the light output of my old wall pack lighting fixtures?
Yes! The term metal-halide (MH) equivalency refers to LED wall packs that achieve the same level of brightness as their MH counterparts. If you’ve currently got 250 Watts MH lights, you can find the LED wall pack lighting options that will give you a similar effect, but use less energy.
We can also offer any advice or guidance, so reach out to our commercial sales team today.
Can I match my current style with new LED wall pack fixtures?
Yes, our standard wall packs closely resemble the old traditional metal-halide wall packs. These products make it possible to easily move to LEDs and start reaping the benefits of higher quality light and more lumens per dollar. Selecting fixtures the same size and shape of your old fixtures means you won’t have to repaint the exterior of the building to avoid any faded spots from the old fixtures.
How durable are LED wall packs?
Because they illuminate the outside of your building and are often installed above eye-level (which makes it hard to spot breaks and cracks), LED wall pack light fixtures need to be durable and able to handle the wear and tear that goes with that, along with inclement weather. IP ratings are especially important for wall pack lighting, because each application has different risks of intrusions that can impact the fixtures.
In addition, most commercial building codes require battery back-up on your emergency lights, to keep the property safe and visible during power outages. So if you want your LED wall pack lights to also work as emergency lights, make sure a back-up battery is part of the fixture.
You may be wondering which is more durable, an LED wall pack with a glass lens, or one with a polycarbonate lens. The truth is there are advantages and disadvantages to both options.
Here is a quick comparison:
Polycarbonate:
- Harder to break, easier to scratch
- Turns yellow faster
- Easier to remove and replace
Glass:
- Harder to scratch, easier to break (including shipping & installation)
- Slightly increased hazard risk, due to glass shards from breakage
- Turns yellow slower
How long does LED wall pack lighting last?
Generally, you can expect your wall pack light fixtures to last approximately 50,000 hours. If you’re switching from fluorescent or metal-halide lighting, this will save you money in reduced labor and maintenance, in addition to the inherent energy savings.
What mounting type should I get for my light?
When it comes to parking lot lighting, the variety of options can make a simple product seem more complicated than it actually is. When it comes down to it, the choice is really based on where the fixture is being installed.
Here are the main choices for your commercial parking lot light mounts:
What modern styles do wall packs come in?
Full cutoff
Full cutoff LED wall packs create light distribution that pushes all the light forward and down. This is an excellent choice for any situation where you have dark sky requirements, or need to eliminate uplight.
Standard
These traditional or “standard” style LED wall packs are designed as replacements for their metal-halide or fluorescent predecessors. They blend seamlessly into the existing design and architecture of your building.
Slim Adjustable
The housing on this slim adjustable full cutoff wall pack offers 90° rotation.
Rotatable
An LED wall pack with rotatable light heads, allowing you to angle the light whatever direction you need, up, down, or out.
Mini
Mini LED wall packs are perfect for smaller areas, walkways, hallways, door frames, or to supplement existing lighting.
What other choices are there?
There are a few more options that give you even more control over the exterior lighting your LED wall packs provide. Photocells offer automated energy savings, security, and convenience, by turning exterior lights on and off, based on the light available. If you want even more precision, you can bypass the photocells on many of our wall packs, to retain complete control of the timing of your lighting.
Color temperature can have a big impact on the space. Maybe you want to make sure the color temperature of your LED wall packs matches your parking lot lights or make sure the color temperature works with the exterior color of the building. With selectable CCT, you can decide at installation whether warm, natural, or cool white light will work best for you.
What color temperature is appropriate?
The best color temperature is subjective much of the time. Do you want the space to feel warmer, cooler, or more like daylight? On coastal areas, some municipalities require “turtle friendly” lights, which are around 2200K. Contact our commercial sales team if you have more questions.
Is color rendering index (CRI) important for parking lot lights?
CRI impacts the ability to see clearly, which is important in any application. For parking lots, this can mean making it easier for people to easily spot their car. Lights with lower CRI can mean all the cars appear gray, which is a bit of a nightmare.
For something like a car dealership, higher CRI lighting may help to better sell products. In areas with high security, higher CRI can also help to better identify problems and trespassers. In most cases, such as a typical parking lot, 70+ CRI will be adequate and 80+ CRI will perform extremely well.
What else can I use LED wall packs for?
Wall pack lighting is a popular choice for a variety of applications, including:
- Building exteriors
- Parking garages
- Tunnels
- Ground areas with heavy traffic
- Walkways
- Loading docks
- Warehouses and storage facilities
- Main doors
- Backyards