How to choose the best floodlight for your home or business

There are a few considerations to make when choosing a floodlight.

How will it be switched/triggered?

• PIR sensor (Passive Infrared) which will detect movement within a certain area and switch the floodlight on when this area is breached.

The sensor direction and sensitivity can be adjusted to fine tune the area of detection. The sensor can also be adjusted to control the length of time the light stays on for once triggered, typically between 30 seconds and 15 minutes.

• Photocell – switches the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.

Whilst the lights are on for the full duration of the night time the advantage of this method is that unlike with a time clock the lights don’t need to be adjusted to allow for the seasonal changes of daylight.

• Timeclock – This is a programmable device which the time the lights are switched on and off can be programmed according to the site needs.

This can be very useful if you want to light a particular area for a set time – e.g the outside of a school or commercial building until a certain time once every has left site, but you don’t want the lights to stay on all night.

A time clock with a photocell override is a very effective way of controlling outside lights where you only want them on for set hours throughout the entire year allowing for the changes in daylight hours.

So, if you are looking for a security light for your driveway or garden then a PIR floodlight may be best suited, if you have a commercial building perimeter you would like to illuminate during opening and closing hours automatically then a timeclock and photocell combination may be best suited.

What power LED floodlight do I require?

This will typically depend on the size of the area requiring lighting and number of lights being installed – between 10 – 50 Watt will cover most applications and environments.

In a domestic setting it is very important to select the correct size so as not to create a light disturbance for your neighbours. Equally, if you have a commercial building you will need to consider those around you, be it other businesses or dwellings.

What other considerations are there?

• Colour temperature – Some floodlights now have changeable colour temperature settings – warm white, cold white and daylight white.
• Effectiveness – A floodlight which is easily triggered and activates throughout the night regularly will not only be a nuisance, but it won’t be taken much notice of by your neighbours so in the event you have uninvited guests it’s possible nobody will even notice.
• Quality – A cheap bargain floodlight from Screwfix won’t last long at all. A good quality unit that costs 2-3 times the price will be built from better components, perform better, and offer better value over time.

I have lost count the number of cheap floodlights I have been called to that have failed within 2 years – they’re cheap for a reason and that’s why I’ve never installed them.

You get what you pay for