LAP flood lights

[RF Lighting]

https://www.screwfix.com/images/general/assets/pdf/product_safety_LAP_floodlights.pdf

This was installed using the correct shape and size of flex.

Utter junk.

 

[sparkwright]

Water ingress, I take it?

Was tempted to use one of these, as sick of having to fit outdoor JBs when using the pre-wired ones.

After inspecting it I soon realised it was junk, so glad I didn't buy or fit any.

LAP not got the greatest reputation...

 

[RF Lighting]

Yeah it was full of water. Less than a year old. Now replaced with a decent fitting.

 

[sparkwright]

Lots of alarming stories about LED floods, even the pre-flexed ones - some have an earth core, some don't, some have the earth core floating about inside not doing anything.

 

[RF Lighting]

I did actually test this out of interest when I was proving dead and the cpc shows continuity to the body of the fitting so that’s something

 

[securespark]

Yeah it was full of water. Less than a year old. Now replaced with a decent fitting.

Got a two year old LAP LED flood in our back garden.

It has just failed.

No ingress, it just packed in.

What did you replace the one you installed with? Don't want to buy another LAP.......

 

[ericmark]

I got a Aldi special, and replaced the tube with LED, very quickly filled with water, drilled a small hole in bottom, and still working, I had no problem with the LAP one at mothers house, I think the problem is no breathing hole, so if the natural hole ends up at top, it can suck water in each time it switches off, but not hot enough to drive it out again when it switches on. If the natural hole is at bottom, all is OK.

 

[SUNRAY]

I do agree the LAP floods appear to be of lower quality to some other products but in their defence I know of a site with something like 12 of them outdoors and 6 indoors. Outdoors run dusk to dawn, indoors run 24/7. Not a failure yet. these are 20W and must be 5 years by now. They were put up to replace 300W linears which averaged 3-4 bulb replacements and one outside fitting per year.

 

[RF Lighting]

This particular one I replaced with an aurora LED wall pack which I really do like. Great heat sink on the LED and a replaceable driver, but it might be a bit commercial looking for your home.

I can’t remember what floods I’ve been fitting recently while subbing but I’ll find out and let you know. They seem really well built.

 

[securespark]

Thanks RF, I really appreciate that.

 

[SUNRAY]

I started buying Enlites from CPC, they seemed to be a good product but having to send every single one of them back under warranty...
Hoylite/hoylight always came well recommended but I don't rate them, for the price they should be better quality.
The kit we tried from LEDhut has aweful RF interference.
I tried a Thorn 45W unit, a massive slab of a heatsink that got so hot it melted pvc flex which shorted within a month. I don't know what other LED products they offer but it's put me right off the brand for floods.

Clipsel [spelling?] are expensive for what initially seems to be a cheaper quality product but I only recall one failure.
Philips and Aurora always seem to be good products and dare I say not too expensive.

Now... I use temporary lighting for events and I confess I've sourced a number of LED floods mostly cheap tat from Ebay and so far [hurriedly crossing fingers and thumping wooden table] I've had lots of success. 10W 12V (are about 3"x2.5" and weigh naff all [at £18 for 10] I often use the cheap lightweight window cleaning poles fully extended to support 4) and 10, 20 & 50W 230V with a maximum price of £6.50, the only one with any sort of identifiable details is XQlite eco series XQ1161B from Smartwares in Bromsgrove.
Only one type has ever had an interference problem so marked those with red stickers [lights are used around all sorts of radio kit: amateur, PMR, broadcast, radio mics etc].
Most of the temp kit has been up for extended periods up to say 3 months at some stage and in all sorts of weather. My one complaint with most of the modern LED floods is the metal cable gland which is fine for permanent installation but completly unforgiving for portable kit as it cuts into the cable when flexed and packed away.
The types I find are particularly prone to fill with water have a 2 part metal arrangement slapped on the back of the fitting, for the driver, with some half hearted attempts at rubber gaskets. RGB three colour types particularly favour this.