LV Outdoor LED Floodlights

As part of my overall home security updates, I was planning to install several motion detection floodlights around the periphery of the house. I purchased some of the fixtures, but then started to think about a better solution.

Does anyone have experience, opinions, positive words, negative words about low voltage LED outdoor floodlight fixtures?? They seem to be coming into vogue. At least I see them on website catalogs. They are still a bit expensive, but I can trade this off against reduced energy consumption, longer lifespan, and installation flexibility. The first two are obvious. In the third point I'm saying that I can install the LED fixtures in less accessible locations on the house due to their long life span and reduced maintenance needs.

Please, let me ramble a bit in an attempt to invoke some thoughts.

Using 12VDC or 24VDC powered fixtures provides much easier and more flexible wiring options. Reduced need for conduits, etc. And easier integration into a HA lighting control system. (e.g. Elk M1G). Going with 24V over 12V would allow me to use smaller gauge wire. With an LV system, I could easily assemble a reasonable 'UPS' capability with a set of AGM batteries and a charging system. The one battery/charger system would power all fixtures around the house.

I could use fixtures with integrated PIR motion detectors, or I could incorporate separate outdoor-rated motion sensors into the system. Either way, I would want the detectors/lights to be incorporated into the HA system so that I could both control and monitor their status and function. E.g. turning on all fixtures when one sensor triggers. I'm not sure if LV LED fixtures with integral PIR even exist. I haven't done extensive research. I do see that 120VAC powered LED/PIR fixtures exist.

As I'm also looking at surveillance cameras, the LED lighting system could also include some LED IR fixtures. Not surprising, they look a lot light the LV LED visible light fixtures, just with IR spectrum LED's. So everything ties together nicely within the HA framework.

I think I'm only interested in ON/OFF control of the fixtures and do not require dimming. Anyone have a use-case for dimming?

Has anyone used this type of fixture? Anyone use 120VAC LED floodlights? Experiences? Any places for me to explore?

I'll pause and not install my new standalone, 120VAC power motion floodlights until I perform additional research.

Thanks.

I purchased some new "cree" like 9 watt LED flood/spots; waiting on them. I have though converted my LV lighting to LED lamps and switched from 4 commercial style toroidal transformers to small 12 VDC DIN mounted transformers. Relating to security lighting I am going to install the 10-20 watt LED lamps on either side of the house. The are inexpensive these days. I was going to utilize outdoor PIR's adjacent to the Lamps. I haven't yet seen any integrated ones yet.

I've also been playing with a new HD IP camera with 4 cree like LED IR lamps. Very bright; brightest and best range so far that I have seen on a camera with night vision. They do get warm as the inside of the camera has two large heatsinks for the lamps.

Explore Ebay as I have purchased all of my LED lamps from there. The 9 watt LEDs lamps were $3.50 each. The same ones here for 29.99. They look identical to me.

I currently have 120V AC flood lights, lighting up the front of my house from the ground, and I've been considering the switch to LV.

I don't think many people use 120V AC for landscape lights much, anymore, for residential work.

I have concerns about controlling LED LV lamps. If you could switch AC before the transformer, may make it a moot point.

I think the high quality LED landscape lights are still pretty pricey, the ones installed by the pros - even without the markup.

pete_c said:

I purchased some new "cree" like 9 watt LED flood/spots; waiting on them. I have though converted my LV lighting to LED lamps and switched from 4 commercial style toroidal transformers to small 12 VDC DIN mounted transformers. Relating to security lighting I am going to install the 10-20 watt LED lamps on either side of the house. The are inexpensive these days. I was going to utilize outdoor PIR's adjacent to the Lamps. I haven't yet seen any integrated ones yet.
I've also been playing with a new HD IP camera with 4 cree like LED IR lamps. Very bright; brightest and best range so far that I have seen on a camera with night vision. They do get warm as the inside of the camera has two large heatsinks for the lamps.
Explore Ebay as I have purchased all of my LED lamps from there. The 9 watt LEDs lamps were $3.50 each. The same ones here for 29.99. They look identical to me.

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Are your IR lamps integral with the camera or separate?
If separate, do you have a source?

The IR lamps are on a separate board. That said though the IR lamps/board came with the camera.

The view from another camera about 75-100 feet away (also with IR Leds) make this camera appear floodlamp like with an illumination to the edges of the property line.

I replaced the bulbs in all my landscape fixtures with low voltage LED. I could not be happier. Low energy usage combIned with long life. I run my lights all night. Previously, I was getting 12 months of life. After 2 years I have not replaced a single bulb. I used MR-16 bulbs in my spots and bayonet type bulbs in my path lights. You can buy these bulbs at Home Depot or a lot of online stores. The color of the bulb is important. It is better to avoid the cool white bulbs for this application. The fixtures are standard architectural grade fixtures. If you install them with a high quality waterproof grease cap, they will run for years without maintenance.

I control these using a 120v UPB appliance switch ahead of the transformer. Dusk to dawn every day.

I need to look around for LED floodlights. It looks to be a viable and probably cost effective solution. I also need to research outdoor LV motion detectors....

I wasn't thinking of landscape lighting when I started the thread. But now I'm thinking about upgrading to LED LV landscape lighting. My existing transformers can support a lot more fixtures if they have LED bulbs....

Neurorad said:

I have concerns about controlling LED LV lamps. If you could switch AC before the transformer, may make it a moot point.

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What are your concerns? Inrush current? Steady-state current? I would think that the proper relay would easily switch LED lighting loads.

I'm using one UPB switch for 4 small DIN mounted 12VDC transformers and its working well. With the 1000 watt commercial transformers I was using 4 separate switches and I had to run separate circuits to distribute the load a bit. If or when I go to using solar panels / batteries might switch Landscaping LED power using some different methodology.

BTW noticed that Kichler was selling sealed multi led lamps for their lighting fixtures. (like 20-50 LED lights) a while back and now they seem to be selling sealed LED lamps with less but brighter (cree like) LEDs. I was going to try the little ledge on stone LED lights as I have "wall's of the flat stone for the edging that I am using with the landscaping.