To get straight to the points, yes, some LED lighting fixtures are explosion-proof. However, it is important to select the properly classified LED fixture in order to be sufficiently explosion proof for your hazardous location.
Why is it so important to make sure the LED lighting fixture you select is properly classified? Well, choosing the wrong LED fixture can literally lead to deadly consequences. When discussing hazardous locations, incorrect lighting fixtures from under qualified lighting manufacturers are a serious risk. The fact of the matter is that not all LED light fixtures are created equally, and there are manufacturers out there that sell cheap products that aren't all they're made out to be. Pacific Light & Energy are here to make sure that you avoid potentially serious risk by utilizing our strict criteria to ensure that the LEDs we secure for your projects are the most appropriate and properly qualified for your hazardous location.
Without following these criteria, you run the risk of malfunctioning LEDs that lead to poor lighting performance that is even more problematic than normal when dealing with hazardous locations.
We don't mean to scare you with all this talk of potentially deadly mistakes, but it's important to understand that LED lights can be a great solution for the lighting needs of your hazardous location as long as the proper LED lighting fixtures are utilized. Now that we've cleared that up, you might be wondering some of the other reasons why LEDs make the most sense for lighting applications throughout hazardous locations:
Lower maintenance and energy costs. Changing a light fixture in any facility can be problematic, but this is compounded when you have to change it in a hazardous location. The possibility of having to temporarily shut down operations, hiring a lift or other contractors to complete the task, or hazing to re-clean your lights upon replacement can all lead to costly maintenance fees. LEDs, however, have a significantly longer lifespan than other outdated lighting technologies, meaning you won't have to change them nearly as often and can save yourself the headache of having to worry about the maintenance costs. Phew!
Maximized efficiency. The cost of running operations in a hazardous facility can already be high due to the vigilance and attention required to maintain a safe and efficient workspace that abides by health and safety regulations. Without any effort on your part, LED lighting fixtures can save you significantly in terms of your operating costs as they consume less power than other lighting technologies. An LED lighting retrofit project will often result in 60-75% improvement in overall energy consumption and can dramatically reduce operation costs in your facility. Don't believe us? Check out some of our case studies here.
Better performance. LEDs boast higher quality color rendering index along with correlated color temperature meaning your facility will ensure that the quality of your lighting is running at peak efficiency.
Lack of toxic elements, like mercury. There's enough to worry about in a hazardous facility without adding in unnecessary toxic elements like mercury into the mix. LED lighting fixtures mean you don't have to worry about having to specially recycle your old lighting fixtures and can rest assured knowing that it's one less thing you have to concern yourself with.
Utilization of solid state technology. This mean there are less pieces within your lighting fixture that you'd have to worry about breaking, maintaining, or changing out. Meaning more peace of mind for you!
No warm-up period or frequent switching. Your LED lights will turn on and run at peak efficiency the moment you flip the switch, and will stay on throughout operations to keep your workforce safe and worker morale high.
Lack of sensitivity to temperatures. You can safely operate your LED lighting fixtures in any number of environments, whether it be in cold storage or in the heat of your factory floor.
With all of these factors to consider, choosing LED lighting for your hazardous location is a no-brainer. And on top of that, allowing Pacific Light & Energy to help make sure you're choosing the right LED lighting fixture for the job means that you know that they are completely explosion proof!