Do you leave the driver on the lights?
- Thread starter myke
- Start date
bk78
Well-Known Member
All my drivers for all my lights are attached to the lights still. I welcome the extra heat.
myke
Well-Known Member
Yes me too,but dose it create a hot spot on the diodes?Maybe point a fan at them to distribute the heat?
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Airgapping the driver will make the whole light less hot. But modifying might be a NoNo for warranty.
myke
Well-Known Member
Warranty has left the building lol,purchased as pre owned.
I think Ill just leave them and see.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
Air gapping just means you put a rubber ring around the screws between light and driver. I'd defo do it if mars didn't do it, those lights aren't known for being well sinked or reliable, every little thing helps. Hotter driver and hotter diodes makes the "fail-ier"
Nothing like an insulator on top of the board to cool those diodes!
I guess it will keep the housing from burning your hands.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
That's just too weird. Maybe one of those things were they actually mean thermal pad. @MarsHydrofactory can you explain this? Why have a setup which isolates the board from its sinking? This would make your lights break down easier?Nothing like an insulator on top of the board to cool those diodes!
I guess it will keep the housing from burning your hands.
View attachment 4958087
myke
Well-Known Member
What thickness of spacer do you recommend?
There's no specific number. More space will give more cooling but there is a point of diminishing returns. I'd say as much as easily practical.
Some 1/4-3/8" screw nuts would be dirt cheap, stack as many as you like. Or buy some standoff spacers off ebay. Or make them, just cut off short pieces of small diameter tube.
Rocket Soul
Well-Known Member
'Sactly, ideally rubber or nonmetal. Maybe some of that mars thermal insulator 
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OrganicMartian
Active Member
Likely the first thing to fail will be the driver. Keeping it cool by removing it from the LED and maybe even going as far as putting a fan to it could make the light last longer.
A couple of links to show the advertised lifespan of an LED is meaningless.
m.manufacturer.lighting
A couple of links to show the advertised lifespan of an LED is meaningless.
The Lifetime and Reliability of LED Drivers with Electrolytic Capacitors
An LED is a device which includes a single PN junction and having unilateral conductivity. LEDs emit light only when applied with a current in the forward direction. Because LED lights operate at low voltages, a driver or power supply is critical to properly manage the load and efficiently...
m.manufacturer.lighting
Does using aluminum electrolytic capacitors in LED drivers shorten the lifetime of LED luminaire? -Fabricant d'unités d'alimentation commutées MEAN WELL - Unité d'alimentation commutée
MEAN WELL is one of the world's few standard power supply mainly professional manufacturers, covering 0.5 to 25,600W products are widely used in industrial control, medical and other fields, in line with international safety certification, short delivery of spot inventory.
www.meanwell.com
Norml56
Well-Known Member
Drivers aren't cheap either. I would guess that the ones they use on the lower end LED lights like Mars and Spider Farmer will fail even quicker if they are using lower quality equipment.Likely the first thing to fail will be the driver. Keeping it cool by removing it from the LED and maybe even going as far as putting a fan to it could make the light last longer.
A couple of links to show the advertised lifespan of an LED is meaningless.
The Lifetime and Reliability of LED Drivers with Electrolytic Capacitors
An LED is a device which includes a single PN junction and having unilateral conductivity. LEDs emit light only when applied with a current in the forward direction. Because LED lights operate at low voltages, a driver or power supply is critical to properly manage the load and efficiently...Does using aluminum electrolytic capacitors in LED drivers shorten the lifetime of LED luminaire? -Fabricant d'unités d'alimentation commutées MEAN WELL - Unité d'alimentation commutée
MEAN WELL is one of the world's few standard power supply mainly professional manufacturers, covering 0.5 to 25,600W products are widely used in industrial control, medical and other fields, in line with international safety certification, short delivery of spot inventory.www.meanwell.com