What to check on a LED Light Fitting.
A fluorescent or incandescent fitting fails at the lamp: change the tube or bulb and the fitting works again. An LED fitting puts the light-emitting diodes and their driver circuit together as a sealed or semi-sealed unit, so the common failure mode shifts to the driver electronics or to heat building up inside a housing that was not designed to shed it. Against that trade-off, LED fittings draw a fraction of the current of the equivalent fluorescent or halogen fitting, run cooler at the light source itself, and switch instantly…
What sets an LED fitting apart from the lighting it replaces
A fluorescent or incandescent fitting fails at the lamp: change the tube or bulb and the fitting works again. An LED fitting puts the light-emitting diodes and their driver circuit together as a sealed or semi-sealed unit, so the common failure mode shifts to the driver electronics or to heat building up inside a housing that was not designed to shed it. Against that trade-off, LED fittings draw a fraction of the current of the equivalent fluorescent or halogen fitting, run cooler at the light source itself, and switch instantly without the flicker or delayed strike of a fluorescent tube, which matters for emergency and escape lighting that must be at full output immediately.
Main components
LED array or module
The diodes themselves, mounted on a metal-core board for heat conduction rather than the glass tube of a fluorescent fitting.
Driver
Converts the ship's supply to the low-voltage, constant-current feed the diodes need. This is the part most likely to fail, and the part most sensitive to the ship's supply quality — voltage spikes and poor power factor correction on the ship's network shorten driver life.
Housing and heat sink
Enclosed or watertight housings, commonly rated for wet or exposed deck locations, with an integral heat sink; undersized heat sinks are a common cause of early LED degradation even when the diodes themselves are rated for a long service life.
Lens or diffuser
Polycarbonate or glass cover controlling beam spread; UV-stabilised polycarbonate is used where the fitting sits in direct sunlight to avoid yellowing.
Selection and sizing
Selection is driven by the location's duty, not just lumen output:
- Ingress protection rating matched to the space (engine room, exposed deck, accommodation)
- Colour temperature appropriate to the space — warmer tones in accommodation, cooler daylight tones in working spaces
- Vibration rating for engine room and steering gear compartment fittings
- Compatibility with the emergency lighting circuit's switchover arrangement where the fitting serves an escape route
Regulations and class
Navigation light fittings must meet COLREG intensity, colour and arc-of-visibility requirements and carry type approval to IEC 60945 or the applicable IALA/national standard referenced by class. General shipboard fittings follow IEC 60092 series requirements for electrical installations, and emergency and escape route lighting must meet SOLAS Ch. II-2 provisions on low-location lighting and emergency power changeover time. Electromagnetic compatibility matters more for LED drivers than for older lighting, since a poorly filtered driver can radiate interference into nearby navigation or communication equipment.
Typical faults
| Fault | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Driver failure from voltage transients on the ship's supply | Fitting goes dark even though the LEDs themselves are undamaged |
| Heat sink fouled with dust or paint overspray | Reduced LED lifespan and gradual dimming well before the rated hours are reached |
| Seal degradation on exposed deck fittings | Moisture ingress causing corrosion of the driver board |
| Mismatched replacement driver during a repair | Flicker, reduced output or repeated early failure |
What to look for in a supplier
- Type approval certificate for the specific fitting, not a general manufacturer statement
- Driver rated for the ship's actual supply quality, including any known transient or harmonic issues on board
- Stocked, compatible replacement drivers rather than a fitting that requires full replacement on driver failure
- Documented lumen maintenance curve, not just an initial output figure
When an LED fitting goes dark, check the driver before condemning the whole unit — on most fittings the driver is a separate, replaceable part and swapping it is far cheaper than a new fitting.