Corn Cob LED Lights: The Best Replacement for HID Lamps You’ve Not Yet Discovered

 There are all different sorts of LED lights on the market today. While they were once relatively expensive, the cost of the semiconductor materials used to create them dropped precipitously in the early 2000s, and the industry flourished. Now, there are all sorts of cost-effective LEDs and LED retrofits, such as LED tube lights, LED replacements for incandescent bulbs and halogen bulbs, and even corn cob LED lights.

Let’s peel back the layers and take a slightly closer look at why LED corn cob lights are growing in popularity, and why they might be able to make a difference for your business.

What Are HID Lamps?

HID lamps, more formally known as high-intensity discharge lamps, constitute a class of lighting that has widely been used for large area indoor and outdoor lighting. Many stadiums, arenas, warehouses, high bays, parking lots, and industrial complexes are lit by HID lamps.

Of the many different types of HID lamps are HPS and LPS lamps (high-pressure sodium and low-pressure sodium, respectively), mercury vapor lamps, metal halide lamps, (MH lamps), and ceramic MH lamps, although there are others.

Most HID lamps typically consist of an inner and outer tube (or bulb) and have two electrodes inside of them.  Although the principles of operation vary slightly across the different types, they generally use a flow of electricity to excite the metals, salts, and gases inside the bulbs, which glow and release excess energy as light as a result.

These lamps have been widely used to provide illumination to large indoor and outdoor areas because they have the potential to burn very brightly and relatively efficiently. Compared to some other alternatives, they are also relatively energy-efficient and long-lasting.

Why Are People Replacing Them?

It would seem as though, with their relatively high energy efficiencies and long lifespans, that people would be loath to replace their metal halide or other HID lamps. Considering the fact that HID lamps also offer exceptional light output and lighting quality, it would seem as though HID lamps are the premier contender for their intended purposes.

This was the case for a long time until LED lights became more prevalent and corn cob LED light bulbs (A.K.A. corn cob lamps) were developed.

You see, despite the many advantages of HID lamps, their performance comes at a price. People are replacing them for some of the following reasons.

• Heat (and delayed start-up)

One thing you’ll notice about HID lamps if you’re ever the person to “turn on the lights” is that they take a few seconds (or more) to reach their full brightness. Something else you may notice is that HID lamps don’t just burn bright, they burn hot - really hot.

HID lamps burn so hotly that in some settings they can be seen as a fire risk. Even if they aren’t if your facility utilizes HID lamps indoors, they’re going to raise the internal temperature of the setting, increasing your cooling costs and offsetting any other energy savings you may have realized.

• Maintenance expenses

HID lamps are not particularly affordable, and since they don’t last as long as some other industry alternatives (like corn cob LED lights) they can be fairly expensive to replace. When lights die, professionals need to be hired to replace them; not to mention that the bulbs themselves are not particularly affordable.

• Cost of disposal

HID lamps are not only relatively expensive, but many of them contain hazardous materials like mercury. This makes it even more expensive to dispose of them because they are considered an environmental hazard, and increases the cost of replacement.

• Better availability of alternatives

For a long time, HID lamps reigned supreme for large area indoor and outdoor lighting, but with the development of LED bulbs that could rival their lumen output, directionality, and lighting quality, their primacy has been challenged.

Specifically, there are many corn cob LED lights that some organizations are using as direct replacements for their HID lamps.

What Are Corn Cob LED Lights?

Corn cob LED lights (sometimes called corn lights) are a special class of light-emitting diodes that are frequently used as replacements for HID lights. Basically, they’re large LED lights with a lot of LED chips arranged on a metal structure, which is typically elongated, giving them something of a resemblance to an ear of corn. Hence, the name “corn cob LED lights.”

Sometimes there are more than a hundred individual LEDs on a metal corn cob lamp, which gives the lamp the appearance of having many tiny kernels, like an ear of corn. The need for such a large array of emitters is to ensure the lamp can provide the same level of luminosity as the light it’s intended to replace; the reason for its elongated arrangement is usually to help keep the lamp cool.

But if HID lamps work well for their intended purposes, why would anyone want to replace them with corn cob LED lights?

Why It Matters

As it turns out, LEDs, specifically corn cob LED lights, have a lot of advantages over HID lamps, including some of the following:

• Longer lifespan: HID lamps are relatively long-lived, with some models lasting over 20,000 hours. However, most last much fewer hours - closer to 10,000 or so. By contrast, short-lived LED lights last over 20,000 hours; many will last 50,000 or more.

• Greater energy efficiency: It cannot be understated that LED lights are volumes more energy efficient than even the best HID lamps. Lower operating costs and energy expenses will follow.

• They don’t produce nearly as much heat: LED lights contain a heat sink to dissipate heat and produce very little heat anyway. Not only will this positively affect cooling costs, but it will minimize the fire risk as well.

• Equal or superior lighting quality: Many modern corn cob LED lights produce lighting output, quality, and color temperature and have been engineered to match or exceed the quality of the HID lamps they are destined to replace.

• Lower costs of maintenance: Because LED lights last longer, you’ll need to buy new ones and replace them less frequently.

• No environmental concerns: HID lamps contain toxic substances. LEDs do not, and some LEDs are entirely recyclable.

• Ease of replacement or retrofitting: Many corn cob LED lights are engineered to be direct replacements for specific types of HID bulbs. If the base will accept an LED corn cob light and the luminaire or fixture will accommodate it, you may simply be able to screw it in; however, don’t take any risks - call us if you have questions about compatibility.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the corn cob LED lights or fixtures that we sell here at Major Electronix, please give us a call at 800-966-2345 and let us know how we can help!