# LED replacement for Metal Halide



## swimmer (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm considering LED floods for a gas station parking lot because I'm assuming LED will give me the most lumens per amp. Overload is a concern, not for the 2 lights I'm installing but because customers frequently add lights during or after the project.

I'm getting pretty confused on the lighting websites.
My understanding is that a 250W Metal Halide (HID) outputs 20,000 lumens. I go to a website and the LED replacement for a 250W HID outputs only 2,800 lumens. 

Why am I seeing this discrepancy?

Here are 2 websites that I'm looking at:
1. 250W HID
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/5020/MH-025001P.html?tid=car

2. LED replacement for a 250W HID:
http://www.prolighting.com/mllwp60led50.html?gclid=CMOs5ubLq7wCFYeEfgodaH8ALQ


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

I've had this issue with LED exterior replacements before. The "equivalent conversion" chart the manufacturers provide will wind up giving you an LED like half as bright or less.

People may try to explain "photopic vs scotopic" light or whatever it is but that crap is irrelevant when you drive up at night and your parking lot is half as bright as it used to be.

I have put in quite a healthy amount of outdoor LED stuff now and I usually take the "official" recommended MH equivalent and then just double it.


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## electricalwiz (Mar 12, 2011)

I personally do not like LED lights for wall pack and pole lights, LED is to direct of a light
Any time I upgrade a MH wallpack or pole light I put up an induction
If I am replacing a MH with an induction I normally go with half the wattage, unless more light was needed

To your other question, I believe a 400 watt MH is 20000 lumens, not a 250


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## swimmer (Mar 19, 2011)

electricalwiz said:


> To your other question, I believe a 400 watt MH is 20000 lumens, not a 250



I'm seeing 36,000 lumens for a 400W MH


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## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

electricalwiz said:


> I personally do not like LED lights for wall pack and pole lights, LED is to direct of a light
> Any time I upgrade a MH wallpack or pole light I put up an induction
> If I am replacing a MH with an induction I normally go with half the wattage, unless more light was needed
> 
> To your other question, I believe a 400 watt MH is 20000 lumens, not a 250



I find it the other way in that led seems to flood better.
I think people are used to seeing light intensity and associating it with illumination.
Led's are not intense, Hid's are.
I much prefer led for exterior lighting. It is not glaring and overpowering, shining into everyones windows. Just a nicely illuminated area.
60 watts is around where you want to be for a 250 replacement.

We replaced 400w MH with 120w led fixture for fixture in the hockey arena.
The light is much more even and shadows are gone.


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