LEDs are supposed to be more efficient than incandescent lights. But how well do they perform when you connect them to batteries?
How Long Do Batteries Last In LED Lights?
Considering battery capacity of 2.5 Ah with a led light load of 3W and battery voltage of 1.5V, an AA battery last for 1.25 hrs while an AAA battery with 1.2 Ah lasts for 0.60 hrs.
| Battery Type | Battery Capacity | Load | Battery Voltage | Battery Life |
| AA | 2.5 | 3 W | 1.5 V | 1.25 hrs |
| AAA | 1.2 | 3 W | 1.5 V | 0.60 hrs |
I like battery-powered fairy string lights because you can use them outside. Conventional LEDs are annoying in this arena because you have to find an outdoor socket that can power them.
In many cases, you need a GFCI outlet to protect the lights and their owners from ground faults. If the lights are nowhere near a socket, you have to buy an extension cord, possibly even a surge protector, depending on the number of lights and the outdoor conditions.
Battery-powered lights are less of a headache. But the battery life is a problem. You can use conventional LEDs indefinitely if the outlet or extension cord has access to power.
Battery-powered LEDs will die once you drain the batteries. But that raises a question. How long can you expect the batteries to last? This question matters because it will tell you how long the LED lights will continue to work.
A battery’s life is immensely difficult to predict. You have to make estimations by observing the lights.
The LEDs will gradually fade or flicker erratically as the batteries drain. Try timing them. Mark the time when the lights shut off completely. Once you replace the batteries, you will know how long they last.
From what I have seen, you can’t predict a battery’s life because it will fluctuate depending on factors like the electrical draw of the LEDs.
Some LEDs use more power than others because they have animated sequences.
You can increase the accuracy of your prediction by talking to the manufacturer. They have charts that explain the discharge rates of their products. If you can’t interpret the manufacturer’s chart, send them a message.
Ask them to estimate the life of their batteries. If you share the specifications of the LED lights, they will send you an accurate answer. Keep the type of battery in mind.
Different batteries have different attributes. For instance:
1). Alkaline batteries are perfect for low-drain devices. They are not only cost-effective, but their shelf life is long. However, they can leak if you overtax them.
2). Lithium batteries have a long shelf life as well. They have a lifespan of nine years. However, they cost more money than their alkaline counterparts.
3). Rechargeable batteries are convenient, especially NiMH batteries. You don’t have to discard them when they drain. However, they are costly.
The hefty price tags are worth it. You can reuse them for years, especially if you rarely take them out because you don’t have to keep charging and discharging this type of battery.
4). Lithium-ion batteries are large. They can run high-drain devices like laptops and phones. But that cannot stop you from using them to operate LED lights.
That is true for every battery type you encounter. If you take your LED lights to a specialist, they can customize them to run on any battery type you have on hand.
But you have to take the voltage of the LEDs into account. A technician can do this for you. They can identify batteries whose voltage meets the demands of your LED lights.
Make sure that batteries have a compatible voltage with the devices you want them to operate.
Additionally, the condition of the batteries and their materials affect the battery life. Some manufacturers make low-quality batteries that cannot last more than a few minutes. Others make products with battery lives of dozens of hours. This is why the reputation of the manufacturer matters.
What Batteries Are Best For LED Lights?
You don’t have to answer this question because the manufacturer will tell you everything you need. At the end of the day, you don’t get a choice in the matter. Unless you customize the LED lights, you cannot select a battery type for your lights.
You have to use the battery type the manufacturer recommends. They will design their LED lights to accept and work with a specific type of battery. But if you want to alter the LED lights because you prefer a different category of batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries are popular.
But again, this question shouldn’t concern you. The only decision that matters to you is the brand. For instance, if the manufacturer designed the lights to work with AA batteries, they won’t force you to use a particular brand of AA batteries.
Instead, they will expect you to select a brand that fits your situation. Even though expensive brands are longer-lasting, some people cannot afford to buy them. They have to make do with cheaper, lower-quality batteries even though they are more likely to leak.
Do LED Puck and LED Strip Lights Make A Difference In Battery Life?
It doesn’t make a significant difference. Each puck light uses roughly 2.5 watts. On the other hand, LED strips use 4.8 watts per meter. How many puck lights do you need? What length do you require for the LED strip lights? You cannot determine the battery life without considering the number of puck lights and the length of LED strip lights.
How Do I Know How Long My Battery Will Last?
You have to start by identifying the amp-hours of the batteries. Multiplying the amp-hours by the volts gives you the watt-hours. Dividing the watt-hours by the total wattage of the LED lights will give you battery life.
But you cannot trust the answer you get from these calculations because it may vary in response to the following factors:
1). Battery Type
What type of battery do you have? Do you have alkaline, lithium-ion, or NiMH batteries? Depending on the brand, some batteries will last longer than others.
2). Battery Capacity
Every battery has a specific amount of charge it can hold. Batteries with a larger capacity can hold more charge than batteries with a lower capacity.
Check the battery’s amp-hours. They will give you an idea of how long the battery will last. You can get an exact estimate if you divide the battery capacity by the wattage of the LED lights.
3). Wattage of the Lights
LED lights are popular because they don’t use as much electricity as incandescent bulbs, even though they are brighter. However, LED lights are not the same. Some LEDs use more electricity than others.
Check the packaging. It will show you the amount of electricity the LED lights in question use.
4). Brand
The quality of the batteries and LEDs will determine the battery life. Some batteries have a disappointing capacity because the manufacturer uses low-quality materials. As such, they discharge very quickly. You also have poorly designed LED lights that use too much electricity.
How Do I Know My Battery Is Going To Die?
LED lights do not die at once simply because the batteries are empty. Instead, they will start fading. This gives you the time to take action before the lights die out completely.
Can I Extend The Battery Life In LED Lights?
You can extend the battery life in LED lights. The most obvious solution is to switch the lights off when you don’t need them. You can also reduce the number of lights in use. For instance, if you have multiple strips of LED lights but some of them are in places where people can’t see them, switch those strips off.
If you haven’t purchased the batteries and lights yet, pay attention to the quality. Look for LED lights with the lowest wattage that can still meet your lighting needs. You should also get batteries with the highest capacity. Naturally, your budget will limit your options.
Do Even LED Lights Run Out Of Battery?
Yes, LED lights can run out of battery.LEDs are longer lasting because they have greater efficiency. However, they still use electricity, and eventually, they will drain any battery you connect of its charge.
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