Anyone with landscape lights in a northern climate knows there's a problem when you get heavy snowfall - the lighting disappears! Fortunately, most lights get hot and quickly melt the snow. Voila! The lights emerge like beacons from those snowy blankets.
I say "most" lights because some don't get hot enough to melt the snow – especially the new LED ones . LEDs generate much less heat than do incandescent bulbs, so it can become a losing battle between the snow and the lights . If the snow wins, then the homeowner may be in for a cold dark winter .
This is less of a problem with CAST LED lights – here's why. Most of the heat comes from the LED chips inside the fixture. To melt the snow, that heat must travel from the chips to the body of the fixture.
With CAST LEDs, the LED chips are "integrated" into the fixture body. That means there is a solid metal pathway for the heat to follow; the chips are mounted on a metal board; the metal board is mounted on a metal core; and the metal core is mounted in (or is part of) the fixture body. The heat travels very quickly from the chips to the body – this not only melts the snow, it keeps the chips cool so they last longer and perform better.
Compare this with what happens in other types of LED lights. Those lights put the LEDs into old-style bulbs – they are not integrated into the fixture body. The heat from those LEDs has a tough path to follow. Instead of a solid metal pathway, the heat must pass through the fixture's internal air space . Air is a poor conductor of heat .
Think of a thermos bottle – pour hot chocolate into a thermos and it remains hot for a long time while the outside of the thermos remains cool . That's because every thermos has an air space between the inner chamber and the outer wall. That's what happens when you put old - style LED bulbs inside a light fixture – they have an air space preventing the heat from escaping . Such fixtures have a tougher time melting the snow and are at risk for the type of overheating that shortens their lives and diminishes their performance .
That's why, if you live in a snowy region, you need integrated CAST LED lights to enjoy the nighttime warmth and glow of your snowy landscape!