When it comes to LED wall washers, most people think of them as lights that can wash walls. LED wall washers are LED lighting products used to light up and illuminate outdoor building walls. To create stunning visual effects, they can evenly “wash” walls, building facades, or other surfaces. In this article, we will explain in detail what an Wall Washer Lighting? How does it work? What occasions are wall washers suitable for? What are the characteristics of different types of wall washers? How to choose a wall washer that is suitable for your project?
What Is an Wall Washer Lighting?
An LED wall washer is an LED lamp that is mainly used for uniform lighting of large areas of exterior walls. It adopts a wide and narrow beam angle design, and you can choose the appropriate light angle according to your needs.
It allows light to evenly cover the wall, building facade or other target surface. It achieves soft, glare-free lighting effects through high-brightness LED light sources and outdoor waterproofing. It is suitable for a variety of scenes such as architecture, commerce, art and outdoor landscapes.
If compared with a floodlight, the advantages of an LED wall washer are its strong controllability, rich colors and flexible installation. It can not only highlight the texture and outline of the wall, but also achieve color changes and dynamic lighting effects through RGB or DMX control.
What is the Working Principle of Wall Washer Lighting?
The core working principle of LED wall washer is to “wash” the wall or building facade with uniform and bright light by precisely controlling the light distribution of LED light source. It mainly consists of the following parts:
LED strong light source
The main light source of LED wall washer is to use high-brightness LED chips as the core light-emitting element. These chips are generally high-brightness chips and have a high color rendering index (usually above 90). Because high-quality LED chips can ensure good light color consistency and low brightness attenuation during long-term operation, thus providing more reliable lighting effects.
Wall washer housing
The housing of LED wall washer is mainly for heat dissipation, and is mostly made of high thermal conductivity aluminum alloy, which can help heat dissipation. The internal design has multiple heat dissipation structures, such as heat dissipation fins, heat pipes, heat convection channels, etc.
Driver or power supply
LED wall washer is generally selected with high-voltage AC 85-265V and low-voltage DC24V. The power supply is built-in and you don’t need to buy it extra. High-quality drivers have protection functions such as overvoltage, overcurrent, short circuit, and overtemperature to prevent the LED chip from being damaged.
Lens
To achieve the “wall washing” effect, it is not enough to rely solely on the LED chip to emit light. It is also necessary to match a lens or reflector to control the beam angle and distribution range. According to the needs of the actual application, you can choose different emitting angles. The beam can be shaped into a narrow straight line or expanded into a wider fan.
Installation accessories
In order to meet the requirements of lighting angles in different scenarios, the installation structure of LED wall washers usually has an adjustable angle bracket or rotating mechanism. The installer can adjust the irradiation angle of the lamp according to the height, distance, and material of the building surface, so that the light can maximize the coverage of the wall and achieve uniform light projection from top to bottom, from left and right sides, etc.
Control system
The color temperature of the LED wall washer can be selected in multiple ways. It not only provides static white light illumination, but also provides color temperatures such as DMX512. These control systems can adjust the brightness, color, dimming speed of the lamps, and even change in sync with the rhythm of music to create dynamic lighting effects.
Driver or power supply
The driver power supply is the guarantee for the stable operation of LED wall washers. Usually there are high voltage AC 85-265V and low voltage DC24V options. High-quality drivers have over voltage, over current, short circuit, over temperature and other protection functions to prevent the LED chip from being damaged.
Types of LED Wall Washer Lighting
LED wall washers have different styles of appearance, but the basic functions are similar. We can also classify them according to their color temperature, control method and installation method, and according to different application requirements and product characteristics. LED wall washers can be divided into the following categories:
Color temperature
Single wall washers: such as monochrome (warm white + cold white), suitable for places that require stable and soft lighting effects.
RGB/RGBW wall washers: can change three colors of red, green and blue, and can be adjusted to a variety of dynamic colors through the control system.
DMX512 wall washers: DMX512 is available, supporting self-programming and color temperature control.
Control method
Constant light type: turns on and lights up, suitable for simple lighting needs.
DMX512 control type: supports programming control, and can achieve a variety of lighting effects such as gradient, jump, strobe, running water, chasing, etc.
DALI control type: suitable for integrated control in intelligent lighting systems, widely used in intelligent building lighting.
Installation location
Ground-mounted type: Fix the lamp to the ground and project light from bottom to top onto the wall or facade at an elevation. This method is the most common and is mainly used for lighting building exterior walls, sculptures, trees or bridges. The product is equipped with an adjustable bracket to facilitate adjustment of the irradiation angle.
Ground embedded wall washer: This is a type of lamp that can be embedded in the ground or paved surface. The surface is a glass panel or stainless steel frame, and it has a high waterproof and dust-proof level.
Understand the Characteristics of LED Wall Washer Lighting
We just analyzed the types of LED wall washers. Now let’s analyze its relevant data in detail. These data are very important for you to choose the right LED wall washers. So you still need to understand the main technical parameters and product characteristics:
Power (W)
Power (W) is a key parameter to measure the power consumption of LED wall washers per unit time. At the same time, power is also one of the basic factors that determine the brightness and lighting effect of the lamp.
Generally speaking, the greater the power, the higher the output luminous flux. The same lighting range and intensity are also enhanced. According to different application scenarios, the power of wall washers can be roughly divided into three levels: low power, medium power and high power.
It is usually used for large-area exterior wall projection lighting such as high-rise buildings, bridges, and squares. You need to choose a suitable appearance and appropriate power, and should comprehensively consider the actual lighting needs, site characteristics and energy-saving goals.
Luminous flux and brightness (lm)
Luminous flux and brightness (lumens, lm) are important indicators for evaluating the luminous performance of LED wall washers. Among them, “luminous flux” refers to the total amount of visible light emitted by the lamp per unit time, and its unit is “lumen” (lm).
In practical applications, high-luminous flux LED wall washers are particularly suitable for lighting projects that need to emphasize the outline of the building, express the layering of the facade, or enhance the visual impact at night.
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Color temperature is directly related to the color rendering index (CRI). It is an important parameter that can affect the quality and visual effect of LED wall washers.
The color rendering index (CRI) indicates the ability of the light source to truly restore the color of the object. The value range is from 0 to 100. The higher the value, the more natural the color restoration. Generally, we now recommend customers to choose a light source with CRI ≥ 90.
Because CRI>90 is very suitable for places with high requirements for accurate color reproduction, such as art galleries, showrooms and other professional environments, to ensure that objects present real and saturated colors under the light.
Lighting Angle
The light angle of the LED wall washer determines the distribution of the light beam, which has a direct impact on the width of the light spot and the irradiation distance. There are narrow-angle and wide-angle options: 5°, 10°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°. You can choose according to your needs.
Protection level
LED wall washer lights are often used outdoors or in complex environments. Its waterproof level is generally IP65 or even higher. IP67 and IP68 can also be customised. You need to tell us the installation scenario in advance, and we will recommend the appropriate waterproof level for you.
How to Choose a Suitable LED Wall Washer Lighting?
When purchasing an LED Wall Washer Lighting, in addition to understanding the relevant properties of the product. You also need to choose according to the lighting project and your own needs.
Lighting purpose
Clear lighting goals are a key step in choosing the right LED wall washer. LED wall washer lights illuminate the exterior of buildings or illuminate sculptures, etc. Therefore, the lighting goal determines the required luminous flux, beam angle, lamp type, etc.
Installation environment
The installation environment is the primary consideration when choosing LED wall washer. Different environments may have different requirements for the performance, durability and function of lamps. For outdoor installation, special attention must be paid to the waterproof level, so choose a lamp with a high IP level (such as IP65 or IP68).
Calculate the required brightness
When choosing LED wall washer, luminous flux (lumens) is the key parameter to measure the brightness of the lamp. The required brightness depends on the size of the installation area, the lighting effect requirements, and the distribution of light.
Beam angle
The beam angle determines the distribution range and irradiation distance of the light. Usually, LED wall washers offer a variety of different beam angles, such as 5°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, etc. Choosing the right angle should be determined by the size and distance of the irradiated target.
Irradiation distance
The irradiation distance refers to the distance between the LED wall washer and the wall or target object, which directly affects the required power and beam angle. This distance is described in our specification.
Therefore, when choosing an LED wall washer, you need to consider the distance between the lamp and the irradiated surface to ensure that the lamp can provide sufficient light to avoid uneven lighting or insufficient brightness.
Color requirements
If you need to achieve dynamic color change effects, you can choose RGB wall washers, which can provide three colors of red, green and blue, and can be adjusted to a rich color through the control system.
Monochrome is also available, so you can also choose only a single color color temperature. However, most customers choose DMX512 because it can achieve complex lighting effects and color changes.
Where Can LED Wall Washers Be Installed?
LED wall washers can be used in various scenarios, most of which are mainly outdoor lighting. Of course, LED wall washers can also be used indoors, such as in exhibitions and museums.
Building exterior lighting
For the lighting of the building facade, we can mainly choose LED wall washers. Through uniform light distribution, LED wall washers can highlight the unique structure and appearance of the building, creating a striking night effect.
Whether it is a modern glass curtain wall building or a traditional masonry building, LED wall washers can provide ideal lighting effects.
Bridge and landmark decoration
Bridges and urban landmark buildings often require special lighting designs to enhance their visual effects and artistic sense. The application of LED wall washers can highlight the structural lines of the bridge.
Garden landscape lighting
In garden landscape lighting, LED wall washers are often used for background lighting design in areas such as walls, water features, and sculptures. Through soft light, wall washers can highlight the delicate details in the garden landscape.
Exhibition Hall Lighting
LED wall washer is often used to highlight the background of exhibits and create a sense of spatial hierarchy. Therefore, it can be used in exhibition halls to enhance the details and visual impact of exhibits, while avoiding excessive light directly shining on exhibits, so as not to damage cultural relics or affect the audience’s visual experience.
Indoor Commercial Space Lighting
In the lighting design of indoor commercial spaces, it is used for lighting brand walls and decorative background walls. LED wall washer can effectively highlight brand logos, product displays and the overall design style of the space.
Summary
LED Wall Washer Lighting is mainly used to illuminate buildings and exterior walls. When choosing, it is necessary to comprehensively consider multiple factors such as power, luminous flux, color temperature, material, protection level, etc., and follow reasonable installation techniques to ensure the high efficiency, safety and long-term stability of the lamp, so as to achieve the ideal lighting effect and enhance the visual appeal of the environment. For more information on LED wall washers, please contact us.