Marine LED Lighting from China: Types, Specs and What to Send for a Quote

Lighting is the largest single group in our catalogue: more than 400 items, from complete explosion-proof fittings to the small LED module inside a starboard light. Most of it is made in China, often by the same factories that supply the original fittings to shipyards. That is why marine lighting is one of the easiest families to source from China, and also one of the easiest to get wrong if the specification is incomplete.

The main types

• Explosion-proof (Ex) lighting. Fittings for pump rooms, paint stores and hazardous areas on tankers and gas carriers: Ex LED tubes, floodlights and well-glass fittings, for example the Ex LED tube 18W, the 9W version or the explosion-proof light CFL18.
• Navigation and signal lights. Masthead, side, stern and anchor lights, signal lamps and their control panels. Replacement parts such as the LED module for a TH1-10BL starboard light or a CXH17 navigation signal light are often what is actually needed, not a complete lantern.
• LED tubes and battens. T8 and T5 tubes for engine rooms, stores and accommodation, such as the T8 LED tube 600 mm or double-ended T8 tubes.
• Floodlights and searchlights. Deck and cargo floodlights like the Haixing 100W floodlight.
• Cabin, pendant and cabinet lights. For example the CJTD-T5-400 marine LED fixture, the TCYA10 LED pendant light or the CDD12 ceiling light for lifeboats.
• Warning and indicator lights. Revolving beacons such as the Qlight S100UA and panel indicator lamps like the Tayee AD17 24V DC.

Spares are half of the work

A fitting rarely fails as a whole. What fails is the driver, the ballast, the lamp or the diffuser. Ordering only that part is cheaper and faster than replacing the fitting, as long as it matches. Typical spares we supply include LED drivers such as the DONE DL-12W250-L or LIFUD LF-GIC013YS, ballasts like the 400W ballast TNDZ-40, and lamps such as the 24V 60W halogen bulb for CXD8 signal lamps.

For LED drivers the output current (for example 250 mA or 200 mA) and the voltage range must match the LED module. A driver with the right wattage but the wrong current will shorten the life of the module or not light it at all.

Retrofitting fluorescent tubes to LED

Replacing fluorescent tubes with LED tubes is one of the most common requests. There are three ways LED tubes are wired, and the quote depends on which one you want:

• Ballast-compatible: the LED tube works with the existing ballast. Quickest to install, but the old ballast stays in the circuit.
• Direct mains: the ballast is bypassed and the tube runs on 220V AC directly. The fitting has to be rewired once.
• External driver: the tube runs from a separate LED driver that replaces the ballast.

Tell us which one you need. If you are not sure, send a photo of the fitting with the cover open.

The specifications that matter for a quote

• Supply voltage and type. 220V AC is the most common on board, but emergency and navigation circuits often run on 24V DC. In our lighting range 24V and 220V are the two dominant ratings.
• Wattage and length. For tubes: 600 mm or 1,200 mm, T5 or T8, and the wattage.
• Colour temperature. Most marine LED fittings are 6,000 to 6,500 K daylight white. Accommodation areas sometimes use warmer light.
• Ex marking for hazardous areas. The full marking from the existing fitting (gas group, temperature class, zone) and the certificate type. An Ex fitting without the correct certificate cannot be installed, whatever it costs.
• Ingress protection. The IP rating, especially for deck and open-area fittings.
• Mounting and dimensions. Ceiling, wall or pendant, and the fixing dimensions, so the new fitting uses the existing holes.
• For navigation lights: the model of the existing lantern. Navigation lights are type-approved as a unit, so replacement modules and lamps should match the existing lantern rather than be mixed from different makers.

What to send us

A photo of the nameplate, the model or part number, the quantity and the vessel name are usually enough. For Ex fittings add a photo of the Ex marking. For spares, a photo of the old part next to a ruler saves a round of questions.

You can search our catalogue for LED parts by part number, or send an inquiry directly. If a part is not in the catalogue, we can usually still find it.