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LED Headlights, Turbos, Genuine & Aftermarket parts & more…

Thomas Performance Ltd, Land Rover Parts and Accessories.

LED Headlights and Condensation

You're probaly reading this article as you have discovered condensation in your LED Headlights. Condensation is a naturally occurring condition that can affect any light. It does not suggest a defect in a product, as opposed to what happens when a leak occurs, in which case there is water ingress (pooling of water within the lamp) that could lead to a system failure. The explanation contained herein is intended to help end users differentiate between these two conditions so they understand what, if anything, needs to be done.

Condensation

Condensation is the change of water from a gaseous form (vapor) into liquid water. It appears as small droplets of moisture inside the LED light.

Condensation does not cause a problem with normal operation of the light and is, therefore, NOT considered to be a defect or warrantable condition.

led headlight condensation

In fact, our lamps are designed to allow moisture to escape and not reenter with use of Gore-Tex breathable stickers on the reverse of the lamp, but it takes time for the moisture to evaporate (the amount of time will depend upon whether or not the light is turned on or not). If you're only using the vehicle for short journeys (lights on for short periods of time) you may find that it takes a long time for the mositure to evaporate. Condensation is more noticable in the winter months.

Virtually all lights are prone to condensate due to the following events:

  • Air is trapped inside a lamp when manufactured
  • Plastic parts used in lights naturally absorb moisture in the air
  • As the light heats up these plastics parts release moisture that mixes with air
  • Moisture attaches itself to the coolest part of the lamp, e.g. the lens
  • Halogen lamps tend to run hot so the moisture evaporates more quickly
  • LED lights produce less heat so moisture takes longer to evaporate, so it can be more noticeable

This is a natural process that can and will happen if the correct conditions are present.

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