Which Spare Modules Should You Order With a New LED Display?

Quick answer

There is no universal spare percentage to copy. Ask the manufacturer to recommend a quantity for the exact wall and support lead time, then price it, because a remote site with long replenishment times justifies a different plan from a locally supported installation. Before ordering, confirm the spare is the same model and batch as the shipped cabinets, that its labels and serials match your cabinet map, and that calibration data and storage conditions are supplied in writing. Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete, for example, lists Spare Modules among its included items, which shows that spare scope is a line item to define rather than assume. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Start from the exact model, not a family name

A spare module is only useful if it matches the product actually installed. Planar Komodo Series is offered as Komodo 0.7, Komodo 0.9 and Komodo 1.2, and the specification table lists pixel pitches of 0.75mm, 0.9375mm and 1.25mm for those models. A spare ordered against a family description rather than a named model can arrive with the wrong pitch and will not fit the wall you bought. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)

The same logic applies across a range. Planar DirectLight Ultra Series is listed as DLU-0.6, DLU-0.7, DLU-0.9 and DLU-1.2, with pixel pitches of 0.62mm, 0.78mm, 0.93mm and 1.25mm respectively. Ask the supplier to state the exact model name and pitch on the spare line of the order, not just the series. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Module dimensions differ between models too. The Komodo 0.7 module overview drawing shows a module with 9X attachment magnet, while the Komodo 0.9-1.2 module overview drawing shows 14X attachment magnet. Those are drawings for named models, so treat module-level fit as model-specific and ask for the drawing that belongs to your ordered model. (komodo-07-outline-rev_c-1; komodo_09-12_outline_rev_b)

What the supplier must confirm in writing

Ask whether spares are included at all. Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete is described as an off-the-shelf video wall solution, and its included list names LED Display Cabinets, Planar WallDirector Video Controller, Remote Power Supply, Wall Mounts, Remote Control, Cables and Spare Modules. That is a named complete-package product, so use it as a prompt to ask your own supplier what the equivalent list contains for your order. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Ask for the batch relationship between spares and shipped cabinets. Colour uniformity is a stated design goal in these ranges: Planar describes the Komodo Series advanced manufacturing process as strategically positioning LED dies in alternating positions to unlock richer color uniformity and broader viewing angles, and describes DirectLight Ultra Series MicroLEDs as delivering excellent color uniformity. Because uniformity is a product-level claim, ask the supplier to confirm in writing that spare modules come from a batch matched to your cabinets. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026; planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Ask how alignment is maintained after a swap. Planar DirectLight Ultra Series includes the Planar ActivAlign Module Alignment System, described as a proprietary self-adjusting alignment technology that maintains high visual performance over time, combating issues such as vibration and thermal expansion that can cause LED modules to shift. If your wall is that series, ask the supplier to state how a replaced module is aligned and checked. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Labels, records and storage

Require serial numbers and labels on every spare that match your cabinet map, and keep the cabinet map, configuration files and calibration data in an owner-controlled backup. Ask the supplier to confirm the storage conditions for spare modules for your exact model, and record them in the order so the spares are held correctly before first use. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)

For reference, the Planar Komodo Series specification table lists a storage temperature and humidity range of -10° to 60° C, 14° to 140° F, at 10-85% relative humidity, non-condensing. That is a named-series figure, so ask your supplier for the storage range that applies to your ordered model rather than assuming it transfers. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)

Also settle who pays to return a defective part and send the replacement. Planar DirectLight Ultra Series is protected by the Planar EverCare Lifetime Limited Warranty, which the brochure says covers the whole display, everything from the sub-pixels to the video controller, for as long as it is used in a fixed location. That is one named warranty; ask your supplier to state the equivalent remedy and freight responsibility for your order. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Match the spare plan to the site, not to a rule of thumb

The right quantity depends on how fast you can get a replacement and how much downtime costs. Planar describes DirectLight Ultra Series as designed for mission-critical environments where displays need to withstand extended or continuous operation day and night, and notes that control rooms, hospitals and other applications that cannot afford downtime benefit from exception performance 24x7. If your wall runs in that kind of schedule, that is the argument to put to the supplier when asking for a recommended spare quantity. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Ask the supplier to recommend a quantity for the exact wall and support lead time, then price it, and treat a longer replenishment time or a more remote site as a reason to hold more. Do not accept a generic percentage from a quote template; make the quantity a written recommendation tied to your model, your site and your support route. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Spare module decisions and the evidence to request

Buyer checklist

• Ask each bidder to name the exact model and pitch for the spare line, not a product family. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)
• Request the included-items list for the offered package and mark spares as included, excluded or unclear. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)
• Ask for written confirmation that spare modules are batch matched to the shipped cabinets. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)
• Request the storage temperature and humidity range for the offered model and record it in the order. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026)
• Ask the supplier to recommend a spare quantity for your exact wall and support lead time, then price it. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)
• Settle who pays return freight for a defective part and how a replacement is aligned and checked after a swap. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Frequently asked questions

Is there a standard percentage of modules to order as spares?

No universal figure applies. Ask the manufacturer to recommend a quantity for the exact wall and support lead time, then price it, because a remote site with long replenishment times justifies a different plan from a locally supported installation. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Can I use a spare module from a different batch?

Treat batch matching as something to confirm in writing rather than assume. Planar describes the Komodo Series advanced manufacturing process as unlocking richer color uniformity and broader viewing angles, and describes DirectLight Ultra Series MicroLEDs as delivering excellent color uniformity, so ask the supplier to confirm the spare comes from a batch matched to your cabinets. (planar-komodo-series-brochure-3-2026; planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Do complete packages include spare modules?

It depends on the named package. Planar DirectLight Ultra Complete is described as an off-the-shelf video wall solution and its included list names Spare Modules alongside LED Display Cabinets, the Planar WallDirector Video Controller, Remote Power Supply, Wall Mounts, Remote Control and Cables. Ask your supplier for the equivalent list for the product you are buying. (planar-directlight-ultra-series_brochure-6-25)

Further reading

• LED Screen Shipping, Maintenance and Running Cost
• How to Compare LED Screen Quotes Line by Line
• COB vs SMD LED Displays: Choose by Use, Service and Cost