Let there be light!
I finally cleaned out the main room so I could get the roadster out of the lift room. The room needed some TLC in a big way. One of the things I did was convert all 12 4' shop lights to LED bulbs. I used the ones that are direct wire so I gave all my electronic ballasts and working bulbs to a friend.
WOW! What a difference! I had a box of 24 bulbs that I ordered off Amazon. I have discovered that you can buy cheaper LED bulbs but they require a ballast and that is part of what goes bad. Even the electronic ones die. The ones I got were no ballast and power only one end. The other end is just to hold it in place. Installations is a snap. Basically, cut all the wires and put a hot wire to one side of the tombstone holder and a neutral to the other. Took 10 minutes per fixture. My shop has high ceilings so changing them is a pain especially when the roadster is in the way. As a result there were usually 40% of the lights not working. The new bulbs are about 160 for 20 so not cheap but I've spent way too much of my life wishing I had better light. |
Kerry, I've been looking to do this myself. If I understand correctly, you removed the ballast and just wired up the holder for the bulbs?
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Do you have a link to those bulbs? Amazon lists 8000 led bulbs.
I am in the same or worse condition. I normally just turn on the lights in the first 20 foot bay and most of those no longer light. My fixtures are 18-20 feet up and much machinery needs to be move to get a lift in under each light. I won't want to do it again any time soon (in my lifetime might be more appropriate). |
Converting fluorescent to LED strips
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I changed my 4ft shop strip lights to LED two years ago. I used direct replacement Phillips LED bulbs that went right into the 25-yr-old fixtures, 8 lights each x 3 strips = 48 bulbs. Phillips "direct replacement" #456566. About $10 each. 4000k temps. At the end I also replaced 6 ballasts, as some of the old ones could not ignite the new bulbs. |
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Similar to these: https://smile.amazon.com/LED-Replace...ast+single+end The Hyperion bulbs in cases of 24 is not available at the moment. I got clear tubes. The ones in the link are frosted. I'm not sure what difference it makes but I'd think you lose a few lumens. You want to search for 'ballast bypass' and 'one end'. That way you cut the old ballast out and just hook up hot and neutral wires to one end of each tube. Kent I'm taking back 40 direct replacement bulbs to Lowes today because, while they were cheap, I didn't want to have to deal with ballasts ever failing. With a 50,000 hour life, I expect these bulbs will LONG out live me. That's 13.7 years 10 hours a day. |
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Yep, My math shows another 19.35 years ahead, and an average ballast time of 23.5yrs. Failure rate is 13%, with a $12.86 replacement cost and an 11 minute ET to change out. Works for me. 29 tubes currently in stock, and 3 ballasts. |
I went all LED this year, but I chose 6000K bulbs. I can see things MUCH more clearly in the shop now, and my air conditioners don't have to work as hard this summer.
NOTE: Some bulbs that say they are direct replacement AREN'T. I bought all my bulbs at Lowes in packs of 10. SANDBLAST CABINET: Change your fluorescent bulbs to 6000K LED bulbs and you will be AMAZED at the difference. |
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At the age of 40 your eyes' need for light doubles. At the age of 50, doubles again. 60? - doubles again. The craftsman NEEDS good light - so I have 300W X 2 ea. over each workbench, as I don't need surgical theater lumens throughout my whole shop. :):):) |
I've also read that you can save a little more energy by deleting the ballasts.
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That's downright depressing! |
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