LED's for the replacement of fluorescent tubes

[mlappin]

Has anybody found a replacement 48" led bulb thats reasonably priced but works well?

We only heat our shop while actually working in it, cold start fluorescents will eventually come on to full brightness but seems hard on ballasts doing this repeatedly if we only need to be in the shop for ten minutes.

I'm using the daylight bulbs now, around 6000K if i remember right, 32watt.

 

[bmblank]

Get done cold weather ballasts, that will help a bit. LEDs site would be nicer, but I think you'll pay out the, uh, nose.

 

[mlappin]

Already have the cold start ballasts. Just seems like if you use then as stated, either the ballasts or bulbs don't last as long. Never have problems in the summer.

 

[DougA]

Doesn't sound right. I've got cold start ballasts in my outdoor sign and it flickers for a few seconds and comes to full brightness within another few seconds. I think you should check the label of the ballast and see if you got ripped off.
To answer your question, I have yet to find anything that will replace the fluorescents in my office that will be a reasonable price. I'm just in the process of replacing them in my outdoor sign with a solar/battery/LED combo that I am putting together myself. I got quoted over $1K for a 4x8' sign to have it done but I'll end up with an LED string that won't be super bright but certainly bright enough for my needs for under $200. w the battery being half the cost. The sign was on it's own hydro meter and the power was cheap but the minimum monthly billing of $80 was killing us.

I spoke to a guy Sat. who owns a company that sells LED lighting using gov't grants to industry. He's making a fortune.

 

[Highbeam]

I know what you are talking about regarding cold startup/warmup of t8 tubes. All of my shop t8 fixtures are fairly new and all are electronic ballasts rated to 0 degrees or some other super low temperature. They all start up instantly with no flicker. The light output from each tube is reduced for a minute or two until the tubes themselves warm up and then they run full brightness. I don't think that the warm up is as hard on the tubes/ballasts as frequent on/off cycles. I did install a separately switched light circuit for quick grabs, it just powers up 4 t8 bulbs in the middle of my shop instead of the next switch which powers up 16.

I killed one ballast so far by banging on the framing next to it while installing my woodstove. They don't like being banged.

Your cheapest option is to replace the tube gear if it breaks. LED equipment is far too expensive at this time.

You could install some additional fixtures and use LED edison base bulbs on their own circuit for quick cycles. That's about the only reasonable cost LED option right now.

 

[mlappin]

I already have three circuits the lights are on, one is right along the bolt bins, drill press, lathe, etc.

One thing suggested today at a commercial lighting store, get a surge suppressor/filter installed, electronic ballasts are kinda like computers, they don't like surges or dirty electric.

 

[Highbeam]

One thing suggested today at a commercial lighting store, get a surge suppressor/filter installed, electronic ballasts are kinda like computers, they don't like surges or dirty electric.

Sounds like a guy trying to sell surge suppressors. Most ballasts are multi-voltage rated and are quite capable of dealing with variable inputs. Even computers are quite capable of dealing with dirty power, unless you have one of the computers with known crappy power supplies like my older dell desktop.

I wonder where you would install a surge suppressor for a lighting circuit? On the breaker? At each fixture? Almost certainly a waste of time.

 

[mlappin]

I wondered, and I usually do take that stuff with a grain of salt.

I have wondered if some of the single phase stuff in the shop might set up some funny harmonics. Both drill presses and the stick welder are on the single phase. Big wire welder, plasma cutter, bridgeport and lathe are all on the three phase.

 

[blades]

Power line problems are more about what comes up the neutral line or even the ground. Power surges from the supply grid switching are even more fun. The complete drop of one grid and powering up/switch to a different grid can send a power surge of mega proportions down the line. There can be a voltage swing of 600 or more volts on both sides of the sine wave when they do this. Back in the mid 80's I was installing new cnc equipment for a company got 2 units up and running 24 hours later both units were down with power supply boards completely trashed, printed circuit traces burned right off the boards, 220v /3p input thrrough a transformer to an output of 220v 1p. Long and short grid switch by power company at apx 1pm everyday was sending spike on line. Had to prove it was the power co. which I did by using recording volt/amp monitors with printed readouts. made for an interesting several days. Huge civil suit never heard the out come.
Several years ago started have problems in my own shop with220v 3/p motors burning up, Bandsaw welder that was constant burning the but welds ect. One was a brand new 3hp Baldor no more than 2hr run time, seems the new McDonalds on my line needed more power to run all their fryers and such so the power co changed the voltage tapp on the line transformer just outside of my shop, 220 v units do not particularly care to be fed 300+ ( ya way outside the +/- 10% range).

So check your line voltages a simple volt /ohm meter will suffice, if you are getting a reading of over 130v no load or over 240V or so no load your ballasts won't last long ( normal range 110V-130V, 220V-240V) By the way low voltage supply is just as bad on solid state equipment as the amperage increases causing more heat to be generated and solid state doesn't like that.

 

[DougA]

I bought a Sola line conditioner for the problems I was having with power surges. Fixed the problem just fine but the disadvantage was that the unit drew a lot pf power even if the equipment down line was not in use. Back then it was not a big deal but the cost of power now is out of this world crazy.

 

[TonyVideo]

Duke Energy offered one that plugged in behind your meter. They took the meter off and plugged in the surge/line conditioner and then the meter on top of it. I haven't had a problem since the install. I had 2 motors die within in 6 months and power strips were lucky to last a few years as they list the surge supression. They have had to replace the line conditioner once on 4 years. LED on the side apparently goes out when not working. Interesting as a consumer you have to pay the supplier to not only deliver power but to fix their issues.

 

[Light in the Dark]

My company engineers lighting products for industry. I have not seen a SINGLE source anywhere that is making a quality LED linear retrofit. I honestly think its going to be very, very difficult. LED thermal management is of the utmost concern, and enclosing a fixture (like the glass of the tube) totally holds the heat in and rapidly shortens the life of the product.

Without trying to seem like I am selling something here (which I am not), our newest lighting product produces around 6000 lux around 18" standoff, and 1500 lux around 36". This product is meant to be a direct retrofit/upgrade to a similar dual tube fluorescent product for certain industries. Only uses about 38w total. We are doing QUITE well with it.

 

[mlappin]

Same place that told me about cleaning up my power supply also suggested a retrofit kit by CREE, at $128 a fixture I think I'll pass.