Chasing better lighting

[Lassen Forge]

Started out with the original 2 tube T-12's in the shop, but darn, they were weak. Dim lights, and when it got below 50 degrees, forget it.

So I went to T-8's... Those weren't bad, but the fixtures themselves were "Chinesium", bad ballasts, etc.

So then, having a friend with T-5's, which fired off better in the winter, and the lighting WAY got better fast.

Except now that they're getting older, they're not quite as bright... add to that I had a couple die. Pretty sad when they weren't cheap (especially since they were high output tubes with HO ballasts)...

So I figured I'd try something different - direct replacement LED's for the HO T5s. Replaced one fixture (4 tubes) inside and one outside...

WOW!! The light output seems HUGE compared to the fluorescent T5's, and supposedly they have a 50,000 hour lifespan?

I just saw a photo I took back when we first got the place - "Cave" doesn't really tell how dark it was originally. I'd post the diff, but I don't have a good way to scan the photo...

So I just plunked down the duckets to replace all with LED's. Now I'm wondering - will I be OK, or was it a mistake to go this way?

 

[Bill Bowman]

I switched over to all LED'S about 3 months ago in the shop. I have pretty low ceilings, and about 1700 square feet of shop. I converted 30 four foot double tube fixtures (60 LED tubes) in total. Huge difference IMHO. I had posted in the lighting thread and went with the frosted tubes over the clear ones. No shadows.

 

[J.C.]

Switched to all-LEDs about 12 months ago and couldn't be happier - super bright, even light throughout the whole workshop and a lower power bill to boot. Very much worth the money.

 

[ard]

Hyperikon T-8 LED replacement tubes, rewired existing fixtures (enclosed, reflector/lense) to direct wire.

Super bright, unaffected by temperature

 

[Cryptic1911]

I put four of these commercial electric 18000 lumen 5000k 2ft led lights in a 30x30 garage with 12'6 ceilings (even though they say for high bay), and it's like daylight in there. Completely transformed from my old 4ft t8 bulbs.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...-000-Lumens-5000K-Daylight-50232161/302456569

 

[zmotorsports]

You'll love the LED's.

In my last shop I too started out with T-12's then T-8's about ten years later. They worked ok and didn't really have the need for anything more but I did have quite a few 8' two bulb fixtures in my 1150 square foot shop.

When I built my new shop in 2017 I was going to go with the T-8's again but a friend took me to a shop he had just installed all new LED's in and I was blown away. I probably went a little overkill but I have eleven 27k lumen fixtures in my 40'x50'x16' shop area and 8 of them in my 20'x50'x16' RV storage bay and have just over 100 ft/candles to the floor. It is near operating room light and I love it.

 

[vavet]

My shop was built 2 years ago. The electrician used the direct LED tubes that work with the ballasts still installed (time savings on his part, I guess). I had 2 fixtures stop working shortly after they were installed, which I diagnosed as bad ballasts since swapping known good tubes into the inop fixtures didn't change anything. I ordered the LED tubes which are the direct 120V type. I removed the ballasts. They've been fine and the other 8 fixtures with the ballasts intact have been OK too.

There's no reason not go use LEDs if you're installing new.

 

[redidbull]

I have 4 recessed fixture with incandescent and a 4 head track strip over the work bench with LEDs. Jim

 

[nsula_country]

40x60x17 4on12 metal building. 24, 4 lamp commercial high bay T8 fluorescent. Have had 1 ballast go in 3 years. 75-80 fc anywhere in the building. LED's were 2x the price in the fixtures that I wanted.

Will investigate LED when ballasts start failing or need relamped. I think the one that failed was just a fluke.

CT

 

[Lassen Forge]

Hey, thanks for the input. Just finished the changeover to the P&P Phillips LED replacements - DAMN! I thought the T5's were awesome - these new ones blew the old ones out of the water. As long as they work this winter, I'm sold.

 

[u2slow]

I started with old, free T12 fixtures and bunch of used tubes. Attached them to bare studs with lumber scraps. Wired them with odds'n'sods leftovers from my work van. As they die off, I convert the guts to T8.

In some cases I've been able to pickup new T8 fixtures on clearance for less than ballast cost. Then I steal the ballast for retrofit, and put direct-wire LED tubes in the new fixture.

Eventually I'll buck up for a handful of LED high bays. Still have to board the ceiling and insulate though.

 

[fatjay]

Costco's $30 4' LED shop lights were on sale for $20. I picked up 30 of them for my new garage 2 tracks of 5 for the 44' length, 10 sets per floor, 3 floors.

 

[Kaizen]

I put four of these commercial electric 18000 lumen 5000k 2ft led lights in a 30x30 garage with 12'6 ceilings (even though they say for high bay), and it's like daylight in there. Completely transformed from my old 4ft t8 bulbs.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Commerc...-000-Lumens-5000K-Daylight-50232161/302456569

Did you just put them in a square? Centered in their own quarter ? Wouldn’t think that would be enough


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Platonic Solid]

Did you just put them in a square? Centered in their own quarter ? Wouldn’t think that would be enough

It's not. 30x30x12.5 with 4 fixtures (assumed 2x2 pattern) yields 55fc (average) @ 30" workplane and overall distribution is uneven. 3x3 pattern (thus 9 fixtures) evens out distribution, but now you want to put them on dimmers as that puts you at 119fc @ 30" workplane. (Assuming goal is 93fc for standard mechanical work). 9 13,000 lumen fixtures would be ideal.

 

[Cryptic1911]

Did you just put them in a square? Centered in their own quarter ? Wouldn’t think that would be enough


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

I have two in the front 1/4 of the garage - one in front of each bay and the other two are on opposite sides of the garage about halfway from front to back. So if you had two cars parked in there, one near drivers door, in front of car, other bay in front of car, and near passenger door in that bay. It's quite bright in there for having only four lights

 

[Kaizen]

I have two in the front 1/4 of the garage - one in front of each bay and the other two are on opposite sides of the garage about halfway from front to back. So if you had two cars parked in there, one near drivers door, in front of car, other bay in front of car, and near passenger door in that bay. It's quite bright in there for having only four lights

Thanks. I find too much light blinding so nice they can be dimmed


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[cadunkle]

My garage, 24'x30', had 3x 8' twin tube T12 fixtures and 2x 4' twin tube T8 fixtures. Lighting was decently bright but shadowy where the T8s were, and too dim under the T12s. I replaced these with 20x twin tube direct wire T8 fixtures (MaxLite LSS2XT8USE4803) and used Diva T8R-22L-50K-DM single ended direct wire 2200 lumen 5000k LED tubes with frosted lenses. I'm very pleased with the result, it was worth the time and money to me.

 

[ddawg16]

I have 18 LED recessed cans set up in 3 zones.