led.... is this dumb?

[jeepman1]

so i just framed up a 24x24x10 addition to my existing garage and am starting to think about wiring and lighting. i currently have 8' t12 flourescent fixtures in my existing garage and love them... they have something like 5000k daylight bulbs in them.
obviously now t12's are not availble and everyone ive talked to (not here) make a big deal out of t8s and say they wont put out enough light..... i have also asked about leds but no one has much info....
so my question is why couldnt i use a 5000k led floodlight? space them accordingly in the garage? would this be a viable solution?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_150661-7577...=1&currentURL=?Ntt=led+light+bulbs&facetInfo=

i hope the link works but these are available at my local lowes. would this not work? the reviews are all positive?! am i missing something??

thanks in advance..

jeep

 

[soob]

I have a couple of the 3000k version of that LED bulb. They're very bright for what they are. But at only 1400 lumens you need a lot of LEDs to compare with fluorescent lights.

If I was you, I'd go with t5ho lamps--5000 lumens each, you get a nice spread from the long bulbs, and they're significantly cheaper at the initial purchase as well as more efficient in terms of lumens/watt.

5000 lumens / 54 watts = 92.5 lumens/watt
1400 lumens / 23 watts = 61 lumens/watt

 

[ForceFed70]

LED's will cost a fortune. T8's put out just as much light at T12 and are more efficient as well.

Soob: Where are you getting your lumens/watt figures from? LED lighting can be just as efficient as T8 or T5, you just need to spend the money on a quality fixture.

 

[G'ord]

Is the garage fully finished? What is it's dimensions?

Currently, L.E.D.s will cost you a large sum of money; however, I hope I can be the bringer of some good news.

Some electric providers offer rebates/incentives to convert to retrofit led fixtures, call them and find out. If they do, There are severial different retrofits that fit into 4/0 boxes (typically less than $2 for the 4/0 box) and in this area $20 back per retrofit.

More good news, Most lamp companies are still able to produce a few certain types of 8' t12 single pin lamp. They cost 3-4 times more per Lamp. Depending on the height of your fixtures you may want to consider converting to t12/HOs typically offered in 4200k not the 5000k you're familiar with. If you decide to convert your fixtures but keep them florescents you may want to consider switching to T5s. they are an high output, they are not in the queue to be phased out like some t8 are and are offered in 5000k color.

Hope this helps if you have any more questions let me know.

Sorry for rambling.

 

[jeepman1]

my garage is 24x24x10. i just finished framing and roofing it.... their is not a stitch of wiring in it... so it is a blank canvas so to speak.

also my utility company offers a $10 rebate per bulb and a $30 rebate per fixture. i should have mentioned the rebate earlier, but this was alot of the reason i was considering led.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Make sure you don't confuse lumens with color temperature. The 5000k/3000k designation generally refers to color temperature, which is the color of the light -- whether it looks blue like daylight or warmer like firelight. Incandescent lights are warmer. Old fluorescents are much bluer. Neither has anything to do with the quantity or brightness of the light itself.

 

[gatchel]

led.... is this dumb?

No it's a great idea. It just might not be cost effective as mentioned here and in numerous other threads on GJ.

 

[G'ord]

Make sure you don't confuse lumens with color temperature. The 5000k/3000k designation generally refers to color temperature, which is the color of the light -- whether it looks blue like daylight or warmer like firelight. Incandescent lights are warmer. Old fluorescents are much bluer. Neither has anything to do with the quantity or brightness of the light itself.

I'm sorry if i wasn't clear about what i meant about the color of the of the lamp.

One more note If you contact an electrical supply store (the ones contractors use) they often can help you with plans of how to arrange whatever type of lamp you choose and they should also be aware of which LED lamps/ fixtures in your area qualify (some might not).

Lastly, I have found that typically HD has the best price on 12/2 14/2 (some people say they sale it at a lose for business reasons) but tend to more expensive on most other items.

 

[jeepman1]

ok, thanks for all of the help guys! i am actually an hvac guy, and while not an electrician i do frequent electrical supply houses. in fact all of the lighting in my house has come from a commercial supply house. i do believe the quality is better and worth the extra money.

the problem is when i started asking around no one was able to give me a definate answer... it was kinda odd, like they just didnt know. so thats why i can here.

having said all of that, ive got a buddy that is maintenance supervisor for a chain of C stores. they just did a remodel and he ended up with 20 2x4 4 bulb t8 fixtures.... so he loaned me 10 of them.

im thinking they will need bulbs, but they all work!

 

[gatchel]

Free is always good! T-8's will work fine.