LED Panel Lights

[Cougar]

Currently have incandescent lights in the basement.
Wanted something brighter. Thought I would try these from Menards.
Not expensive easy to do.
They are nice and bright.
But they get super hot, didn't think an LED would get that hot.
Now I don't trust them.
Anyone else use them?

 

[kaymccampbell]

Nope. Those were not an option when I relamped my shop. And they extended down far enough that I'd lose more ceiling height than I wanted.

LEDs put out heat. Even the regular A19 size LED bulbs pump out the heat. Not as much as the old incandescents, but heat all the same. The more light per unit, the more heat. I use the HF 5K lumen LED shop lights. They get hot-ish. They put out about the same as the fluorescents they replaced, but are way brighter. I mounted them on hat channel tracks to get them a bit below the ceiling, just in case. Especially since the old fluorescents scorched the ceiling in a few spots.

All that said, do they get hot enough to melt your porcelain sockets or the boxes they hang from? Are they close to flammables? If those answers are no, then you're fine. If yes, then you'll need a different solution.

You could get the little receptacle things that screw into the light sockets, then go for shop lights to plug into them.

Amazon.com

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

How hot is hot?….. "IF" you can't hold your hand on it, I would say it’s dangerous.
Are they UL listed?


BTW! "IF" these are running hot that indicates that they aren’t very energy efficient.…….. Can you check the power consumption and compare it to the rating?

 

[Cougar]

Nope. Those were not an option when I relamped my shop. And they extended down far enough that I'd lose more ceiling height than I wanted.

LEDs put out heat. Even the regular A19 size LED bulbs pump out the heat. Not as much as the old incandescents, but heat all the same. The more light per unit, the more heat. I use the HF 5K lumen LED shop lights. They get hot-ish. They put out about the same as the fluorescents they replaced, but are way brighter. I mounted them on hat channel tracks to get them a bit below the ceiling, just in case. Especially since the old fluorescents scorched the ceiling in a few spots.

All that said, do they get hot enough to melt your porcelain sockets or the boxes they hang from? Are they close to flammables? If those answers are no, then you're fine. If yes, them you'll need a different solution.

You could get the little receptacle things that screw into the light sockets, then go for shop lights to plug into them.

Amazon.com

They feel hot enough that the plastic could melt.
I have some extra shop lights will give those a try.
Thought about the screw in adaptors but don't like the no grounding.
Will replace the sockets with receptacles.

 

[kaymccampbell]

They feel hot enough that the plastic could melt.
I have some extra shop lights will give those a try.
Thought about the screw in adaptors but don't like the no grounding.
Will replace the sockets with receptacles.

Then I'd go for a different solution. Nobody wants some half melted fire hazard hanging over their head.
The original incandescents didn't have a grounding system, same as soo many lighting solutions. I wouldn't sweat it. Unless you're going to be up to your armpits in water, licking the sockets, then I really wouldn't worry.

 

[Norcal]

Nope. Those were not an option when I relamped my shop. And they extended down far enough that I'd lose more ceiling height than I wanted.

LEDs put out heat. Even the regular A19 size LED bulbs pump out the heat. Not as much as the old incandescents, but heat all the same. The more light per unit, the more heat. I use the HF 5K lumen LED shop lights. They get hot-ish. They put out about the same as the fluorescents they replaced, but are way brighter. I mounted them on hat channel tracks to get them a bit below the ceiling, just in case. Especially since the old fluorescents scorched the ceiling in a few spots.

All that said, do they get hot enough to melt your porcelain sockets or the boxes they hang from? Are they close to flammables? If those answers are no, then you're fine. If yes, them you'll need a different solution.

You could get the little receptacle things that screw into the light sockets, then go for shop lights to plug into them.

Amazon.com

If they got that hot users would be SOL, & the FD would be extinguishing the building remains.

 

[Cougar]

How hot is hot?….. "IF" you can't hold your hand on it, I would say it’s dangerous.
Are they UL listed?


BTW! "IF" these are running hot that indicates that they aren’t very energy efficient.…….. Can you check the power consumption and compare it to the rating?

Very hot. Tried to touch it, thought holy s*!t that's hot.
They are UL std. 1993.
Supposed to be the equivalent of a 60-watt bulb.

 

[Cougar]

Then I'd go for a different solution. Nobody wants some half melted fire hazard hanging over their head.
The original incandescents didn't have a grounding system, same as soo many lighting solutions. I wouldn't sweat it. Unless you're going to be up to your armpits in water, licking the sockets, then I really wouldn't worry.

They would work but I like the idea of receptacles.

 

[American Locomotive]

Very hot. Tried to touch it, thought holy s*!t that's hot.
They are UL std. 1993.
Supposed to be the equivalent of a 60-watt bulb.

Are you sure it's 60 watt equivalent, and not just 60 watts of output power? A 60 watt incandescent equivalent LED bulb is typically only 5-8 watts in power, and looks like a normal lightbulb.

A true 60 watt LED fixture will emit almost as much heat as a traditional 60 watt incandescent, and will get very hot if not properly cooled.

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

IMHO……. Return them and go in a different direction. Toss them or return them before you have a fire.

Who are you going to "hold responsible" if these Chinese "ignition sources" burn your building down?

 

[pbon]

Supposedly my 4’ LED strip lights that put out 5000 lumens use 40 watts. That silly looking contraption in the first post is concentrating its heat in a much smaller area. And maybe it puts out more than 5000 lumens. How long can you keep your hand on a 40 watt light bulb? A 60 watt?

 

[Chuckster in NJ]

Supposedly my 4’ LED strip lights that put out 5000 lumens use 40 watts. That silly looking contraption in the first post is concentrating its heat in a much smaller area. And maybe it puts out more than 5000 lumens. How long can you keep your hand on a 40 watt light bulb? A 60 watt?

A 40 watt bulb gets a little over 100*F……… You can hold your hand on it for a few seconds.
A 60 watt bulb gets a little over 200*F…….. No way can you hold your hand on it.

 

[Cougar]

Are you sure it's 60 watt equivalent, and not just 60 watts of output power? A 60 watt incandescent equivalent LED bulb is typically only 5-8 watts in power, and looks like a normal lightbulb.

A true 60 watt LED fixture will emit almost as much heat as a traditional 60 watt incandescent, and will get very hot if not properly cooled.

It uses 60 watts.
Decided to go with shop lights.

 

[Cougar]

IMHO……. Return them and go in a different direction. Toss them or return them before you have a fire.

Who are you going to "hold responsible" if these Chinese "ignition sources" burn your building down?

Going with shop lights.

 

[Cougar]

Supposedly my 4’ LED strip lights that put out 5000 lumens use 40 watts. That silly looking contraption in the first post is concentrating its heat in a much smaller area. And maybe it puts out more than 5000 lumens. How long can you keep your hand on a 40 watt light bulb? A 60 watt?

The box says 6000 lumens.

 

[pbon]

That should be enough to get hot given the size. Might be 60 watts.

 

[Cougar]

That should be enough to get hot given the size. Might be 60 watts.

The heat they put out must be normal for those lights.
Just surprised me.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The LEDs themselves don't cause the heat. The drivers do.
Just them same as a fluorescent ballast does.

 

[cybrdyke]

Going with shop lights.

Shop lights are not for lighting up a shop!
CD

 

[Cougar]

Shop lights are not for lighting up a shop!
CD

That's what I will use for now.
What would be the best light.

 

[Bert_]

That's what I will use for now.
What would be the best light.

Strips

 

[cybrdyke]

Strips

What he said ^^^ .
Linear strip lights, approximately 4000 to 5000 lumens over a 4' section. Some prefer them with LED tubes in them, some prefer them as new integrated LED fixtures.
CD

 

[Cougar]

Something like this.

 

[duneslider]

Anyone else use them?

I have used a bunch of these (they were all given to me free). None lasted very long, they all died early. Several of them had very bad RF problems, enough to affect garage door openers, radio, etc. Some got so hot the reflectors and led's came detached and were hanging down by the wires.

Anyway, after about half of them died and I discovered the RF issues I took them all down and threw them away. I wouldn't use them at all ever again.

I do have some lights like Cougar posted above that I use in my work area in my garage and I like them a lot and have had no issues with them.

 

[Bert_]

Something like this.

If you want bottom of the barrel, that's what you are looking at.

 

[Kezorm]

The LEDs themselves don't cause the heat.

LEDs most certainly cause heat. "White" LEDs are no where near 100% efficient.

 

[Cougar]

If you want bottom of the barrel, that's what you are looking at.

Suggestions?

 

[Innovate1]

The LEDs themselves don't cause the heat. The drivers do.
Just them same as a fluorescent ballast does.

The drivers may put out more heat - not really sure on that. But the LEDs definitely put out heat. For these power levels they have to have some sort of heat sink. Lots of cheap builders run the LED elements too hot to get good life. Every 10C hotter roughly halves the hours they will function.

 

[Bert_]

Suggestions?

Anything by a major brand. Lithonia, cooper, rab, ect.

A great bang for your buck is fluorescent strips with direct wire led tubes. You can salvage your own or buy new ones.