T5 vs LED

[tmills213]

Hello, new member here.

Thought I would get some input. The current situation is that I acquired some t5 5000k cold start 4 bulb high bay lights for essentially free from work, as many as I want. Each BULB is 54watts.

Got a new house and it has a detached 5 car 30x50. two bays are heat/ac with a bathroom wood walls. This will be my machine shop. the unfinished is open 8ft OC trusses with a 14 ft peak and 9 ft to the bottom of the roof truss. There are two bulb sockets wired to one switch in the open area. I THINK I would like 3 lights/ bay but then I got to thinking the amp draw from these lights is significant (2 amps-ish per light) so I would have to run wire back to the box 30'+ away. and put each bay on a switch Wire is not cheap.

My other option is to buy LED lights, slightly lower output, and just split off the two existing bulb sockets since the amps are so low. also not cheap. I understand nice things are not cheap but I want the best output but not spin that meter.

clear as mud?

Thoughts and thoughts on actual cost/decision because I am not a contractor and in it everyday.

thanks.

 

[DHCrocks]

don't know about your question at hand but those are T5HO they are damn brite and run hot. you can feel the heat coming off of them so they will warm your space. If they have a frosted diffuser they will be great but if they are exposed bulbs the glare will high.

 

[tmills213]

I did notice the one I have hooked up giving some heat but tolerable. I guess I was asking if I should run these free t5 and pull new wire due to amp load or buy lower output leds and have less wiring to run since the circuit could handle it. As far as too bright, I am ok with wearing sunglasses inside haha. I just don't feel like spinning the meter fast.

They do have motion sensors on them which is kind of cool. Its not huge bonus to me though.

 

[American Locomotive]

I'm not seeing the big deal about the current draw? You could comfortably run 6 of those fixtures off a single piece of 14-2, and 8 (possibly 9) fixtures off of 12-2.

Assuming those are modern high-efficiency T5HO High-Bay fixtures, standard LED shoplights would be a marginal improvement in efficiency.

 

[Matt Matt]

I'm not seeing the big deal about the current draw? You could comfortably run 6 of those fixtures off a single piece of 14-2, and 8 (possibly 9) fixtures off of 12-2.

Assuming those are modern high-efficiency T5HO High-Bay fixtures, standard LED shoplights would be a marginal improvement in efficiency.

I pretty much agree.

You're trying to run a high output bulb 9 feet from the ground. I run highbay six 6,t8 fixtures, only 9 feet off the ground. My shop is lit lite a operating room.
The type of bulbs you are referring to should be set a minimum of 16 feet from the floor.

I have 36, 32 W T8's bulbs in a 450 square-foot shop 24×6500 and 12×4000.

When you get up into the 52 W high output bulbs, it's actually hard to look up from 4' away. This is my two cents and you got what you paid for it.

 

[yeldogt]

I would hang a few more and see if you like them --- the HO bulbs are very strong.

 

[tmills213]

I have one set up now and there are shadows. I may try adding a few more with some junk wire I have around to see the improvements. maybe I can get away with 3-4 total. Have to find a use for the other 20 I have

 

[nsula_country]

Free is good. They are powerful lights. 9' height is an issue. T5, especially with reflectors need to be at 15'+ due to intensity.

Energy savings from T5 to LED will take a long time to make up with free lights (probably commercial grade fixtures) vs purchasing quality LEDS (not chinese ****).

CT

 

[86turbodsl]

If you are hanging them lower than about 12', i would put a diffuser below and run them anyway. Free is hard to beat. I have the same lights at 14' and they are perfect to me.

 

[soob]

I like T5HO (I have them in my shop currently...) but I am not going to stick with them.

They are fairly efficient but not as efficient as advertised as it doesn't include the ballast.

They take a long time to come to full brightness (more than a minute) and suffer reduced life when switched on and off frequently.

The reduced efficiency vs LEDs leads to higher heat output which is bad in the deep south where I am.

The ballasts in my fixtures also have poor reliability as one has half-failed and one is at about half brightness for no apparent reason, and I've only had them for 3 years or so.

LED also is directional meaning you get more lumens where you want them, and having more lamps would lead to better light distribution.

 

[cybrdyke]

Try this experiment...
Hang one at 12 to 14 feet. Yes, above the trusses. There's going to be a sharp shadow. Then hang another one to see if it either fills in the shadows from the first one, or makes it even worse.
You might be surprised, depending on your situation.

Bottom line is....it's not the perfect fixture for 9'. But, it was free. Most of those fixtures have a ballast that is capable of switching off two of the lamps. Yours probably does, too. Looking at the ballast, do you see a random gray wire? It might be connected to the neutral. That wire will allow you to switch two of the four lamps. That might be a good enough solution for the glare of the T5HO.
Good luck,
CD

 

[tmills213]

Well I hung another at 9ft tonight where the bulb was. they are bright but need more to get lateral coverage. Since you guys mentioned it, they are hard to look at!! lol. I am going to put one in each bay at the peak (14ft) and then maybe another row toward the back wall where work benches will be at roughly 11 or so ft and have them on different switches. I was going to do 3 per bay but they are bright and the doors will cover them if open so its pointless...?

I have as many bulbs as i want and spare ballasts and I am over the cost of operation because I am not living out there. We will see how it goes.