Outdoor barn light question

[joshuabardwell]

How much light are you looking for? If you only want enough to keep from stumbling, it's hard to beat the CFL because the initial cost is so low. I think the sodium lights can give you a lot more light but isn't the cost of the fixture and bulb a lot higher? I have cheap Menards CFLs and they've been working great for several years.

CFL is a poor choice for motion lights. As I understand it, the ballast is rated for a certain number of on/off cycles, and the bulb itself is rated for a certain number of hours of use due to wearing out the phosphorescent lining of the tube. If you put a CFL on a motion light, the constant on/off/on again runs through the ballast's life quickly and the bulb wears out too fast to make it economical.

Wikipedia says:

The life of a CFL is significantly shorter if it is turned on and off frequently. In the case of a 5-minute on/off cycle the lifespan of some CFLs may be reduced to that of incandescent light bulbs. The U.S. Energy Star program suggests that fluorescent lamps be left on when leaving a room for less than 15 minutes to mitigate this problem.

 

[KennyG]

CFL is a poor choice for motion lights. As I understand it, the ballast is rated for a certain number of on/off cycles, and the bulb itself is rated for a certain number of hours of use due to wearing out the phosphorescent lining of the tube. If you put a CFL on a motion light, the constant on/off/on again runs through the ballast's life quickly and the bulb wears out too fast to make it economical.

That's a valid point. Mine are dusk to dawn so the CFL works great. Turns on once and off once a day. I have another light that is a motion sensor by the driveway. I just put cheap incadenscent floodlights in it because it generally isn't on more than 15 minutes a day.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive installed 100's of these light over the past 30 years as an electrician. Here are my thoughts....for what its worth.

1. If the light is on dawn to dusk, and its at a barn that attracts bugs (horses,cows,etc) you cant beat High Pressure Sodium (Have never used low pressure sodium...only high pressure sodium). The yellow light tends to cut back on the bug problems big time. I even use them on my main barn front exterior light. Works here at -40F. but takes several minutes to come fully bright. CANT be used as motion light. My barn light was installed 10 years ago...and the lamp works every night from dusk till 10PM (on timer).... and i have never changed the lamp.

2. Ill never recommend LED lighting as the initial costs will never be reimbursed over the years in energy saved or supposed life expectancy of lamps. I have serious doubts as to the claimed life exp of these light fixtures. One of the new LED highway light that was installed last year has burnt out by my house....less than a year. I did a bid to swap out a storage facilities security lights from 250 watt HPS to LED. we did the calcs, and it would have taken the owner 108 years to recoup his costs. needless to say, i didnt get the job.

3. They do make some nice florescent yard lights. very bright. But they wont work if it gets too cold. CFL's can take several minutes to come fully bright in cold weather also.

4. DONT use Halogen. the fixtures are inexpensive, but the run costs will bankrupt you.

5. I have Metal Halide lights in the back side of my barn and on the arena. I LOVE the bright white light, but MAN do they attract the bugs. Like a magnet. Also cannot be used motion lights and take a few minutes to become fully bright.


Hope this helps

 

[BeezFun]

1. The yellow light tends to cut back on the bug problems big time. I even use them on my main barn front exterior light. Works here at -40F. but takes several minutes to come fully bright.

That could be the deciding factor, didn't know it cut down on bugs. We've got horses and goats, so anything that cuts down on bugs is important. I might even think of putting one fixture in the barn instead of using lots of smaller fluorescents.

2. Ill never recommend LED lighting as the initial costs will never be reimbursed over the years in energy saved or supposed life expectancy of lamps. I have serious doubts as to the claimed life exp of these light fixtures.

agree completely

5. I have Metal Halide lights in the back side of my barn and on the arena. I LOVE the bright white light, but MAN do they attract the bugs. Like a magnet. Also cannot be used motion lights and take a few minutes to become fully bright.

I think I'll have my wife go look at one of the sodium lights to be sure she'll go for the color. I don't want to install something and have to take it out because it's the wrong color.

 

[amigauser]

I have had a light at the peak of my pole barn for about 16 years now. Started with a 175 watt mercury vapor light which lasted about 5 years. Replaced it with a HP sodium, which was cheaper to operate and I liked the yellow tint, especially in the snow. It lasted 3-4 years. Then I went with the 200 watt equivalent CFL fixture, which was a disappointment. The sensor lasted less than a year, and the bulb six months after it. So I gutted that fixture, took out the transformer that ran that big bulb and put a new sensor in wired direct to the socket. Put a run of the mill cheap 100 watt equiv CFL in it and its been trouble free for years now. The really cold weather affects the light output but it still comes on every night. I have to borrow an extension ladder to deal with this fixture so the less time spent maintaining the better. I am willing to give LEDs a few more years to become reasonable, the same way it took CFLs.

I did something similar at my house with CFL's and it works well and is cheap to run. You can even use an old incandescent light with a sensor and just add the CFL bulb. Mine lights fine down to zero degrees. LED's are definitely the future and I will look at them once my current setup wears out.

 

[LD1]

IMO, they are all poor choices.

LED's cost too much
Halogens are expensiver to operate
CFL's, just plain suck
And sodium light is too yellow-orange to even look good

If it were me (and I just put up a security light last year), I'd look at either metal halide or mercury vapor.

The mercury fixtures are getting harder to find, but have 3x's to 4x's the bulb life as metal halide, and similar lighting characteristics.

 

[grsthegreat]

IMO, they are all poor choices.

LED's cost too much
Halogens are expensiver to operate
CFL's, just plain suck
And sodium light is too yellow-orange to even look good

If it were me (and I just put up a security light last year), I'd look at either metal halide or mercury vapor.

The mercury fixtures are getting harder to find, but have 3x's to 4x's the bulb life as metal halide, and similar lighting characteristics.

while the light is a little orange, overall it doesnt look to bad. It lights up the area great...and keeps down flying bugs.

 

[ultrarunner]

Interesting topic...

I've noticed the city is replacing the streetlights with LED... the current ones were replaced about 20 years ago... The bean counters are predicting huge savings.

Also, lots of filling stations are doing the same. Last night I filled up late and really liked the LED lighting.

 

[schweizer]

I live off the grid so that eliminates the HPS, halogen, and metal halide lights. True, LED lights are expensive, but for my barn they were the only choice (energy-wise) and they turn on instantly.

 

[BeezFun]

Let us know what you decide to purchase.

I decided to go with Metal Halide. My wife looked at sodium, even though I think they're the best technical choice she didn't like the color. I'm going to put one area light at each end and two wall mounted units on each of the sides. Thanks for all suggestions and discussion.