Fluorescent to LED

[jajiu]

I'm thinking of changing from Fluorescent lighting to LED. There are several ways I've looked at and all are kind of expensive. The most expensive is to change all fixtures and bulbs together. Less expensive is to just change the bulbs and bypass the ballast. The house has bulbs with pins on both ends and the barn has bulbs with rectangle ends on them. I assume magnetic ballast and electronic ballast. My question is, is it worth it cost wise to change them out. The barn gets very cold and half of the lights don't work anyway. Thoughts?

 

[TractorGuy]

I am slowly changing as the bulbs/ballast fail. No plans to start a mass changeover. Definitely go with the like ended bulbs and bypass/remove the ballast. I just did the 24" bulb in my kitchen. It cost more than the 4' bulbs. It came with new tombstones but they were a snap in type that I couldn't get to hold the new bulb so I had to go back to the old twist style connectors. It also only powered from one end so it didn't work in the first direction I tried. The generic 4 footers I have bought off the auction site will power from either direction just as a regular bulb will.

I have been getting the 4 ft bulbs for $15 per pair at this place.

Judging from the bulb prices I see for 8 footers I will probably replace the single fixture double bulb unit in my garage with four, 4 footers.

 

[ovrszd]

Good question. My shop is lit with eight 4ft 4 bulb T-8 fluorescent fixtures. Total of 32 bulbs. They are 9 years old. It's heated. I'm in it a lot in the Winter so the lights are on an average of 10hrs a day.

My plan is to convert to LED when they start failing. I'll bypass the ballasts. Experts say you have little cost savings if you don't.

Hopefully someone much more knowledgeable than I will chime in with the technical answer concerning operational savings.

 

[Mendonsy]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "worth it".
I have been slowly changing out my 4' fluorescents to LED. Every time one of the big box stores has a good sale on them I pick up a couple of fixtures and when the next fluorescent bulb dies I replace the whole fixture. I like the LEDs because they are brighter and don't have the cold weather startup problems.

 

[forgeblast]

I have every bulb led now. The barn ones took for ever to turn on in the winter. Home depot has cree bulbs we use for the house and they had 4' t8 for a very reasonable price. Cost wise our bill is lower.

 

[ovrszd]

I have every bulb led now. The barn ones took for ever to turn on in the winter. Home depot has cree bulbs we use for the house and they had 4' t8 for a very reasonable price. Cost wise our bill is lower.

No doubt the bill will be cheaper. Question is how long do they have to burn before they offset the purchase cost?

I'm not very bright (pun intended). I can easily comprehend replacing a failed bulb/fixture with LED. What I struggle with is financial justification of simply replacing all bulbs/fixtures, even though they are still functioning. How do you calculate the savings in that?

 

[CobyRupert]

Are your fluorescents T-12's, T-8's, or T-5's?
T-12's are the worst when it comes to turning on in the cold.
I've changed most of my T-12's to T-8's in the garage because of this. (Garage sometimes gets as low as 32F).

The ballast has to match the lamp type.
I thought LED's were "integrated" (Fixture and lamps are one unit). That is, you don't replace the lamp(s), you just chuck the whole fixture and rewire a new one at end of life?

 

[jajiu]

I know what you mean with the integrated units. When they first came out that was all they had, now you can get separate bulbs. Mine are 8' bulbs, and I have seen them on ebay for $200. for 20 bulbs. Not too bad, only $10. a bulb. Also forgot to mention that the fixtures in the basement of the house humm like crazy, even when warmed up. Looking to eliminate that too.

 

[ovrszd]

Here's a website that sells LEDs and has instructions on how to convert your fixtures eliminating the ballasts. Using this website, and going for the 2900 lumen bulbs it would cost me $281.60 to convert my shop. No labor costs. Now my question would be, how many hours of operation before I recoup that cost. Assuming I remove my current bulbs which are working fine.

Industrial LED Solution, LLC Marion NC, Quality LED tubes

 

[hawkeye08]

I'm putting up new lights in the shop, I have some large metal halide (sp?) that take awhile to come on, won't come back on in the summer until they cool down along with some 4' fluorescent that won't come on in the cold. I bought 10 of the Costco ones on sale and have been putting those up. Very nice, instant on, temps do not effect them so far.

If your old lights are working fine and the electric costs are ok, then why change? If they won't come on in the cold, are they working for you? if they buzz or humm, are they working for you?

LED lights are working for me.