T8 Lights loosing their brightness?

[jcummins]

As the topic says...do they? Maybe I've grown accustom to bright led lighting I've done in other areas, and it makes my eyes think these T8s have lost something when they haven't.

I moved here some 8 years ago, and barn lights really poor. The former owner built a really nice barn, but spent zero dollars on lighting. I added T8 light over work areas....9 or so. Today I noticed the light output isn't the way I remember. I'm thinking of putting some LED lights over the general area of the barn, it has a higher overhead, and only has some of the outdoor flood lights, Been on my list to do that for awhile....but the work area lighting's output comes as a surprise. Don't like the idea of redoing that too.

 

[Alan W.]

Led lights will spoil ya. Fluorescent lights lose brightness over time. I have finally swapped all my fixtures over to no ballast led tubes.

 

[teejk]

As the topic says...do they? Maybe I've grown accustom to bright led lighting I've done in other areas, and it makes my eyes think these T8s have lost something when they haven't.

I moved here some 8 years ago, and barn lights really poor. The former owner built a really nice barn, but spent zero dollars on lighting. I added T8 light over work areas....9 or so. Today I noticed the light output isn't the way I remember. I'm thinking of putting some LED lights over the general area of the barn, it has a higher overhead, and only has some of the outdoor flood lights, Been on my list to do that for awhile....but the work area lighting's output comes as a surprise. Don't like the idea of redoing that too.

I guess the tubes could lose output as they get near the end of their lives. The other thing with T8's is they use electronic ballasts. It's conceivable that they lose output as they age...never really noticed since one day they are on and the next day they aren't but I guess they might die a slow death. And yeah...it's a PITA to fix them. I found ballasts at a reasonable price for the 4 tube fixtures so will continue to repair. The 4' 2 tube ones I'm changing out to LED because the ballasts cost more than the fixture.

 

[Industrial Toys]

It is an interesting point. I have maybe a dozen T8 fixtures in a small garage. They do appear to be not as bright as when I put them in, but everything doesn't appear as bright to me anymore.

I used to work as an electrician and re-lamped thousands of fixtures. I never heard it said, that fluorescent lights got dimmer with age. I am certain, it would have been a complaint.

I built a 80 foot drive shed already five years ago or so. I still have not installed lighting beyond ten or so T8 temporary fixtures that I have to plug in, used for finishing the concrete at the time. LED is still too expensive and unreliable if you ask me, so since I rarely have to go in there at night, I am waiting.

 

[Diggin It]

Flourescents definitely dim with age. No question about it.



I have had a number of LED strip lights dim and fail, some within months. I attributed at least part of it to the fact they were cheap accent lights for vehicles and they may not have been intended for use as night lights on 12VDC wall warts as I was using them.

One of the reasons I've held off on the shop lights is to see what others were experiencing long term. I don't use shop lights to anywhere near the extent others do.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yes, they do

I replaced all my fluorescent lights with LED, was tired of constantly changing tubes. none have failed yet.

 

[dragoneggs]

I was shocked when I put some Costco LED shop lights up next to my old 4ft fluorescents. Ended up buying all new LED fixtures at $19.99ea and donated the old fixtures. If you watch at Costco they cycle the pricing a couple times a year from $29.99 to $24.99 to $19.99ea. At that price it is worth worrying about if the bulbs are compatible just buy the complete fixture with bulbs.

Other benefits I found besides energy savings is the instant on and much less radio reception interference.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I Googled it. CFLs do loose much light toward end of life, but T8s should not do so to a degree you would notice. If I understood the articles correctly.

 

[oosik]

Yes, fluorescent lights will dim with age. Usually, this is an indication that they soon will go "poof" and need replacement.

 

[jcummins]

Well at least it's not my eyes.