T8 Lights loosing their brightness?

[ultrarunner]

I know this may sound flippant but has anyone washed those old T8 bulbs. Dust can certainly dim them. Not arguing that they may not dim over time but a bucket of water, some window wash concentrate and a rag could buy you some cheaper brightness. Don’t forget to wash the fixtures where they reflect.

Good point... mine are in lab clean rooms and Operating Rooms... extremely clean areas.

The 6 bulb fixtures are all switched for either 2 bulb or 4 bulb or with both switches on 6 bulbs.

6 bulb is the norm for cleaning and set up and 2 bulb when room is in between cases but set up... during surgery all T-8 typically off.

They are set in a rectangular pattern of 4 six bulb fixtures end to end per side.... so in a 22 by 22 room making for 96 T8 bulbs and the smaller procedure rooms have 72 T8 bulbs...

In addition... there are 4 can spots and 2 three bulb quartz halogen surgical light pods...

A LOT OF LUMENS IN A SMALL AREA WITH INFINITE CONTROL WITH A COUPLE OF WALL SWITCHES.

I have not used any LED bulbs to date... still using existing stock.

It is interesting to note in the Lab area the six bulb T8 fixtures are gasketed and required removing 8 machine screws to remove the cover... what a pain over the last 24 years as they are not required to be so...

The color of light is very important... and lots of surgeons to please.

Also, the Operating Room lamp Pods cost $12,000 each back in 1994 and I have 14 of them... LED has been out for a long time... at least since early 2000 but the current cost per LED Pod is $18,000

 

[grsthegreat]

ive seen LED lamps fade over time and use, just as florescent t8 and t12 will fade over time. I am an electrical contractor, and i dont believe the hype placed on led's life span one bit. in Europe the industry was forced to STOP stating that LED LIGHTS CAN LAST 50,000 HOURS. The tests ran on them average less than 6,000 hours. The Diode may last for 50,000 hours, but the electronics sure dont. Ive seen parking lot light fixtures lose 1/2 their lumens within 2-3 years.

Now ive used leds in my own house with mixed results. My office light fixture has open faced lamps, and i have had 2 LED's from home depot burn out within 1 year. Funny thing was, i took the lamps back to HD, and they told me that that model of their own home brand was no longer available so couldn't be replaced..... warranty my butt.

The suppliers keep improving on their products, but i feel it was unjust for them to say they have a 50,000 hour lifespan when they know thats not true. I use LED's when the fixture is a pain in the butt to replace lamps in hope that they will last. But im probibly just fooling myself. I had a client csall me last week about a LED light fixture i placed outside his barn last year. The lamp burned out. I used a manlift to get up there...and im pissed. The old HID i tore off there had lasted 15 years.

 

[ultrarunner]

ive seen LED lamps fade over time and use, just as florescent t8 and t12 will fade over time. I am an electrical contractor, and i dont believe the hype placed on led's life span one bit. in Europe the industry was forced to STOP stating that LED LIGHTS CAN LAST 50,000 HOURS. The tests ran on them average less than 6,000 hours. The Diode may last for 50,000 hours, but the electronics sure dont. Ive seen parking lot light fixtures lose 1/2 their lumens within 2-3 years.

Now ive used leds in my own house with mixed results. My office light fixture has open faced lamps, and i have had 2 LED's from home depot burn out within 1 year. Funny thing was, i took the lamps back to HD, and they told me that that model of their own home brand was no longer available so couldn't be replaced..... warranty my butt.

The suppliers keep improving on their products, but i feel it was unjust for them to say they have a 50,000 hour lifespan when they know thats not true. I use LED's when the fixture is a pain in the butt to replace lamps in hope that they will last. But im probibly just fooling myself. I had a client csall me last week about a LED light fixture i placed outside his barn last year. The lamp burned out. I used a manlift to get up there...and im pissed. The old HID i tore off there had lasted 15 years.

Some of the original LED were quite a bit more stout and expensive... at least when doing a side by side comparison.

I contacted one manufacturer and was told they are continually making improvements... but would not say if it was longevity, light quality or lower price... my guess is making them cheaper to hit a price point.

I have several that I really like and they are simply no longer made...

In general... I am pleased with the switch but not ready to commit to going LED for an entire Hospital since I have plenty of old style inventory...

One place I did change was the main lobby entrance under the canopy... two of the sodium ballasts went bad... so I just eliminated the ballasts and screwed in 60 watt equivalent LED bulbs...

It has been 14 months an no issue being on all night and the cost a fraction of buying ballasts and sodium bulbs.

All of the outdoor fixtures can be reached with a 12 foot ladder... except for the parking lot lights which require a bucket truck.

 

[grsthegreat]

There is a Winco foods here in Coeur d Alene that had 1/2 of their parking light fixtures fail within 2 years. The manufacturer would supply new fixtures under warranty, but the contractor had to eat replacement labor costs and bucket truck time. Who knows how long the replacements will last. it was made by same manufacturer.

 

[ultrarunner]

I had a deal set up with the local utility to convert all our Hospital Pole parking light fixtures to LED... no upfront costs and 10 year warranty and the monthly payment would be billed to our utility bill and "Paid" through energy savings... the numbers all penciled out and the grants/incentives substantial...

Took 9 months to get PGE approval and the day I received the contract the Hospital was sold... so I was not able to execute the contract...

It's been a couple of years and the pole lighting is abysmal... only 50% work now and under orders not to repair or replace as it is corporate decision now...

 

[Zerk]

I have had 2 LED bulbs fail in my house. I wired a house a young guy, who built them into his ceiling. I told me they last forever. Made me chuckle, the stuff people believe.


Throw another bulb up, and your done in 5 minutes, for an existing fixture. Rememer before LEDs were the future, so were flourescent.

 

[Zerk]

ive seen LED lamps fade over time and use, just as florescent t8 and t12 will fade over time. I am an electrical contractor, and i dont believe the hype placed on led's life span one bit..

Agree. Plus people need to do the math. I have replaced some LEDs in my house that are on must of day. Price of them has come down, some due to technology, but I also wonder if some are just cheap.

 

[Zerk]

I know this may sound flippant but has anyone washed those old T8 bulbs. Dust can certainly dim them. Not arguing that they may not dim over time but a bucket of water, some window wash concentrate and a rag could buy you some cheaper brightness. Don稚 forget to wash the fixtures where they reflect.

I read the old tables used to calculate lumens are outdated because they were written when people could smoke at work. This was 20 years go, maybe tables have been updated since them.


Those 100 year lights are going to get grimey.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Remember when nicotine coated everything? BIG heavy glass Ashtrays sitting on office desks?

During the transition, I got an air purifier from a factory lunchroom. The Nicotine in that thing was beyond belief!

I STILL somehow expect to be asked, snoking or not smoking when I walk into a restaurant.

 

[bigtiller]

I was always amazed at how dirty yellow the inside of the windshield could get in just a few months with smokers.