I know that this subject has been beaten to death but I have a question and
would like opinions.
I have in my shop about 14 2 tube 4 foot fixtures of the shop type from
Lowes. They are getting up to about 10 years in age and some of them are
beginning to give trouble. Some wont come on, some wont stay on and some
flicker. I replace tubes on a regular basis so that is not the problem.
Tubes are not lasting as long as they used to. I am going to replace at
least half of them maybe all of them soon. Now the question: should I go
with new 4 foot units or go with single bulb reflector type units and direct
light more to were I need it. Can any one give me pros or cons on this
"sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>I know that this subject has been beaten to death but I have a question and
>would like opinions.
>I have in my shop about 14 2 tube 4 foot fixtures of the shop type from
>Lowes. They are getting up to about 10 years in age and some of them are
>beginning to give trouble. Some wont come on, some wont stay on and some
>flicker. I replace tubes on a regular basis so that is not the problem.
>Tubes are not lasting as long as they used to. I am going to replace at
>least half of them maybe all of them soon. Now the question: should I go
>with new 4 foot units or go with single bulb reflector type units and direct
>light more to were I need it. Can any one give me pros or cons on this
>
>
I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
scott
[email protected] (Robert Bonomi) writes:
>In article <[email protected]>,
>sweet sawdust <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>news:[email protected]...
>>> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>>>>
>>>
>>> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>>>
>>> scott
>>
>>I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question.
>>Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping etc
>>raises the cost. I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb type
>>fixture.
>>
>>
>
>
>An alternative -- replace the _ballasts_ in the existing fixtures.
>
>Way cheaper than new fixtures of equivalent quality.
>
>Ballasts are 'non-delicate' enough that mail-order and shipping is
>entirely reasonable/viable to use for geting them.
>
even home depot carries replacement electronic ballasts (I prefer
the Advance brand).
scott
"sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>>>
>>
>> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>>
>> scott
>
>I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question.
>Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping etc
>raises the cost. I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb type
>fixture.
>
All of the above are available at Home Depot (at least in California).
scott
"sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>Thank one and all for your replies. Unfortunately the 8 foot lights are not
>an option for me, nearest place to get them is 90 miles one way, local lowes
>doesn't carry them or the bulbs which have to be special ordered. So I am
>stuck with incandescent fixtures, 4 ft fixtures with out replaceable
>ballasts or 4 ft fixtures with replaceable ballasts. I will be figuring out
>what to do soon.
Lowes certainly has a contractor desk. They'll order the 8' for you. Pick them
up within a week.
scott
"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>>
>
> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>
> scott
I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question.
Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping etc
raises the cost. I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb type
fixture.
I put sunlight tubes into an engineering conference room that marketing
and engineering meet within. After the AV and light upgrade - more paper
work was processed and a far better mental time it was between the groups.
Both sides stayed through the process - and when the machine came out
ahead of time the bulbs were the largest notation as to what greased
the process.
Martin
-MIKE- wrote:
> I don't know if anyone's covered this or not... but my time is the shop
> became much more enjoyable when I switched from the regular tubes to
> a higher color temperature.
>
> The regular tubes are around 3200k and very green/yellow.
>
> If you upgrade to a daylight or sunlight tube, 4500-6500 range, you'll
> be amazed at how much it improves your mood in the shop. An added
> benefit is truer colors for painting, staining, and generally just seeing
> colors the way they are meant to be seen, without a green/yellow tint.
>
>
Scott Lurndal wrote:
> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>> I know that this subject has been beaten to death but I have a question and
>> would like opinions.
>
> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>
> scott
Aye.
--
Any given amount of traffic flow, no matter how
sparse, will expand to fill all available lanes.
To reply, eat the taco.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bbqboyee/
Thank one and all for your replies. Unfortunately the 8 foot lights are not
an option for me, nearest place to get them is 90 miles one way, local lowes
doesn't carry them or the bulbs which have to be special ordered. So I am
stuck with incandescent fixtures, 4 ft fixtures with out replaceable
ballasts or 4 ft fixtures with replaceable ballasts. I will be figuring out
what to do soon.
>
>
I'd do T6's (t8's I think are the big ones) then.
They are green and long lasting bright bulbs.
Martin
sweet sawdust wrote:
> "Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>>
>> scott
>
> I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question.
> Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping etc
> raises the cost. I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb type
> fixture.
>
>
On May 13, 8:52=A0pm, "Martin H. Eastburn" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> I'd do T6's (t8's I think are the big ones) then.
> They are green and long lasting bright bulbs.
>
> Martin
>
> sweet sawdust wrote:
> > "Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
> >> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>
> >> scott
>
> > I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question=
.
> > Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping =
etc
> > raises the cost. =A0I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb t=
ype
> > fixture.
When I relighted my shop, I used 4-foot, 2-lamp enclosed units with
the newer T8 bulbs (1" dia) rather than the older T12 (1.5" dia.)
bulbs. These had electronic ballasts. They were from Lowe's, I
believe (Lithonia?)
Major benefits of this ballast/bulb combination:
1. lower power usage (32W vs. 40W)
2. they seem considerably brighter than the T12 bulbs I had before
3. no hum, no flicker
4. excellent low temperature operation
5. true instant on
6. longer life
The enclosed units were more expensive, but I wanted to keep the dust
off of the bulbs.
I am very satisfied with these units.
Bob in NC
In article <[email protected]>,
sweet sawdust <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"Scott Lurndal" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> "sweet sawdust" <[email protected]> writes:
>>>
>>
>> I suggest 8 footers, electronic ballasts and C-50 bulbs.
>>
>> scott
>
>I agree but the cost of them around here makes them out of the question.
>Nearest place I can get them is about a hunred miles away and shipping etc
>raises the cost. I am stuck with the 4 foot or the individual bulb type
>fixture.
>
>
An alternative -- replace the _ballasts_ in the existing fixtures.
Way cheaper than new fixtures of equivalent quality.
Ballasts are 'non-delicate' enough that mail-order and shipping is
entirely reasonable/viable to use for geting them.
I don't know if anyone's covered this or not... but my time is the shop
became much more enjoyable when I switched from the regular tubes to
a higher color temperature.
The regular tubes are around 3200k and very green/yellow.
If you upgrade to a daylight or sunlight tube, 4500-6500 range, you'll
be amazed at how much it improves your mood in the shop. An added
benefit is truer colors for painting, staining, and generally just seeing
colors the way they are meant to be seen, without a green/yellow tint.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
> I put sunlight tubes into an engineering conference room that marketing
> and engineering meet within. After the AV and light upgrade - more paper
> work was processed and a far better mental time it was between the groups.
>
> Both sides stayed through the process - and when the machine came out
> ahead of time the bulbs were the largest notation as to what greased
> the process.
>
> Martin
>
People don't give lighting enough credit... especially sun light.
Japanese office buildings install huge reflective light tubes (basically
fiber optics the diameter of HVAC vent hose) from the roof down to
interior offices. They have been linked to a big drop in suicides in a
country who's white collar workforce has an inordinately high suicide rate.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
> FYI, when I put lighting in my garage I used some 4' T8 shop lights
> from Home Depot; the inexpensive ones that use electronic ballasts.
> They have done a good job lighting the shop but over the last 3 years
> I think I have had to replace each and every ballast. So the $25
> fixtures ended up costing about $40-$50 each, depending on the ballast
> price (seems to be rising over the last 6 months).
>
>
>>> Jim
Yep, me too. I finally had to leave HD, because when I ask where they
keep the ballasts, they say, "Um sir, we don't carry boat supplies," and
go over to ACE hardware to spend an extra five bucks on a fixture with
replaceable ones.
--
-MIKE-
"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com
[email protected]
---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply
On Wed, 13 May 2009 15:17:59 -0500, "sweet sawdust"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>I know that this subject has been beaten to death but I have a question and
>would like opinions.
>I have in my shop about 14 2 tube 4 foot fixtures of the shop type from
>Lowes. They are getting up to about 10 years in age and some of them are
>beginning to give trouble. Some wont come on, some wont stay on and some
>flicker. I replace tubes on a regular basis so that is not the problem.
>Tubes are not lasting as long as they used to. I am going to replace at
>least half of them maybe all of them soon. Now the question: should I go
>with new 4 foot units or go with single bulb reflector type units and direct
>light more to were I need it. Can any one give me pros or cons on this
>
FYI, when I put lighting in my garage I used some 4' T8 shop lights
from Home Depot; the inexpensive ones that use electronic ballasts.
They have done a good job lighting the shop but over the last 3 years
I think I have had to replace each and every ballast. So the $25
fixtures ended up costing about $40-$50 each, depending on the ballast
price (seems to be rising over the last 6 months).
They are still doing a good job with the lighting, come right on with
cold weather, etc.
Anyway, caveat emptor.
If I had to do it over, I would use 8' T8 units. But if I had your
problem, I'd replace the ballasts.
>> Jim
Lowes will almost certainly order anything from their stock
stuff and they have carried 8' lights for many years...
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163731-337-SS-296-120V-LE3-4WP-&lpage=none
or
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163725-337-STN-296HO-120V-4WP-U&lpage=none
or for the 4' version
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=163653-337-2GR8-432A-UNV-L8735-&lpage=none
sweet sawdust wrote:
> Thank one and all for your replies. Unfortunately the 8 foot lights are not
> an option for me, nearest place to get them is 90 miles one way, local lowes
> doesn't carry them or the bulbs which have to be special ordered. So I am
> stuck with incandescent fixtures, 4 ft fixtures with out replaceable
> ballasts or 4 ft fixtures with replaceable ballasts. I will be figuring out
> what to do soon.
>>
>
>