Florescent bulbs

[300jk]

What are the brightest florescent bulbs I can put in some 4 foot fixtures I have ? I have not gotten around to buying better fixtures for my garage/shop and it isn't very bright.

 

[steve706]

The best I have come across in the T12 type are the GE or Phillips Daylight variety. They give off a nice crisp white light that doesn't dim colours like like the regular tubes do.

 

[David G]

Brightest are LED direct replacement tubes.

 

[300jk]

Around how more expensive are the LED bulbs ? Does home depot or Lowe's have them ? Do they start better than regular bulbs in the cold ? I know a lot of questions but I am pretty ignorant when it comes to lighting. Sorry.

 

[David G]

They should start same down to below zero, more expensive but really coming down.

 

[Bob]

Lowes has 4' LED's you can install in fixtures with NO ballast for $9.98.

Don't think there's actually any low temp limit that will typically occur in nature in the "lower 48" that's cold enough so they won't start instantly, that being said I have an LED flood that comes on instantly at full brightness @ -30?F.

 

[jr1983]

I changed the ballast out in my old lights and switched t8 bulbs on 220v. Cuts power bill by 75% and much brighter. Whatever you do if you can switch to 220. Meter spins half as fast.

 

[2510Paul]

My son wanted more light in his garage. He replaced the florescent bulbs with LED. What a fantastic difference. If you want light go that way. Menards should have what you need to convert them. Paul

 

[David G]

The meter does NOT spin half as fast.

Meter measure kW which is volts x amps, any difference is negligible.

 

[300jk]

Thanks to everybody ! I have a few days off and going to go look at the LEDs . Seem like a good choice !

 

[Bob]

The last time I checked, the LED's at Menards as well as most at Lowe's required a functioning ELECTRONIC ballast.

The pair I recently bought at Lowes will work with the ballast left in place OR with it eliminated. I will post back with the SKU number.

I have a "shop light" with a bad ballast, eliminated it and installed the LED's and it works FANTASTIC.

I have a WORKING shop light that has a magnetic ballast and WILL NOT light another pair of LED's that are listed to be used with an ELECTRONIC ballast.

So 'ya gotta watch what you buy!

I can see no sense in keeping an unneeded florescent ballast in the circuit (which wastes a certain amount of power) in an LED system when a change to LED AND getting rid of the ballast can be done at the same time.

One thing, though, I bought a box of "no ballast" LEDS on fleabay a while back and to wire the fixture for them requires the "hot" wire to either pin (or both) at one end of the tube and the "neutral" wire to either pin (or both) at the other end.

The ones from Lowes require the hot AND neutral to the pins at ONE end of the tube, and come with a decal showing the fixture has been converted and how it's wired.

 

[guido]

Hello jr1983,

Your utility meter is a watt hour counter. Volts x amps is what you pay for. An amp probe would show energy being used, regardless of voltage. By the way it is not 220v but 240v,

Guido.

 

[Texasmark1]

Called "daylight" or "bright white" 6500 lumens.

 

[ss55]

Ditto that the 6500K lights are great over work benches and in kitchens. The light is closer to the color of sunlight. To me they are a bit harsh for in family rooms or bedrooms where people relax.

 

[Texasmark1]

Agree. Work is one thing. Relaxation/living is another.

 

[showcrop]

I have been replacing the complete four foot troffers at my church with complete LED units when I get any problem other than bulbs.

 

[gears]

Picked up some glass LED 4' bulbs for $11 ea at Mars Electric, local electrical supply house. Wow are they nice, running on electronic ballasts. Didn't know some ran ballast free.

 

[buickanddeere]

Still limited by the ballast. The Daylight lamps are usually a full 40watts instead of 34watt like the cool whites.

 

[Ozlander]

(quoted from post at 16:01:13 12/31/16) Around how more expensive are the LED bulbs ? Does home depot or Lowe's have them ? Do they start better than regular bulbs in the cold ? I know a lot of questions but I am pretty ignorant when it comes to lighting. Sorry.

Try www.earthled.com good prices

 

[Copperhead don't play]

Guido,
Please explain to us. 220v instead of 240v.
Respectability,
Copperhead

 

[Destroked 450]

For years I've heard some call a house outlet 110v and others call it 120v, 110v doubled is 220v 120v doubled is 240v.
Last time I checked a outlet in my house it was 124v, so doubled would make it 248v.
Utility companies in my area call a normal house service 120-240v

A local mill I still do some maintenance work at has three phase power rated at 480v, any time I put a meter to the lines I get anywhere from 488 to 503v, utility company said it was within spec.
Some of the electric motors have 440v id tags, others 460v or 480v, their all running on the same 488-503v system at the correct speeds (checked with a digital tach) We use step-down transformers to convert 480 to 240 and 120v

As for the shop lights, LED daylight bulbs get my volt.

 

[buickanddeere]

(quoted from post at 20:44:54 01/03/17)
For years I've heard some call a house outlet 110v and others call it 120v, 110v doubled is 220v 120v doubled is 240v.
Last time I checked a outlet in my house it was 124v, so doubled would make it 248v.
Utility companies in my area call a normal house service 120-240v

A local mill I still do some maintenance work at has three phase power rated at 480v, any time I put a meter to the lines I get anywhere from 488 to 503v, utility company said it was within spec.
Some of the electric motors have 440v id tags, others 460v or 480v, their all running on the same 488-503v system at the correct speeds (checked with a digital tach) We use step-down transformers to convert 480 to 240 and 120v

As for the shop lights, LED daylight bulbs get my volt.

Rpm of an AC induction motor is dependent on frequency not voltage .
Used to be 550 on some old motors here but now it's all rated for 600V .

 

[Noah W]

(quoted from post at 17:26:50 12/31/16) Lowes has 4' LED's you can install in fixtures with NO ballast for $9.98.

I recently converted old 4' fixtures to led's from Lowe's. Well worth the $10 bucks. Just be sure to read, understand, and follow the installation instructions. Some of the newer tubes are installed differently than older ones. They have their own electronic ballast in the tube,

Noah W