[RE-wrenches] Fix the Fluorescents: What about LED tubes for late 2012?

[Jesse Dahl]

I have the T8 LEDs in my house and garage, I've had them running for a year or so, I'm not home to check the brand, but I really like them for the shop, especially come winter.  I'm by no means a lighting retrofit guy, so maybe I just bought into a tech to soon, but they seem to work good for me.

Jesse

Sent from my iPad!!!

On Dec 5, 2012, at 3:53 PM, Mick Abraham <mick at abrahamsolar.com> wrote:

> Hi, Knuckle-Busters~
> 
> It's lighting retrofit time and also time for me to review "what I thought I knew" about various lighting technologies. 
> 
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> Round one of the conversion involves >>well known RV brand<< T8 tubular fluorescent fixtures (3' long single tube). These have 24vDC ballasts which (in various brands) have failed way too often...and the tubes also are failing too soon. 
> 
> I've mostly decided to convert the circuits to good ol' American AC instead of DC, then I gotta select ballasts (to stay fluor) or convert to LED. Some of the List members handle lighting retrofits for better energy efficiency, etc. so I need a refresher course.
> 
> +++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> For AC ballasts, I'm focusing on the "Programmed Start" type which seem less destructive to the tubes when cycled on and off frequently. I could drive three tubes with one ballast but then a single bulb failure sends the whole group to black since the tubes connect in series. 
> 
> Is there a way to test a fluorescent tube using a volt-ohmmeter or other non-exotic method? The cost benefit of sharing a ballast among three fixtures goes smaller if it's a hassle at lamp replacement time. A failed ballast would be tricky to spot with three lamps adding more variables.  
> 
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> I see there are now T8 tubular LED lamps which of course deliver more lumens per watt and of course they are still costly. With no ballast to buy, if I compared devoting a $25 ballast to each fixture against converting to a $50 LED tube, "it's only double the cost" to go LED.
> 
> Is LED now ready for prime time? I got on that band wagon too early because the "white light" units were moonlight blue, they seemed dimmer than a flashlight, color rendition was poor, and worst of all:
> 
> My early LED purchases stopped working properly >>as should not be the case if LED is done right.<< Admittedly, my early LED buys were--don't get me started--designed for DC and I think the battery voltage fluctuation may play havoc with LED and also with the DC fluorescent ballasts. 
> 
> Final question: how could I be sure that new LED lights won't "roach out" in a few years? My untrained eye has never helped me avoid crummy tech before, so I guess it comes down to identifying one (or more) major manufacturer, maybe with a long warranty and a good likelihood of staying in business. 
> 
> My friends and I must stop buying junk that's going to break--even if it is all hyped up about being the "New Latest Environmentally Correct Energy Saver". Those >>well known RV brand<< fluorescents are a case in point to say nothing of round two: DC driven CFL's!
> 
> Thanks & Jolliness,
> 
> Mick Abraham, Proprietor
> www.abrahamsolar.com
> 
> Voice: 970-731-4675
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List sponsored by Home Power magazine
> 
> List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
> 
> Options & settings:
> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org
> 
> List rules & etiquette:
> www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm
> 
> Check out participant bios:
> www.members.re-wrenches.org
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20121205/a7ba2353/attachment-0004.html>