Results 26 to 50 of 57
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09-25-2019, 07:05 PM #26
11 fixtures? I have garage envy.
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09-25-2019, 11:01 PM #27Registered User
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I am an electrician. Licensed since 1993. In the last ten years LEDs of varying quality have flooded our market. I have seen claims of 50,000 hours lifespan on new lamps, only to have call backs in a week. In most retrofit bulbs, it’s the basic resistors and other components that fail, along with soldering points. I think the led component usually is long lasting. Having said that, I think the tubes which bypass the fluorescent ballast are the best. First off, you delete a source of failure and of energy usage when you delete the ballast. Second, the ballast puts out around 600 volts. If you haven’t deleted the ballast, then some crappy component in your Chinese led tube is going to have to reduce that voltage to the usable voltage of the led ribbon in the tube. Cut out this potential failure point and just use 120v direct tubes!
I have probably 20 4’ two tube lamps in my outbuilding. A good portion had bad ballasts and to A lesser extent, bad tubes. I bought some 2700k 120v tubes on eBay and have been really pleased with them. No flicker. No hum. Instant on and the color beats the harsh cool white color of the old fluorescent tubes.
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09-26-2019, 07:43 AM #28
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09-26-2019, 12:59 PM #29Registered User
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09-26-2019, 10:48 PM #30
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09-26-2019, 11:22 PM #31Registered User
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I dont think I have ever seen LEDs in that color range. 2700k seems like the incandescent warm white equivalent
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09-27-2019, 06:09 AM #32I drink it up
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09-27-2019, 08:27 AM #33
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09-27-2019, 08:33 AM #34
I changed out a few in my office a couple year’s ago. I used these
Hyperikon T8 T12 LED Bulbs 4 Foot, 40 Watt Replacement (18W), T10 Light Tube, 4000... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SSNPGSC..._cSHJDbC3FM3ZF
Simple rewire that was quick to do. They wouldn’t work at first because the sockets on my fixtures had jumpers. I picketed up more sockets but they wouldn’t fit in my decorative fixture. I ended up taking the old ones apart and snipping out the jumper. They work great. They have a very slight delay when starting but the light is superior to the old florescent tubesI'd rather die while I'm living then live while I'm dead
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09-27-2019, 10:20 AM #35
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09-28-2019, 09:37 AM #36
You're an electrician and buy your stuff on Ebay?
LED shite is all over the map as far as quality is concerned.
The old Philips, now called Signify is probably making the best bulb. TCP makes good inexpensive fixtures. Acuity/Lithonia/Juno make higher quality stuff.
27k is generally the standard lowest Kelvin temperature. CRI is also very important if you're looking for a good "feel" lighting.
Expensive lamps will dim below 27k Kelvin, but not sure its available in a linear lamp. They are available in LED fixtures.
One of the other caveats not mentioned with replacing lamps vs fixtures is local rebates. Some fixture replacements have been basically free with the rebate.
Also, you can buy a Huffy or a Specialized. Not that drastic, but there is some real shit out there.
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09-28-2019, 10:49 AM #37Registered User
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All I can say is they have been installed for 2+ years with zero failures. We install lots of led lamps from TCP, Sora, Phillips and other quality makers and have significant failure rates. I’m with you about buying quality stuff, but in this case I’ve been really impressed with my cheapo tubes. Did I mention I’m cheap?
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07-15-2021, 11:31 AM #38
Bump, because I'm finally doing this. I'm going to get the type B LED bulbs, and rewire around the ballast.
I was reading up on shunted vs non shunted tombstones in the fluorescent fixtures. Everything I see in my fixture suggests it is non shunted, which is what I need for this retrofit: tombstone has 4 wire input, no red "I" or circle I or red dot.
However, when I test for continuity between the prongs, I get continuity - which suggests shunted. Unless the connection I see on my multimeter is due to the tombstone still being wired in place. Can anyone confirm one way or the other?
I took pics to show what I'm dealing with - this is all from one fixture, with the ballast cover removed. I believe all the fixtures are identical, all are flush mounted to garage ceiling, all turn on with a single light switch.
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07-15-2021, 05:39 PM #39Registered User
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Whats the price difference from 2 bulbs to a whole 4 ft setup?
In your example however just tie the 2 yellows to the hot and neutral (black and white ) and ditch the blues
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07-15-2021, 05:46 PM #40
Why the fuck wouldn’t you just install a new fixture?
Retrofit bulbs are great when they are in conduit.
Your pic looks like an easier fixture replacement. . .
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07-15-2021, 06:00 PM #41
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07-15-2021, 07:39 PM #42Registered User
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07-16-2021, 03:23 PM #43
I bought these bulbs, which are "single ended power," which -- reading the instructions -- means that the yellow wiring end on my fixture doesn't need to be wired to anything, because that end of the fixture only physically holds the bulbs in place, and doesn't provide power or a ground. So, just disconnect the yellow wires.
https://www.amazon.com/Sunco-Lightin...95&sr=8-8&th=1
Sunco instructions:
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71aV0TbfM2L.pdf
And specifically:
Based on the colors on my fixture, it looks like my rewiring consists of:
1) Tombstone with red wires: attach the hot (black from building) to one terminal; attach the neutral (white from building) to the other terminal
2) Tombstone with blue wires: attach the hot (black from building) to one terminal; attach the neutral (white from building) to the other terminal
Google tells me that LED bulbs have polarity, so I'll check the bulbs for labeling for hot vs neutral.
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07-16-2021, 03:36 PM #44
Also, following up on this (from my earlier post) -- "However, when I test for continuity between the prongs, I get continuity - which suggests shunted. Unless the connection I see on my multimeter is due to the tombstone still being wired in place. Can anyone confirm one way or the other?"
Can anyone shed light on this? Is my multimeter just reading out continuity based on the tombstone being wired in place?
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07-16-2021, 05:05 PM #45Registered User
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07-16-2021, 05:18 PM #46
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07-16-2021, 05:40 PM #47
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07-16-2021, 06:16 PM #48Registered User
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Led replacement bulbs are not polarity sensitive when theyre converting ac to dc. The drivers that convert are contained within.
Continuity tests need to be conducted heh with the blue and red wires cut
And you can use either end
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07-16-2021, 06:34 PM #49
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07-16-2021, 06:57 PM #50Registered User
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If you wire up a shunted tombstone to 120v, you will trip a breaker. You should have no continuity between the two contacts
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