We are getting ready to replace the lamps in the
house lights of our high school
auditorium. We considered replacing the fixtures with an
LED system, but that seems to be out of our budget right now. So for now we are planning on replacing the existing (mostly dead)
halogen lamps with new
halogen lamps.
Before we pull the trigger, should we consider replacing them with
LED lamps instead? Details of the
current install are below, but my concerns would be (1) will we have a good dimming with
LED lamps in
conventional fixtures, and (2) can we even get LEDs that would have the same specs (lumens,
color temperature,
etc.).
Details on
current install:
- 30 Pendant fixtures (Rambusch PD-60-250Q) with 250w USHIO frosted mini-can screw base lamps (E11 base, T4 shape)
- 18 pendant fixtures (Rambusch PD-60-500Q) with 500w USHIO frosted mini-can screw base lamps (E11 base, T4 shape)
- 26 track mounted fixtures (Rambusch BL-SA-300/500-Par56-IY) with Par 56Q 500w 30 degree WFL lamps (G16d base)
These fixtures are wired to 18 different 20-amp dimmers. If we found the right
LED lamp replacements, I've been told we could re-seat these circuits to use only a few dimmers, and that this would help with the dimming curve on the LEDs.
Labor is the biggest cost of replacing the lamps because of the difficulty getting to the fixtures (there is no way to bring in a large
boom lift.)
My questions may be moot, because I've not been able to find
LED lamps that would fit these fixtures with anywhere near the same lumens. But perhaps all of you will have better suggestions for me, and I wanted to ask before we spent the money on
halogen replacements.