LED retrofit

BillConnerFASTC

Well-Known Member
Odd request today - someone looking for a LED replacement lamp for an aisle light. Its a double ended lamp - I don't have much detail other than old chairs, each with its own 12 volt transformer. And they didn't want to spend much based on a promised major renovation in a few years, but caught by code.

This is what I found: https://goo.gl/1TKvMz Amazon turned up a lot with the "festoon" term, which I had forgotten.

Anyone with any experience with this particular or similar retrofit? At least dimming is not an issue.
 
I've used those as a retrofit in a VW camper. The ones I found were slightly different in length than the original incandescent, but fit well enough to work. I use similar bayonet type LED retrofits in my trailer to replace the battery chugging originals.

I'm not really surprised to see them as aisle lights, they're a nice compact form. I've also seen them in some of the vintage lit house number plaques that are popular out here in SFO. I know a lot of those older doorbell-type transformers dropped the current down to 12vAC, not DC.

If they're a non-dim setup, I say go for it. I've found that the color temp of "warm white" is pretty open to debate, but you could always floof that with a little gel if necessary.

Let us know if they wind up being 120vAC to 12vDC or AC transformers built in, and how the LED's handle!
 
I've seen many double ended 12V LED replacement lamps in the automotive section of Walmart, and also at Autozone. They might get lucky on this one. Let us know how it works out.
 
Yeah, the only issue I could see would be if the transformers are 12vdc. I found out the hard way that older Littlelite transformers were 12vac.
 
Festoon lamps used to be quite popular for architectural linear lighting. Small coves, shelf lights, cabinetry lighting, etc. Manufactures like Lucifer Lighting, Sea Gull Lighting, Celestial Lighting are big names in this stuff. They all have LED modules and replacement lamps, some with a bit of circuit board on them. Retrofits should be readily available for whatever they actually have in place.

AC powered LEDs are around. Arraying several diodes essentially creates it's own rectifier. You just get a bit worse flicker and less output, but a vastly cheaper unit.
 
Thanks! Lucifer and Sea Gull seem to be out of that market but Celestial had the exact same festoon they always had with an LED retrofit for 24 vca. Not sure the lamp is available separately or is affordable but at least I have one.
 
One would think that a reasonable building designer would have had aisle lights wired on their own, separate, circuit(s). It SHOULD be possible to pick up these circuits at their feed point and install transformer(s) & rectifier(s) as required to convert the aisle light circuit(s) to the necessary DC voltage, then use some of the numerous available DC LED lamps.
It's a 1970s building. I believe the seats came with transformer, likely with a 12 volt lamp and concern for voltage drop if transformer is remote. I'm really distant from this. An electrical engineer I worked with 5 or so years ago and not since asking for help. Key to problem is planned major renovation in a few years but having to do something now, for as little as possible.
 
One would think that a reasonable building designer would have had aisle lights wired on their own, separate, circuit(s). It SHOULD be possible to pick up these circuits at their feed point and install transformer(s) & rectifier(s) as required to convert the aisle light circuit(s) to the necessary DC voltage, then use some of the numerous available DC LED lamps.
Assuming there is no high voltage in the conduits. You are not to mix high voltage with low in same conduit.
 
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After paying way to much for 4-wheat lights in a tube we found a local guy that was making these led replacement isle lights. I believe there is a bridge rectifier to convert ac to dc(I could be/are very wrong with this statement), I think we paid a couple of bucks more than what the wheat lights were costing us.
Been 5 years and so far so good, and on a dimmer.....not that I ever dim them...
and we added a gel so they were not so bright
 

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Odd request today - someone looking for a LED replacement lamp for an aisle light. Its a double ended lamp - I don't have much detail other than old chairs, each with its own 12 volt transformer. And they didn't want to spend much based on a promised major renovation in a few years, but caught by code.

This is what I found: https://goo.gl/1TKvMz Amazon turned up a lot with the "festoon" term, which I had forgotten.

Anyone with any experience with this particular or similar retrofit? At least dimming is not an issue.
Kichler makes an understep 12v LED commercial grade fixture for decking steps that is brand new. It probably would be too long for installing directly on a chair.
 
Odd request today - someone looking for a LED replacement lamp for an aisle light. Its a double ended lamp - I don't have much detail other than old chairs, each with its own 12 volt transformer. And they didn't want to spend much based on a promised major renovation in a few years, but caught by code.

This is what I found: https://goo.gl/1TKvMz Amazon turned up a lot with the "festoon" term, which I had forgotten.

Anyone with any experience with this particular or similar retrofit? At least dimming is not an issue.
We had a client use an led tape that worked out very cheap, a bit of work making each one up but they loved it- I think the company was green life ?
They cut the LED tape- soldered on little 18 gauge wires and tied into the 12 bolt.
Carmel
 
Odd request today - someone looking for a LED replacement lamp for an aisle light. Its a double ended lamp - I don't have much detail other than old chairs, each with its own 12 volt transformer. And they didn't want to spend much based on a promised major renovation in a few years, but caught by code.

This is what I found: https://goo.gl/1TKvMz Amazon turned up a lot with the "festoon" term, which I had forgotten.

Anyone with any experience with this particular or similar retrofit? At least dimming is not an issue.
Kichler also makes a tape LED that is cut to size and has quick connectors for wiring to 12v.
 
Hmmmm. rob111 is from Cleveland and Kichler Lighting is headquartered in Cleveland. Ya think it's not a coincidence?
 

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