So I was thinking going LED florescent shop lights.

[ship]

Most of the shop is T-8 florescent but many of the ballasts are going at the line 277 volts and expected ballast life.
Have a choice in going LED of direct connect in lamp change thru the ballast, or disconnecting the ballasts and wiring direct in of LED lamp. Price point is coming down either way, but I have a few months until output is gen. 2 in luminous and CRI output ready for me to switch a few hundred lights. Needs a little more of both in switching given better T-8 florescent lamps are out and probably doing a start of it next year.
Looked into this a little today and LED isn’t ready yet for the overall switch to yet, but coming. Main question is if around 12 years old a ballast, would it (assuming a range of ballast lifes) be bad for a LED lamp when going bad? Or would it be better to go direct with the line voltage?
Might seem simple but is not.

 

[porkchop]

I have no particular scientific reason why, but if you have the option of connecting straight to the LEDs it seems like adding an unnecessary failure point to use the ballast.

 

[RickR]

A failed ballast won't help anything, ever. That part is pretty simple. I still recommend whole fixtures over retrofits for efficiency, reliability and warranty claims.

Are you looking at the latest DOE? http://energy.gov/eere/ssl/articles/doe-publishes-new-caliper-snapshot-tleds

 

[TheTheaterGeek]

We just picked up some Big Ass Lights. Best company name ever. Color temperature took a little getting used to but the overall output is amazing. Also you get a cool mug that says Big Ass on it. Haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BillConnerFASTC]

Modifying the fixtures by removing ballast does likely violate the listing thus making it non-compliant with most electrical codes. Just saying. I agree with replace the fixture sentiment.

 

[JD]

Remove the ballasts. (SOP on these upgrades.) LEDs designed to work with the ballasts operate at a lower efficiency because the ballast still wastes power and throws heat. Best to go direct and avoid it. Also, consider trashing the whole fixture. (as said above) There are compromises made to get LEDs to duplicate a florescent lamp. In addition, if the fixtures include a reflector, it is usually a low efficiency piece of sheet metal painted white. Fixtures designed form the ground up to be LED improve everything. Remember, lamp source efficiency is only part of the equation. The rest of it is about how well the fixture takes that light and puts it where it is needed.

 

[ship]

Wow! thanks all... now given well over like 400 lamps in question in four out of seven buildings alone. I am thankful for the above advice and opinions about replacing entire assemblies for efficiency also. Was more a man/hours question than academic for me to confirm. Should mention most in question, these are non-reflector surface mount. Interesting warranty issue but becomes a I think a wireway and less an issue I would think at some point. Have doubts we would replace fixtures over lamps in batches at a time. This as opposed to replacing all fixtures, trying to get them into conduit/wiring etc. in huge man/hours change to true LED fixture.

The 277v power feeding the lamps I'm glad to see nobody has reference to problems with. Replacing exit lights also at this time, same age, strange them going out also, but going LED. This all granted different power feeds, but at times there could be a few hundred moving lights struck at the same time in the shop.

 

[RickR]

Huge job to convert all that. Take it slow and do lots of testing of fixtures and methods. Too much depends on fixture and site details!

As for power issues when striking movers, that had best be discussed with true Electrical Engineers familiar with your site. Breaker coordination and transformers will determine how far upstream the problems will carry. Simply staggering start ups of movers and of LEDs will help.

 

[JD]

We changed out all our exit signs about 4 years ago to LED. Most commercial battery backed LED exit signs go for about $29 each. Unfortunately, we've had a few batteries go bad and the stinking batteries were $22 (1100ma 3.2 volt) so, almost as much as the sign. Out fire guy went to the local Fire Marshal and asked him if we could use generic battery packs, same rating but $4. He was ok with it although cautioned us "they better light when I hit the test button!"

 

[dmx]

The organization I work for has been phasing in the LED retrofits, keeping the existing ballasts in place. UL and other matters aside, I would like to add that it takes only a couple of seconds to install a retrofit bulb vs. the time required to modify an existing fixture by removing/bypassing the ballast. Also, the bulb inserts may be completed by virtually anyone.

With regards to output, our Phillips retrofits are virtually indistinguishable from their florescent counterparts.

Hope this helps,
--Matt

 

[JD]

With snips and push-ons it took me an average of 3 minutes per fixture to bypass the ballast. No need to physically remove it. On a standard rapid-start 2x40 transformer type, you simply snip the yellows off the ballast, snip the B&W and tie them to the yellows with push-ons. The LED "tubes" only take power in the one end, so no need to even remove the now-dead blues and reds that feed the other end. Took longer to move the ladder.

 

[ship]

Thannks all again. Thinking next re-lamping, I think I'll start a bay or two of some rooms. Doing replacement LED exit lights now while not working on production needs.