LED fluorescent tube replacements

Just braved the arctic workshop long enough to replace six 4' fluorescent tubes with LED equivalents. Wow. Wish I'd done it sooner - the difference in light level is astonishing. Ok, it's not quite comparing apples with apples since the fluorescent tubes are old (~15 years) and so will have dimmed over time, but... A lesson in how we don't notice slow changes - I thought it was reasonably brightly lit in there until now!

Really wish I'd taken before and after pictures - it's WAY too cold to go back and replace all the old tubes!

Very simple to fit for magnetic ballast fittings - just swap the starter for the supplied one (a fuse according to the markings on it) and fit the tube. The only thing you need to establish is which end of the fitting the live and neutral are fed to - the LED tubes have to be fitted a certain way around (the terminals on the opposite end of the tube to the L & N marked terminals are shorted together so you'll find out soon enough if you get it wrong!!).

I used LTT418DL tubes from TLC Electrical Supplies (no connection etc etc...) - £8.60 each.

Have to wait and see how long they last I suppose!

Jez.

Pity they are so dear,will they come down in time ? who knows. I replaced some of mine and the difference is noticeable to say the least. I have found that with most of the new [all?] fittings you buy,you need to replace the whole fitting when it dies,not just the tube. Will we get it back in running costs?,again,who knows. Watch this space !!.

They are excellent aren't they! Ledkia sell at a good price in packs of 20 - as I had 15 to replace it turned in at less than a fiver a tube. Apart from the bright light it's great not to have that dreadful buzz any more and the lights coming on instantly.

Just realised that I spouted some rubbish in my original post. You don't need to establish which end is L/N - the tube can be fitted either way around (in magnetic ballast fittings, with these particular tubes).

Apologies...

I'm (almost) ashamed to say that my motivation wasn't "green-ness" - I wasn't concerned about the power consumption - it was all about (hopefully) improving the light level. Fortunately I wasn't disappointed!

Jez.

Not quite a before and after, and it's true that one tube is missing from the left hand side but still quite a stark illustration of just how much brighter the LED ones are than old fluorescent tubes. If you're thinking about it, just do it!

Thanks for the pointer to Ledkia John - I obviously need to do the other half and will do so at the earliest opportunity.

Photo taken with my phone and not processed at all. Not even to correct the dodgy verticals...

P.S. Excuse the mess. I'm in the process of organising it, honest...

By the time you think that your fluorescent tubes need replacing, they are long past their best! If you replaced them with new fluorescents you would be saying how bright they are!

LED lights are more efficient power wise and will probably last longer. But don't bank on it! I have been an all LED household for a few years now. I have worked in lamp manufacture so I keep records. The claimed lifetime of LED lamps has not been born out by my observation. It is shaping up that you get a little over half the claimed lifetime.

Not arguing that LED lamps are the way to go, but the reliability stakes are not as good as claimed. LED lifetimes are very sensitive to ambient temperature.Claimed lifetimes are usually made from tests on a single LED. As soon as they are placed together, the temperature goes up and the lifetime comes down! A fellow worker developed some machine ring vision luminaires using 20,000 hour guaranteed LEDs. The effective lifetime of the luminaires in service was 3000 hours before failed LEDs became a problem.

I will not be replacing my workshop fluorescents with LED versions anytime soon. I shall be waiting for a price drop and an improvement in lifetime before I change. I would guess a couple of years to wait before this happens.

Andrew.

Edited By Andrew Tinsley on 03/03/2018 14:21:54

Edited By JasonB on 03/03/2018 16:48:29

In my case it was the ballast that failed so the excuse to go to led tube. I was limited in sourcing them 'cos they're 6ft ones... ebay to the rescue and a little judicious re-wiring in the unit after removing the ballast. In fact there was enough reusable wire in there to cobble it together using some automotive spade crimps I had handy. Way better light.

I replaced some of mine in the shop recently and didn't need to make any changes at all for the LED replacement tubes that I bought. Just a straight swap. (The instructions did say they would work only with certain ballasts and my fixtures were fairly recent ones).

As far as LED lifetimes being exaggerated, I don't doubt that's true .... as true as it was/is for incandescents and fluorescents in fact.