Workshop Lighting

[VicParticipant @vic]

I quite like the look of these but wondering if four will be enough for a 5m x 3m space. The Lathe and Mill will each have a unit mounted almost directly above.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/5ft-Waterproof-Fluorescent+Tube/p/162290

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Russell Eberhardt on 27/08/2014 11:30:12:

Posted by Johnboy25 on 25/08/2014 14:08:22:

Well yes it is desirable for industrial premises if not an HSE requirement to have twin style fluorescent light fittings installed where rotating machinery is being used. Single tube fittings will produce a 100 Hz ripple effect with the lamps peak light intensity output on the positive & negative part of each cycle. i.e. double the 50 Hz mains frequency.

The strobe effect from a double fitting will be exactly the same as that from a single unless they are fed from different phases of a three phase supply. Much easier just to use high frequency types (or LEDs).

Russell.

Later in his post John explained how a local circuit puts the two tubes out of phase.

Neil

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 27/08/2014 15:50:33:

Later in his post John explained how a local circuit puts the two tubes out of phase.

Neil

Sorry, missed that.

Russell.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Went into the city yesterday, went to LED's Are Us, a shop I had not seen before, the sign said 20 to 50% off all stock, ah ha says I this looks good, I went in and found the prices were four to five times those of any other retailer in town??, I was just looking to see what they had that I could use to replace the lights in my living room, and what they had for $NZ 75 I could get from another shop just a couple of blocks away for $NZ 12.

Ian S C

[ronan walshParticipant @ronanwalsh98054]

Are these led fluorescent tubes a straight replacement or is there something else that has to be done to get them to work ? Can the bothersome starters be done away with ?

[VicParticipant @vic]

I think it depends on the fitting. I'm sure someone who knows the details will be along in a minute.

[MuzzerParticipant @muzzer]

Funny, I was reading about LED replacements that plug straight into legacy fittings just this past week – many of them work with either inductive or switching ballasts. Presumably the starter won't do anything and can be left in place (inductive) and the LED driver is designed to tolerate the HF voltage (switching).

There are direct replacements for strip lights and all the other single ended types as well, in a whole variety of colour temperatures. Of course, there was no discussion about pricing but there must be at least some cost justification otherwise nobody would be interested in using them. LIfetimes of 15-20k hours were mentioned. Hopefully the reliability will on a similar par.

Murray

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by ronan walsh on 30/08/2014 21:21:56:

Are these led fluorescent tubes a straight replacement or is there something else that has to be done to get them to work ? Can the bothersome starters be done away with ?

You take out the tube AND the starter and replace it with the LED tube. Instant on – no waiting and no more fiddling with the starters on cold mornings.

graham.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Oompa Lumpa on 31/08/2014 07:54:58:

You take out the tube AND the starter and replace it with the LED tube. Instant on – no waiting and no more fiddling with the starters on cold mornings.

I'm curious. Say you replace a fluorescent tube with an LED one, removing the starter, ballast etc then someone else comes along and unwittingly replaces that tube (the LED one) with a regular fluorescent tube. Presumably it won't work but are there safety issues as suggested in some quarters?

I've also seen it suggested that removal of the starter/ballast and fitting an LED tube would invalidate the electrical approval of the fixture (UL in North America – whatever …. VDE? ….in Europe). I wonder how that would affect homeowners' insurance.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

I needed to replace the 5' double tubes fitment my workshop recently. Sadly, no one seems to offer an LED replacement fitting, just an adaptation of the existing one. Only the old fashioned low frequency fluorescent tube fittings seem to be available at any sort of reasonable price locally, so I ended up with the same as before. Disappointing really. Still, if it needs replacing again in 20 yrs it probably won't be my problem.

Rod

[john swift 1Participant @johnswift1]

I'm sure the LED replacement I looked at a year or two ago

could be fitted in a standard fitting with a choke ballast and required the glow switch starter being removed

(maybe the adjacent pins were connected together so the starter would connect the mains supply across the choke ! )

 

this LED "tube" from GE lighting comes with its own starter

**LINK**

note – a rewire is required for use with electronic ballasts

John

 

PS

  Rod  I guess £500 for a 47W LED light could be the reason  not many outlets sell LED luminaires !!!

           http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/ceiling-lighting-battens/8003704/

 

 

 

 

 

         

Edited By john swift 1 on 31/08/2014 21:02:08

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

My experience of lighting in my workshop, (approx 3 m x 2m and 2 m to the sloping ceiling). The walls, not that you see much of them for shelves, and ceiling were painted gloss white eleven years ago.

On the ceiling, above the central narrow aisle are two 5 foot fluorescent tubes, the second is switched from the first when required.

The Mill/Drill has progressed from 2 x 60W filament worklights, positioned on each side, through CFLs to LEDs.

Above the vice is a similar worklight, with similar history, with a 3 or 9 watt LED.

These give a good white light , no detectable heat, and consume minimal current.

The lathe came witha 24V 50W Quartz halogen lamp which gave a warm light and plenty of heat, but the lamps failed often. After filing two diametrically opposed slots, about 8mm wide on the outer edge of the reflector, to improve ventilation, lamp life has increased dramatically. (just as well as the lamps are not obtainable locally in East Anglia!

About 600mm above the lathe, I recently installed a short mains fed LED strip (£9.99 from Aldi or Lidl – can't remember which) giving a bright white light which makes the Q H lamp look orange. It has certainly improved visibility on the lathe.

The ceiling mounted fluorescents are feeling their age, so I am interested to know what would be the best / cheapest form of replacement; LED tubes or LEDs strips.

Howard

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