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Shop build. HEAT!

Doing the LED conversion on older flourescent fixtures?
 
Depending on the style of bulbs you buy, one just pulls the ballast and rewires the tombstones for power one end, neutral on the other. It is way simple.
 
Heard of it, what’s involved?

Depending on the style of bulbs you buy, one just pulls the ballast and rewires the tombstones for power one end, neutral on the other. It is way simple.

What Lanes said, pretty simple operation.

I got 15 or so fixtures for free so I gotta do alot of cleanup on em too
 
I opted for the plug and play bulbs that are compatible with the quick start ballasts - took 20 minutes to change all 10 bulbs. Home Depot had a deal on a 10 pack Phillips LED, 5000K, 2200 lumens.

As y’all said, it’s an easy way to add daylight to any shop.

David
 
I opted for the plug and play bulbs that are compatible with the quick start ballasts - took 20 minutes to change all 10 bulbs. Home Depot had a deal on a 10 pack Phillips LED, 5000K, 2200 lumens.

As y’all said, it’s an easy way to add daylight to any shop.

David

Some of the fixtures I have the ballasts are bad in them. So as far as I read you can't have a bad ballast and use plug n play bulbs.

Am I wrong. Very well could be. I have been wrong once or twice
 
Some of the fixtures I have the ballasts are bad in them. So as far as I read you can't have a bad ballast and use plug n play bulbs.

Am I wrong. Very well could be. I have been wrong once or twice
Correct. You either need a functioning ballast or direct power for these to work. When a ballast fails, you just rewire the fixture to bypass, and there’s no need to change the LED bulb.

I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.

David
 
Theres quite a few versions of the 48" LEDs. Some you HAVE to take the ballast out and your 120v goes neutral on one side, hot on the other. Some you wire the 120 to one side of the bulb only.
Others like the Osram bulbs I have for my shop, still need the ballast. And as stated it has to be a quick start one in good condition.

Quite a few people have been buying rolls of adhesive LED strip lights. Then just removing the guts of the light and using it as a reflector for the strip.

We put some of the ones that take a line on each end in our warehouse at work about 4 years ago.. they recently all started dropping like flies. Got 4 years of nearly continuous use out of them though
 
all this work for led lights when you can just do this cheeper in the end . https://ck5.com/forums/threads/i-can-see-the-light-now-update-31-new-pics-soon-of-full-redo.320974/ been using mine almost every day since install starting in may 2015 and the rest in jan 2017 not 1 problem yet .

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/honey...hop-light/prod22050808.ip?xid=plp_product_1_3
or you can buy qty 10 online and save money on them .

link up to 10 on 1 outlet run . low/medium/high/off light option . if it goes bad just unplug / hang new and your done .

i have 33 of them total in my shop . 12 in the lift bay and 1 facing the engine bay for #13 . 6 in the paint bay 2 each side wall 1 each end for full coverage . the rest in the shop are spread out 3 on front wall facing in to the middle . 4 in the middle facing down . 2 each end facing the middle . there is hardly any shadows in my shop and no hummmmm of the ballast / cold starts it dosn't even care 1 bit .

but hay do what you like / know / have . i did price new ballasts for my old 8ft units and by the time i got new and a few bulbs before the labor i was more than the new led lights .
 
There are no cold start with the LEDs, even with a ballast. And no hum with newer ballasts.

2 bulbs and a ballast, or even 2 bulbs w/o ballast are still cheaper than $30 also.

More work though, yes.
 
I got these fixtures for free. So I'll be into LED lights for about 18 dollars per fixture including both bulbs.

Are there cheaper ways to light absolutely. Fluorescent wins every day lumens per dollar. Led wins on lifetime and energy cost. Led also wins on use of available lumens .

Fluorescent is cheaper. And provides awesome light.

But for me buying several new ballasts in my free fixtures I mine as well do LEDs
 
I will tell ya this. The lights I bought from home Depot. They are LEDs but integral bulbs.

Those were a dumb purchase. You can get 4' led ready fixtures for 15 bucks, 2 cheap bulbs for 12 bucks and that's 4000 lumens. I think I paid 30 per fixture for 2200 lumens. Could have done all my shop in fluorescent for that. But hind sight and all that
 
Heater help.

So I have the waste oil heater. My insurance considers it a fuel oil heater .so I can be covered but they require an approved chimney.

It appears the cheapest way to do this is a kit. That is a bit out of my price range.

I do have some money saved up. But not enough. It has been recommended to me too get a backup heat source. With that recommendation in mind I have been looking at 5000 to 7000 watt electric heaters. These I could purchase right now. I'd likely use one of my welder outlets temporarily.

Any ideas on brands etc.

Yes I understand in most parts of the country this could bankrupt a guy electric heat is a redheaded step child. Nearest natural gas line to me is 4 miles away, propane is expensive here. In addition to a fairly hefty charge to put the tank where I want it. Electric is super cheap 5¢ a kwh.

Just wanna know if anyone has had one, experience with brands etc
 
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