LED's replacing 48" Fluorescent tubes
 

Hi Gang,

I just bought 4 x 48" 24 watt LED tubes to replace the CFL tubes in the shop. First thought is the light is quite good although a little harsher than the tubes I replaced (more on this later).

One LED tube uses 21 watts on my P3 meter and I found that one light in the fixture is enough as I have several fixtures around the shop relatively close together. The CFL's I replaced use 27.5 watts each but the light from one is not adequate so using two is a must for me (55 watts).
Power saved is (55 x 4) - (21 x 4) or 136 watt hours which I think is significant.

The lights I purchased come with three cover options, milky, clear and striped. I wanted milky but they were out so the eBay seller gave me a deal on the striped 24 watt lights over my original purchase of 20 watt lights. My advice is to get the milky as I think the light will be less harsh.

I like the idea that I don't have spent CFL's to deal with, somehow the long bulbs are more annoying than the E27 lamps we use in our standard lamp sockets. Also so times things get hectic in the shop and I've smacked the CFL's a couple of time and cringed that glass and mercury would come raining down on my which fortunately has not happened!

The fixtures have to be modified but it only took me ten minutes or less to do each one.

Overall I like the bulbs, my cost was $48.99 with free shipping for 4 bulbs. There are several sellers for these kinds of bulbs on eBay.

Rob

$49 shipped for 4 bulbs? or $49 each shipped? I think last I looked, these were more than $50/ea.

It would be great to have out in the garage so I don't have to wait for them to warm up.

4 bulbs to my door for $49, about $12 each. I just went to the shop and I like these a lot more than the CFL's they replaced, the light is much better in my view. Instant on full brightness, cool to the touch.
Rob

Wow, thats very inexpensive.

Yes, and no more flickering tubes!
Rob

What color temperature did you buy?

-AC

Daylight ~ 6000 K because it's the shop, I think if I was doing a small office I might go with the middle temperature LEDs around 4000 to 5000K. What I would do is look at your house lamps if they are CFL's or LED's you might get a good idea of the color you want in your room.

Rob

Rob,

Thanks for the resource and thanks for your reply.

Most of the people I know who have their own shops use "daylight" color (or temperature) lighting, usually conventional fluorescent tubes. And in the interior of their homes they want a light that is 'less blueish'.

I have often wondered why people consign their shops to having 'blueish' lighting.

It's something I've never quite understood.

What is your rationale?

-AC

AC,
When LED's started coming out in 'white' light there was a lot of 'blue' in the white because the manufacturers were working to get there chemistry right. Blue and blue/white LED's were the rage for awhile especially with the audio and car guys.
Personally I think blue in the white or true blue, can be harsh, these lights have no traces of blue in them. I go with daylight in the shop and kitchen because I have a problem with seasonal dark transitions. The daylight bulbs really help with these long dark northern winters.

By the way if you don't know, there were some studies done on CFL's and they found that the light disrupts sleep patterns. I'm going to LED's now but I expect like many of you I still have a pile of CFL's. Try not to read by CFL's just before bed is the advice I found. In my TV room I use a 2 watt warm LED bulb in the background. Nancy thinks I'm nuts but she thought that long before CFL replacement lamps ever came on the market!

Rob

What are the lumen and CRI ratings?