LED Fluorescent Tubes

We have decided to swap our normal tubes in the shop for LEDs.
Any recommendations? There seems to be huge price differences. The best value seem to be Phillips.
I know I need starters anything else I should watch out for? One site was talking about rewiring lumiaires , whatever that means.

I put these up in my garage and they really are light daylight. Really easy to fit as they are nice and light. They come in lots of sizes but 6,000-6,5000 colour range are amazing. I have since replaced a conventional cieling lamp in my office with one while I am working from home. So much cleaner that conventional tubes or lamps and not flicker. Only had them a year – no issues so far but they were relatively cheap so who knows.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/twin-2ft-led-batten-white-18w-1650lm/314fx

You might get some ideas here

Low energy workshop/garage lighting

I had some of these that have been brilliant. https://ledsave.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=8ft+T8+LED+Tube+Light+35W+120lm%2FW

I realise that you are trying to replace into some existing light fittings, but for other people – I have just fitted one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0895G4YF2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 in a log cabin and really impressed with the amount of light output. Also nice and simple to install.

I had some of these that have been brilliant.

Why did I not know about these before?!? Off to measure the dead strip light “bulb” in the shed…

I bought some these. No need for starters, just strip out everything inside the old fitting and connect main wires to one of the end caps that the tube plugs into. A bit brighter than the old tubes, half the electric power, no noise and no flicker.

Yes, as above, the ones that do not use the old internal electronics are the best. That does mean a little bit of rewiring the internals, but it is worth. And, with some, you cannot use the old ballasts, so you do have to rewire the fitting.
However, I wouldnt bother getting a LED tube to fit in an old flourescent strip light, I’d just buy a new fitting, which will look far better.
The complete fittings are around £25, the tubes between £5 and £15.

The light units are a bloody long way up in the air. I can just about reach the tubes. Rewiring anything that far up is not something I’d be happy to do.

You only need to bypass the ballast if it’s an electronic one. The older, more common, type with a conventional ballast can be left, but the starter needs to be replaced with the ones supplied with the tubes (basically just a connecting link). So if you can reach to change the tube and starter you should be good to go.

I’ve been using them for five or six years. They’re excellent. Another bonus is that they don’t attract dust so very rarely need cleaning to keep them bright.

Used them for about 3 years now. We had a company next to ours and when I asked about some tubes, as they were moving to another unit, said ‘ oh bugger, just gave 600 tubes away for free’ , then went digging and found another box. So, my energy useage has gone down from 8 X 58w to 8 X 8w in the garage. I had to gut the ballasts and just wire up the mains to one end cap and they weren’t polarity sensitive and off we went. They are a lot brighter, but they, like all led’s give a grey sort of light , but as a whole they are brilliant. I had electronic ballasts before, so notice no difference on switching on and giving immediate light, but if you have an older fitting with a starter, will be a big suprise when you switch on.

I really rate the V-TAC LED battens from BLT Direct. They’re offensively bright and easy to install. They weigh next to nothing as well.

https://www.bltdirect.com/v-tac-led-batten-60w-cool-white-4000k-7200lm-with-samsung-chip

Would recommend the 4000K over any other colour temperature. I’ve got two of the four-foot versions in my garage and they do a sterling job.

I replaced the tube in the kitchen overhead light with an LED version from Wilco, about three years ago, cost about £9, IIRC, replaced the ballast ’starter’ with the supplied dummy, and it’s been excellent. Nice even light, slightly warmer than the fluorescent tube, and none of that ‘pink, pink, pink…’ stuff as it tries to light, no low-level buzzing, just instant light the moment the switch is pressed.

However, I wouldnt bother getting a LED tube to fit in an old flourescent strip light, I’d just buy a new fitting, which will look far better.
The complete fittings are around £25, the tubes between £5 and £15.

Bugger that! Why on earth would you go to all that trouble and expense when an exact replacement tube, but LED, can be slotted into the original ceiling fitting for less than ten quid?
Sorry, but it makes no sense.

So these can be a direct swap – but with the starter replaced by a blank/
If so – excellent

Bugger that! Why on earth would you go to all that trouble and expense when an exact replacement tube, but LED, can be slotted into the original ceiling fitting for less than ten quid?
Sorry, but it makes no sense.

Because flourescent strip lights, especially in a kitchen, start to go yellow after a few years, and the diffuser goes brittle and even more yellow than the steel casing.I fit them for a living, there are very few 5 year old kitchen flourescents that are in good condition.
Putting a new LED tube in will improve the light, but there will still be the old fitting there, that will not be new looking, as well as being less efficient. With the type you have fitted, you are paying to keep the ballast inside it warm, it’s only around 10 watts, but that adds up if you keep that fitting for a few years.

I did my garage 2 years ago, still can’t get used to the delay not being there on switch on or the lack of noise. Wished I’d upgraded sooner. Light is much better as well.

How many LED battens do you need for a given area? New shed will be 3x5m and 2.1m at eaves, so keen to get light and power sorted.

I get the 110 degree beam thing but i’m guessing there isn’t the same throw from the narrow/capped ends? Would they be better in a line down the middle of the 5m length or in rows down the space?

I could do with replacing the fluorescent lights in my garage with these. If I replace the whole fitting is it as simple as wiring into the existing connection?

I could do with replacing the fluorescent lights in my garage with these. If I replace the whole fitting is it as simple as wiring into the existing connection?

Yes.

As for LED tubes, I need to point out that they do not have the lumen ouput of the fluorescent tubes they are replacing. A 6ft 4000k cool white Fluorescent tube has around 6000 lumens output when new, while the LED replacement will have 3500-3800 lumen output.

This is ok for garages, but the loss becomes more noticeable on higher ceilings/commercial/retail environments. As someone who does commercial lighting, I’ve seen some terrible results from ‘just replacing the fluorescent tube with an LED one’…WhSmith did it in a few of their stores.

Better to replace the whole fitting with an LED equivalent.

I changed our kitchen one a year back. After changing the tube and starter it was patently dead.

Got a cheap one from Amazon with good reviews and it was a doddle to install. Stupidly simple.

Much brighter than what it replaced (which was my intention wench looking at replacements) and a “nicer” light too.

As said, the lack of noise/ delay and flicker take a while to get used to. In a nice way.😁

I have just put up 6 4ft LAP battens from Screwfix in my lambing shed. The area where the new lights are is 20m x 10m. It is now brighter than the sun in there! I am thinking of taking 2 down as it is just too much light. In another shed I have 4 4ft flourescents. The light from them is nothing in comparison and yesterday I replaced 1 of them with the same size LED batten and it is light night and day. Seriously. The 4 foot 4000K battens from Screwfix are unbelievably bright.

@Sonor.
So you are saying don’t just swap our 18 tubes ,get units ?
The shop is closed so now is a good time to hire a tower if needs be.
What unit would you suggest to replace a current one that takes 2 x 5 ft daylight tubes @58w each? They are about 14 feet up .
Thanks, I don’t want to get this wrong!

Just replaced a 10 year old twin fluo in my garage with 2 of these and the difference is fantastic.

https://www.bltdirect.com/eterna-ip65-cool-white-45w-white-5ft-led-economy-weatherproof-fitting

So easy to install, well, thanks to another forum member (you know who you are haha) drawing wiring diagrams for me as I’m a Disaster-It-Yourself expert!! I’ve linked the 2 together and now have light the entire length of the garage.

Anyone know if I can run fluorescent and LED at the same time on the same circuit? I have 4 dual electronic fluorescents in the garage at the minute and they are all wired together.
Could I just replace one with LED?
Just wondering about reducing cost and seeing bright they actually are and how many LED’s I’d need.

@wonkey_donkey won’t be a problem running on same circuit.

So you are saying don’t just swap our 18 tubes ,get units ?

Yes.

What unit would you suggest to replace a current one that takes 2 x 5 ft daylight tubes @58w each? They are about 14 feet up .

Daylight? That’s quite a stark light for a retail environment. Do your current lights have reflectors or diffusers on them?

You could look at something like this.

Its a cool white, but has enough lumens to match your daylight tubes when they were new(fluorescent tubes lose up to 40% of their ‘brightness’ in the first year of use), and would be less stark. The light output is reflected in the price of the fitting.

Since I don’t know what size, shape, height(overall) the shop is, how much natural light comes in, what wall coverings/flooring it is, what light level at ‘working height’ you need, and what you are actually lighting I can’t really comment further.

If I remember correctly, your shop is in North Cheam is it?

If I remember correctly, your shop is in North Cheam is it?

How dare you sir? We are most definitely Cheam Village!
We have big windows to the front and side of shop. Ceilings are over 12 ft high. When we swapped to daylight tubes it made everything much brighter.
Interesting fact that tubes lose 40% in their first year.

fazzini
Full Member

Just replaced a 10 year old twin fluo in my garage with 2 of these and the difference is fantastic.

https://www.bltdirect.com/eterna-ip65-cool-white-45w-white-5ft-led-economy-weatherproof-fitting

So easy to install, well, thanks to another forum member (you know who you are haha) drawing wiring diagrams for me as I’m a Disaster-It-Yourself expert!! I’ve linked the 2 together and now have light the entire length of the garage.

Those are great, I’ve just put one in my loft.

Interesting though that like most LED manufacturers they only offer a 3 year warranty yet claim the ‘average life’ is nearly 5 years of continuous running. It’s almost like that average life figure might have been plucked from cloud cuckoo land 🤔

How dare you sir? We are most definitely Cheam Village!

Knowing North Cheam and Cheam village, I can see how that could be pretty insulting.

You’re the gift shop next to the crossroads in ‘cheam village’ aren’t you?

You’re the gift shop next to the crossroads in ‘cheam village’ aren’t you?

That’s us.

Cheers to zk for starting this thread. Since one of the fluorescent tubes in my garage failed I’d debated for ages whether to change to LED. A 5ft and 4ft LAP baton from Screwfix later (£70) and my garage is brighter than it’s ever been. Dead easy to fit and daisy chain too.

[/url]

What is everyone’s thoughts on how many lumens to go for these days? Don’t need full “brighter than the sun” and I need to sort a 8 x 3m garage…… so 4,000lm?

In terms of workshop lighting you can never have too much.

That’s us.

I’ll have to wander by one day and have a look.

In terms of workshop lighting you can never have too much.

Yes you can.

mashr
What is everyone’s thoughts on how many lumens to go for these days? Don’t need full “brighter than the sun” and I need to sort a 8 x 3m garage…… so 4,000lm?

You’d probably get away with 3 of the 5ft fittings on various links above – most of them supposedly kick out around 4000lumens, as most 5×2.5 garages can get away with 2.

If you really want to get nerdy there’s a basic lighting calculation method HERE,

mashr
Full Member

What is everyone’s thoughts on how many lumens to go for these days? Don’t need full “brighter than the sun” and I need to sort a 8 x 3m garage…… so 4,000lm?

The two in my pic above in my garage which is slightly bigger than yours total 10,000lm. That is easily enough for close working on my bicycles and motorbikes, it really is very light in there without being annoyingly so.

@aka_Gilo You garage looks incredible. Where is all the cr$p stored?

I went into my garage earlier and tripped over a Christmas tree stand, knocked over a box of water pistols, had to move a load of empty cardboard boxes out of the way, relocate half a sack of spuds before knocking a already cracked giant glass jar off the worktop. It makes my teeth itch when i go in there and despite any amount of tidying it always ends up the same after 2 weeks!

@djambo I’m lucky, I have quite a big cellar as well (and a loft) so I have plenty of space to store crap elsewhere and keep the garage fairly clear to use for bike storage and workshop. Oh, and gym as my daughter has her punchbag in there, plus toying with the idea of buying a rowing machine.

Based on this calculator https://www.bannerengineering.com/sg/en/company/expert-insights/lux-lumens-calculator.html I went with 2x40w 4ft efforts (4800lm) for my 3x5m. Yet to fit mind you.

Costco have a similar unit with 10m flex and regular plug which I gave also picked up. Same price for one (£35) as the two others I got but they need wired in, the normal plug will get me going in the shed via extension reel before it’s properly wired up.