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Topic: Going from florescent to LED lighting (Read 41 times) previous topic - next topic
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Going from florescent to LED lighting
Yahoo Message Number: 150781
Follow these directions and save your self $400 and have all the florescent lights changed over to LED's Cut your Florescent electric usage by 2/3 and have even more light.

http://www.lazydazeowners.com/http://www.lazydazeowners.com/ I know 4 ways to change the florescent lights to Led depending what your want to pay. I do not consider saving $400 being cheap.

Florescent tubes stock             1500 lumens

Eco-LED from Techno               1500 lumens                             2 for $80

http://www.technorv.com/Fluorescent_Tubes_s/197.htm

Star Light                                                                 1650 lumens                            2 for $ 95 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LFAACI/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p263_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=09G7J3PVEXDSMNT1QNXV&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1970559082&pf_rd_i=desktop

Cabin Bright                                                         1620 lumens                           1 for $ 55 only one needed per fixture

www.amazon.com/Cabin-Bright-15-18-Fluorescent-Replacement-IMPROVED/dp/B00CWKO32C/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3

Strips (come on a 5 meter roll)                 $ 13 water proof (roll will do 4+ fixture)   Add 10 connectors $6

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPERNIGHT-5M-60led-m-Warm-White-5630-300-LEDs-Waterproof-LED-Light-Strip-/261569355600?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item3ce6bf9f50

I used 2 rolls of the Supernight strips and had no problem. There are many sellers on E-Bay for this brand

www.ebay.com/itm/10x-10mm-5050-LED-Light-Strip-to-Strip-Connector-PCB-Adapter-2-Pin-Single-Color-/321567968880?pt=US_Lighting_Parts_and_Accessories&hash=item4adef1ce70

Buy only the  connectors with clamps on BOTH ends. Cut one in half to make a starter for the strips. One connector will give you "2" starters. There are many sellers on E-Bay for them. Get only this WHITE kind. They are version (2) and work far better than the version (1). Good cost is 10 for $5


The easiest is the bulbs from Techno. 2 for $80. Remove the 2 old florescent bulbs and insert the 2 new bulbs. They work with the ballast installed.
http://www.technorv.com/Fluorescent_Tubes_s/197.htm

Star Light; 2 for $95. Remove the old tubes and install these. You have to also remove the positive wire from the fixture switch going to the ballast and install the new positive wire there. Ground the white wire.

Cabin Bright. Only need one $55.  Remove old bulbs. Remove the paper from the 3M double stick backing and install. You still have to wire same as Star Light.
The $55 unit has 8 dome style pads. They also have others with 6 and 10 pads

5 meter strips      Remove the old tubes. Cut strips 16" long and connect with the connectors. Remove the paper from the 3M double stick backing and install. You still have to wire same as Star Light.

Movie on how to chain the strips together. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HimF41FIyak          Only the last part of the movie is important which shows how to assemble the strips. The parts I show are comparable with the connectors. They show the places to cut strip. It will take 10 minutes to build each light strip. 4 florescent lights should take 40 minutes to build the strips. You just saved yourself $375. 

What does it take to hook up the wires ?

After you install the new lights turn the fixture over so that you can see the back of the switch. There are 2 wires on the switch. Remove the wire that goes to the ballast. It is a push on spade. Tape it up. It will no longer be needed. At the site below I show the 2 wire connects that you will need. Put the one with the hole on the ground wire and screw it to the housing for a ground. Put the spade type on the positive wire. Place this wire on the switch. Test and install.

If you go with the strips for lighting you now get a free-be. There will be a strip left over that you can add a new light to the under side of the stove hood at the front. If you use the water proof strip you can clean this light if it gets greasy.  There are pic in my Flicker album; see below

This spring I'm going to add a strip on the ceiling in front of the lav mirror. There is never enough light there to shave or a women to do make up. The women will agree with this.

There are 3 different LED that are most common. 3528, 5050, and the 5630

Think of them as a 25, 60, 100, 150, 200 Watt light bulb.

It takes many Leds to make up one light bulb or strip of lights. The 5050 is best to replace your incandescent light bulbs. Stay away from the 3528. It takes 3  3528 LEDs to give off the same light as  one 5050. The 5630 will give off 1 ½ times the light as one 5050. A common bulb you will use to replace a 1156 incandescent bulb is a bulb that has 27-5050 LEDs. It will take a bulb made up of 81-3528  LEDs to give the same amount of light.

The BEST LED for the strips that are used for a florescent light fixture is the 5630. It will take a strip 16" long with 24 LED to replace one florescent tube. It takes 2 strips of 5630 to get about the same light as 2 florescent tubes. But you would need 3-5050 strips to do the same.

How I decided what I wanted from the florescent light fixture. For this fixture you would buy two tube and that is what you get. There is no other choice. With the strips it is how much light do you want. The first one I built was the one over the Swivel chairs. That is where I set and read at night. I built it with 3 strips of LEDs and installed in the MH. Got the news paper, book and magazine then spent ½ and hour reading the 3. I was not happy with the light I had for my 73 year old eyes. Took that light and used it to replace the one in the center of the dining area and made two with 4 strips for over the chairs and couch. In the Kitchen you want the most light you can get so made that with 4 strips also.

Pic of florescent light in MH

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27491195@N03/sets/72157650233435519/

Every thing I bought to change the MH over to LED I got on E-Bay from different sellers most located in the US. Every thing came in less than a week except what I bought from China. That took about 2 to 3 weeks.

If you look at the kitchen sink you will see the light from the LEDs mounted under the hood; note they give off more light than the florescent fixture. There is a pic with only the hood light on, florescent light on and both on. There is also a pic of the light in the kitchen walk way and one in the dining area. All pic were taken with no flash at night. The light you see is supplied only from the LEDs light.


I will do another report on just incandescent lighting shortly.

I have converted all inside lights, porch light, Back-up lights and running light to LED.

I just ordered an LED for the frig. At just over a dollar I could not resist.

George

Retired Plumber
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