T8 Lights loosing their brightness?

[Industrial Toys]

I wonder if T8s still have heating filaments. I am thinking not.

 

[MossRoad]

....I only had people work on installing them when they had no paying work to do......

That reminds me of my last job. Sometime during the 1st year I was there, they gave me a SKID of ballasts, an old rickety 16' metal step ladder, a case of wire nuts, and a pair of wire stripper/cutters and told me to change every ballast (old PCB ballasts) in the building during slack times, while they were live! I grew to hate that ladder. :laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

We had the wooden ones that weighed a ton! And yes, nothing ever got turned off.

 

[dnw64]

That reminds me of my last job. Sometime during the 1st year I was there, they gave me a SKID of ballasts, an old rickety 16' metal step ladder, a case of wire nuts, and a pair of wire stripper/cutters and told me to change every ballast (old PCB ballasts) in the building during slack times, while they were live! I grew to hate that ladder. :laughing:

My late father-in-law used to do that all the time. I've done it a couple times on 120v. Most of ours are 277v...

 

[Ford850]

We had the wooden ones that weighed a ton! And yes, nothing ever got turned off.

Wooden bulbs? They must have been before incandescent bulbs. Probably direct wired with knob and tube.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually, I'm saddened, one of two 500 or 1000 watt mogel base bulbs in my garage just burned out. WHAT NOW?

I was reffering to some awful old wooden 14 or 16 foot step ladders, that I could barely lift as a skinny kid. They also swayed side to side. Then you had to hoist them back on the roof of the van and tie them down with wire! lol I'm sorry, we never lost any!

 

[Zerk]

Trailer at work today now has LEDs in the ballast. Yes it was bright. Wired without ballasts. I was told if you use the ballast probably going to last forever,but more expensive to run.

Brought up how if they last forever, they are going to get dirty. Guy said we will take them down and clean. Which I then said, how is that different than changing a lamp?

If the situation comes up I will go with LED. But I am not taking down functional lights.

 

[Industrial Toys]

How can you expect to ride on the bandwagon, then?

 

[dnw64]

Trailer at work today now has LEDs in the ballast. Yes it was bright. Wired without ballasts. I was told if you use the ballast probably going to last forever,but more expensive to run.

Brought up how if they last forever, they are going to get dirty. Guy said we will take them down and clean. Which I then said, how is that different than changing a lamp?

If the situation comes up I will go with LED. But I am not taking down functional lights.

It's not just longevity, it's Lumens per Watt.

But if you don't care, it don't matter.

 

[radios1]

Actually, I'm saddened, one of two 500 or 1000 watt mogel base bulbs in my garage just burned out. WHAT NOW?

I was reffering to some awful old wooden 14 or 16 foot step ladders, that I could barely lift as a skinny kid. They also swayed side to side. Then you had to hoist them back on the roof of the van and tie them down with wire! lol I'm sorry, we never lost any!

you can buy a new one here. 1 Watt Light Bulb - Mogul Base - 13 Volt | 1Bulbs.com

 

[Zerk]

It's not just longevity, it's Lumens per Watt.

But if you don't care, it don't matter.

I am just saying, I am not inclined to replace functioning lights. The lumens were impressive. Since I am not spending other peoples money, I am not going to take down good lights.

I also have spare lamps.

I bought some 110 HO when they banned or talked about it. Lot brighter than ones that don't kill baby penguins.

I have been wanting to add some light to my basement wood shop. Will try out LED if price is good. Not on enough to pay to reduce cost to run.

As I said, I am using them in places in my house that are on a great deal. I did the math.

 

[radios1]

I wonder if T8s still have heating filaments. I am thinking not.

they do, unless they are special purpose cold cathode tubes, which have drawbacks..

 

[Zerk]

One thing I didn't realize, if are supplying them with 120, they will get hot, and you should not putting something to big in.

Remember those CFLs? They were the future, and you were a flat earther for not using floursecent.

 

[Industrial Toys]

That was a most unfortunate step toward LED. All that mercury in the landfill. And a pretty lousy technology. I still have some of those round hoop tubes that screwed into a standard base.

 

[ultrarunner]

Remember those CFLs? They were the future, and you were a flat earther for not using floursecent.

Not a fan of CFL Edison Base except for one application.

The main Hospital Lobby has about a dozen table lamps scattered around...

Each week I would find missing light bulbs and often the small stem that turned the lights on and off would be gone too.

Having a socket exposed without a lamp is a hazard.

Had a box of CFL laying around so I replaced these incandescent with CFL...

It has been a couple of years and NOT A SINGLE CFL has been stolen, taken or otherwise been tampered with...

They actually work well under the lamp shade and are typically on about 12 hours a day...

 

[MossRoad]

Not a fan of CFL Edison Base except for one application.

The main Hospital Lobby has about a dozen table lamps scattered around...

Each week I would find missing light bulbs and often the small stem that turned the lights on and off would be gone too.

Having a socket exposed without a lamp is a hazard.

Had a box of CFL laying around so I replaced these incandescent with CFL...

It has been a couple of years and NOT A SINGLE CFL has been stolen, taken or otherwise been tampered with...

They actually work well under the lamp shade and are typically on about 12 hours a day...

We've noticed that LED bulbs we put in table lamps in public areas disappear and CFL's get put in their place! :laughing:

 

[dnw64]

I am just saying, I am not inclined to replace functioning lights. The lumens were impressive. Since I am not spending other peoples money, I am not going to take down good lights.

We only replaced functioning T8s in applications where they are, or could be, on all day. Low use ones were left to be replaced when they die. Better light and saving money in less than a year, it was a no-brainer for me.

 

[dnw64]

I am just saying, I am not inclined to replace functioning lights. The lumens were impressive. Since I am not spending other peoples money, I am not going to take down good lights.

We only replaced functioning T8s in applications where they are, or could be, on all day. Low use ones were left to be replaced when they die. Better light and saving money in less than a year, it was a no-brainer for me.

 

[Zerk]

We only replaced functioning T8s in applications where they are, or could be, on all day. Low use ones were left to be replaced when they die. Better light and saving money in less than a year, it was a no-brainer for me.

Did you do the math? I am curious, or a feeling? I have not. The HO wouldn't surprise me. I do like them they are brighter. I did it on spending money on incandescent vs LED that ran for hours a day.

You can argue at a business they are paying your wages no matter what you do that do. So unless you had something useful to do that day, labor cost is not a factor.



As for the people in working in areas where people are stealing bulbs, not sure I would want to work or live an area like that. We have copper theft, but it is not my co workers, or people dealing with.

You have to say, all the work, and sometimes weight, why don't they get a real job. They would have to pass a drug test, and be sober I guess is issue. Plus they like being their own boss.

I did work at mill in Indiana, where stuff got stole a lot.

 

[dnw64]

Did you do the math? I am curious, or a feeling? I have not.

Not sure what math you're referring to. I did the math on energy saving, but did not check output with a light meter. It was a visual observation that the fixtures with 4 LEDs were roughly as bright as the one ones with 6 FLs.

And, yes, it did cost me labor to install them, which I did not account for. Yes, I had them do it only when there was no paying work, but I would have had them doing other similar if not installing LEDs. We try to keep our guys busy for at least 40 hours a week - that's what I hired them for and feel obligated to if at all possible. So I "pretended" it didn't cost me anything.