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Has anyone used LED replacement bulbs for 4' T-8 fluorescent tubes? I'm looking for opinions...

Jul 7, 2012 4:56 AM

I have several twin-tube fluorescent fixtures with ballasts that are starting to go, and I don't want to spring for more ballasts (usually it is cheaper to just buy a new fixture), plus I really don't like the poisonous mercury that is in every fluorescent bulb.

I know that the LED replacement tubes don't need the ballast (you just short it out, wiring one end of the tube to hot and the other to neutral) and that they use about half the power and produce slightly more light than a standard 4' T8 bulb.

They are also $50-$70 per tube, though based on their claimed lifespan, they should last over fifteen years in my application, so the cost is only an initial deterrent.

My question is more regarding reliability and experience given the various manufacturers out there.

Thanks for any comments. (And no, I'm not related to Snapster, though I miss him and his woot.)

theghostofsnapsterpast theghostofsnapster…

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This probably will not help but we went from something like
http://orange-california.olx.com/400-watt-metal-halide-warehouse-lights-iid-3978357
To something like
http://www.containersystems.com/products/packaging.asp
And we are looking at or moved to something like
http://www.outdoorledspotlights.com/product-warehouse_lighting_fixture_commercial_lighting_led_high_bay_lights_100w_led_high_bay_light_gk515_40w-pz59aefe4.html
in our warehouse.
Our motivation is driven by total cost of ownership.

caffeine_dude caffeine_dude
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@caffeine_dude:

Thanks for the reply.

I'm looking to replace six fluorescent tubes in three fixtures in my basement... nothing on your scale.

My fixtures need pairs of fluorescent tubes but given that LED tubes won't need to be used in pairs, I will probably use a single tube in two of the fixtures and a pair in the third (the middle and bedroom end of my basement don't need as much light as the workroom end). Thus a total of four replacement bulbs, maybe adding one more later.

I guess I just am finding it painful to spend $200 to $300 on four consumer-grade light bulbs.

The Chinese company in your third link sells several bulbs of the type I want, though I may just be better of schleping over to Home Depot: at least I can see the actual color of the light from the bulbs before I buy them (one of my neighbors uses all LED or CFL bulbs and their place looks like some kind of mad scientist lab at night due to the color of the lights).

theghostofsnapsterpast theghostofsnapster…
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I honestly didn't know that there were LED replacements for F40T8 bulbs. Wow....do they also make LED replacements for F96T12 bulbs? BTW I haven't clicked on the link yet...

jsimsace jsimsace
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@jsimsace:

Yes (see here for one such example).

LED replacements for T-8, T-10 and T-12 fluorescent tubes are generally a long narrow strip of surface mount LEDs (think like the candy dots that came on a strip of paper) inside of a clear or frosted tube (plastic, I presume). Some of the pictures on Amazon make this a bit clearer than my description does.

baqui63 baqui63
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@baqui63: Thanks for the insight. $100+ for 1 bulb? I hear complaints about $6 for a fluorescent 8-footer! It will be a while before the tubular LEDs make it to my little part of the world.

jsimsace jsimsace
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@jsimsace:

The LED bulbs cost more initially, but last at least twice as long, use about half the electricity and do not need a ballast. I haven't done any comparisons myself but based on several articles I've read, in commercial applications involving large numbers of bulbs, they save money and are worth using.

Based on Home Depot pricing, it's ~$85 for 3 ballasts & 6 fluorescent bulbs vs. ~$408 for 6 LED bulbs. The LEDs will last twice as long, so after 9 years, add $40 (a guess given inflation) for the fluorescents (based on ~6hr/day of use).

The LEDs use 10W less (60W less total) than the fluorescents. Based on the average $0.30/KWH that electricity costs me (actual cost, including taxes, etc.) the LEDs save 5.5 cents/hr and it will take about 5900 hours (2.7yrs at 6hr/day) to make up the $323 extra that the LEDs cost initially. By the time the fluorescents need replacing, they will have cost ~$800 more.

Hmmm... that switch makes sense to do.

baqui63 baqui63

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