Have the cost of fluorescent tube bulbs gone up lately?
#1
06-02-21, 11:36 AM
Have the cost of fluorescent tube bulbs gone up lately?
Needed to replace some 8 footers and they were over $17 a pair. I don't think they were over $10 a year or two ago. Do they make LED replacements for them?
#2
06-02-21, 11:54 AM
Group Moderator
They are being phased out of production.
Yes... they do make 8' LED replacements.
With those you need to do some rewiring and remove the ballast. I got a set of 4 from amazon for 49.00 shipped. I'm very satisfied with them.
Yes... they do make 8' LED replacements.
With those you need to do some rewiring and remove the ballast. I got a set of 4 from amazon for 49.00 shipped. I'm very satisfied with them.
2john02458
voted this post useful.
#3
06-02-21, 01:17 PM
Group Moderator
Yes, everything has gotten noticeably more expensive in the past year and fluorescent bulbs are no exception. Add in their scarcity as manufacturers stop making them and I expect the price will continue to rise.
A few years ago I switched most of my fluorescents over to LED. I won't even bother trying to fix a fluorescent anymore since converting to LED is so quick and easy.
A few years ago I switched most of my fluorescents over to LED. I won't even bother trying to fix a fluorescent anymore since converting to LED is so quick and easy.
2john02458
voted this post useful.
#4
06-02-21, 01:42 PM
With those you need to do some rewiring and remove the ballast.
#5
06-02-21, 02:19 PM
Member
Do the LED's make noise like the florescents?
Twelve years ago I installed (8) 8' 95 watt HO fluorescents in the garage and I can remember turning them on the first night and thinking, my god this is amazing.
As the bulbs were burning out I converted them all to LED's and when I turned them on the first evening it was like nothing I had ever seen, actually hurt the eyes!
That was 4 years ago, the lights still burn bright, they work in the dead of winter, no buzz, and I'm sure the electric bill is lower. About the only issue, my garage stereo doesn't work very well when the lights are on, they are an electronic device, but I've adjusted to use the CD player so fair compromise!
#6
06-02-21, 03:06 PM
Group Moderator
The newer generation of tubes have far less mercury in them. They require higher voltage to arc.
The magnetic style ballasts don't deliver the amount of start up power needed.
Electronic ballasts work much better with the new tubes.
A typical F-96 (8' tube) would have consumed 96 watts of power with a little bit more for the ballast. I believe the current generation of 8' tubes is listed at 70-75 watts. So each tube consumes approx 90 watts each.
The replacement LED tubes are 40-45 watts...... half the power for more light.
The magnetic style ballasts don't deliver the amount of start up power needed.
Electronic ballasts work much better with the new tubes.
A typical F-96 (8' tube) would have consumed 96 watts of power with a little bit more for the ballast. I believe the current generation of 8' tubes is listed at 70-75 watts. So each tube consumes approx 90 watts each.
The replacement LED tubes are 40-45 watts...... half the power for more light.
#7
06-03-21, 04:52 AM
Group Moderator
Three years ago I switched the 8' fluorescent tubes in my warehouse to LED. I also have some 4' fixtures that remain on 24/7 for security and so the cameras can see. About 80% of my average power usage is for lighting and switching to LED cut my power bill almost in half.
Previously in winter many of the lights would not lite and I would have to just let them run and glow dimly or flicker and hum and complain until they warmed enough to lite properly. Even then the light was noticeably dimmer and it would take a minute for them to warm and come up to full brightness. The LED's just lite and work. Full light intensity, instant lighting and no sound all on half the power. It's hard not to like them.
And, as a side benefit. If you accidentally hit a LED bulb they may bend or quit working but they don't shatter into thousands of glass shards and bathe you in phosphor powder and mercury.
Previously in winter many of the lights would not lite and I would have to just let them run and glow dimly or flicker and hum and complain until they warmed enough to lite properly. Even then the light was noticeably dimmer and it would take a minute for them to warm and come up to full brightness. The LED's just lite and work. Full light intensity, instant lighting and no sound all on half the power. It's hard not to like them.
And, as a side benefit. If you accidentally hit a LED bulb they may bend or quit working but they don't shatter into thousands of glass shards and bathe you in phosphor powder and mercury.
#8
06-04-21, 10:56 AM
If you accidentally hit a LED bulb they may bend or quit working but they don't shatter into thousands of glass shards and bathe you in phosphor powder and mercury.
I guess it's similar as my generation missed the opportunity to play with radium glow-in-the-dark paint.
#9
06-04-21, 04:25 PM
Member
Do the LED's make noise like the florescents?
I for one hate the new China overlords "gimping" the "old" traditional lighting (making less mercury fluorescent tubes that don't last and even modern HID lamps are trash just to make the LED CRAP JUNK and other four letter word that I can't say here! look better then they are!!!!
Lasts 25 years (with a small * which equals if used 3 hours per day even in the spring and summer months it is darker more then 3 hours per day!) what crap stuff that passes off as lighting today!
How about all of the energy and fuel swapping the good stuff for LED CRAP that fails before it is supposed to and then doing it again when it fails! and the wasted energy shipping this imported CRAP and then land fill fodder when it fails and the good reliable stuff ends up as scrap metal!
Such CRAP today lighting and appliances
</RANT>
