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Racer X wrote:
[quote=Bill in NC]
#1 only works if you already have T8 tubes/ballasts, not the older T12.
So I vote for #3.
I dunno. I pulled out T12 40 watt tubes and pit in super skinny LED tubes from Costco.
There are electronic ballasts for t12, you can't go by the diameter of the tubes.
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just checked, the current fixtures contain 4 x T12 bulbs. 3300 lumens, 20k hour bulbs, 80CRI, 4100k temp. Standard diffuser covering each one.
Don't know if it makes any difference, but these are likely original to our 1978-era house, or at least close to that old. Perhaps its because of their age that I'm reluctant to just do the drop-in LED bulb replacement, for fear that there is something bound to fail right after I invest the cash to replace the bulbs. I know that there's not much to the fixtures, but somehow it seems more wise to just replace the fixtures. I guess that might be the direction I prefer (option #2 or #3). Wiring new lights is no problem, I've done that sort of thing plenty of times.
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Davester,
That's what we did in the warehouse of my office. All LED. All ballast-less. Superior light all-around. Tube goes? Pop it out, pop in its replacement. Done.
Robert
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I'd go with option 3, because I like like the look better.
Option 1 is the most economical - get that damn ballast out of the loop and put in decent LED bulbs. The school where I work just finished upgrading every light on campus to LED. Took almost two years, as other projects kept taking priority and the head of maintenence has now had both knees replaced...
It's been great.
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We have been doing #1, bypassing ballasts as they fail, on our warehouse for the last four years, over 300 tubes replaced so far, the first 200 we brought from China, the second batch is coming from Costco, now that the market finally courght up. We have even started to replace HID units with the high bay LED tubes...
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I installed several integrated led fixtures, replacing all kinds of old fixtures. Works great, cheap too! Flush mounts from Costco $20 each. Never screw in another bulb. Very bright too.