When I built my shop in 1982, I put in some t-12 fixtures that I bought from Duke's surplus store. About five years ago, converted them to t-8's, with matching ballasts. Experienced very short tube life with t-8's. New ballast were either GE, or Phillips, and bulbs were also Phillips. Not exactly the cheapest brand. Today started converting to direct wire LED's, so I'm on my third type of bulb in the same fixtures. Hopefully it's my last, based upon manufacturer's life time warranty in home use. A side note, earlier this week painted downstairs bath. With "daylight" LED's., paint looked very blue. Replaced them with "soft whites," and now it's more of a gray. Change was like what happens in grocery store when you take a package of meat up the aisle away from those special colored lights at the meat case.
Third Type of Lights
- Thread starter junquecol
- Start date
Preferences vary as to how much light is best. My old eyes like a lot just like Rick said. When I built my shop I researched quite a bit. It was generally recommended it seemed to have around 100 foot candles at bench top height for fine work. According to some I went overboard with lighting as my light meter reads about 150 foot-candles but for me it is perfect and I wouldn't want any less. If you were closer you could borrow my meter.
The Kelvin temp is even more personally subjective. I like around 4000 but am ok with 5000K. 6000 is a little too blue and harsh for me but definitely don't want less than 3500. Anyone is welcome to see the lighting in my shop.
The Kelvin temp is even more personally subjective. I like around 4000 but am ok with 5000K. 6000 is a little too blue and harsh for me but definitely don't want less than 3500. Anyone is welcome to see the lighting in my shop.
What is involved in the direct wire conversion, Bruce? I have about had it with T8's. Having change a bulb at least once a month!
(Note....I respect electricity to the point, changing light bulbs make me nervous.)
Wayne
From your description, I would say you want Warm White , say 3000K and look for High CRI . Don't choose 80CRI , look for 90+ CRI .
90CRI are harder to find but they should put it on their box as its a "marketing" feature.
Be careful you dont trade down brightness too much to get there !
b
90CRI are harder to find but they should put it on their box as its a "marketing" feature.
Be careful you dont trade down brightness too much to get there !
b
It generally involves rewiring the fixture such that the ballast is bypassed (removed). It is not especially difficult but is probably not for you if electricity is a nervous issue.
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The ones I buy from HD, include the parts; replacement tombstones, wire nuts and directions. After turning power off, hardest is removing the nut that holds ballast in place (it's an odd size nut,) then swapping out tombstones. You can use existing tombstones by redoing some of the wiring. The LED's only require connections to wiring at one end, and each tube is individually wired. You can just clip wires off the tombstones at the dumb end of the LED tube. Tubes have labels showing which end is connected to the electricity. There is also a sticker that you apply to fixture (at the hot end) to show that it's now direct wired LED's. Less than 30 minutes per fixture to do conversions.
The LEDtubes I buy are connected to power at both ends. You have to be careful about which kind you buy and be sure you wire for the same kind. I marked each fixture with “Direct 120v LED duel end” so nobody installs the wrong tube in them.
Be careful with quality. I find a lot of the cheaper ones buzz quite badly, and some produce terrible RF interference for my radio.
I also notice the Lumens per Watt vary with brand. To supplement my overhead, I have about 6 of the cheap Horrible Freight single 4 footers over most tools. They actually seem better than most!
I found the "general Lumens on desk" to be fine if you are 20 years old with perfect vision. The only right answer is to keep putting them up until you are happy.
I like 3500'ish but not the best for mixing paint colors. Studies in office lighting suggests too blue is more stressful, but being outside is not, so not sure what the ground truth actually is.
I also notice the Lumens per Watt vary with brand. To supplement my overhead, I have about 6 of the cheap Horrible Freight single 4 footers over most tools. They actually seem better than most!
I found the "general Lumens on desk" to be fine if you are 20 years old with perfect vision. The only right answer is to keep putting them up until you are happy.
I like 3500'ish but not the best for mixing paint colors. Studies in office lighting suggests too blue is more stressful, but being outside is not, so not sure what the ground truth actually is.
As far as amount of light, typical code requirement for a kitchen in a house is 30 ft candles per sq ft illumination (330 lumen). That much lighting is ok.
For a woodworking shop I try and match a laboratory light requirement, which is 60 ft candles per sq ft.. At that level, lighting become a safety asset.
The color of the lighting (kelvin) 3500 +/- seems to be closest to natural lighting, or in that range.
Be advised you can get full spectrum LED lights and they can range in the 3000-4500 range. So, the final decision is what your eyes work best with.
For a woodworking shop I try and match a laboratory light requirement, which is 60 ft candles per sq ft.. At that level, lighting become a safety asset.
The color of the lighting (kelvin) 3500 +/- seems to be closest to natural lighting, or in that range.
Be advised you can get full spectrum LED lights and they can range in the 3000-4500 range. So, the final decision is what your eyes work best with.
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