On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 10:33:14 -0800, Koz
wrote:

Shop is about 1500 square feet, 14' ceilings and lighted with several
sets of 8' flourescents. Last year I replaced one unit in the shop and
one in the storeroom with high output fixtures. What a difference! They
seemed to put out twice the light and at that time I felt they were
worth every penny. However.....

Within a month the storeroom fixture (on most of the time) began
randomly going off for 10 or so minutes at a time then coming back on.
The ballast seemed to run a little hot so I tried running it with no
cover plate etc to see if cooling would help. No help. On 15, off 10
for a week or so (and I turned it off most of that time..then dead
fixture. The shop fixture worked ok (on most of the time) but also
exhibited the same "off" sessions, except only about 1 ten minute
session every 2 weeks or so. Shop fixture appears dead today. New
bulbs glow in the filaments but nuttin else.

So, although I LOVED the extra light, the cheepie fixtures just keep
going and going whereas the "better" fixtures both died, one in short
order and one after about a year.

They sell cheap fixtures in many different styles - and there are
good companies that take the cheap parts and build nice fixtures with
them - but they still hve cheap components. Stick with one of the
major brands like Lithonia, they describe the quality level you're
getting.

Anyone else have this experience? Where would you go from here if you
were me? More of the cheepie fixtures (I need LOTS more light) or risk
the more expensive high output fixtures again hoping it was just a fluke
in the production lot? I suppose I could replace the ballasts but that
would cost as much as a new fixture and probably be a pain in the neck.

Go for efficiency - get "Shop Light" or "Troffer" style fixtures
with built--in reflectors, so most of the light goes down to where you
need it - open strip fluorescents are wasting lumens lighting up the
ceiling and upper walls, which doesn't help you at all.

You could use LowBay metal halide fixtures with a 14' ceiling,you
get tons of light for the same watts - but they do take 10 minutes to
strike and warm up before they're up to full brightness, so provide
some fluorescents to prevent total darkness if a momentary power dip
turns out the big lights. And they are available in 120V models.

If you go Metal Halide be careful to order the lamps with the
internal arc-tube guards, and the fixtures with a lower lens - the
inner tube can shatter at end-of-life, and if the outer lamp envelope
also breaks you can get a shower of hot glass... Not good.

Add Task Lighting - get focused fixtures over certain machinery you
need better light while using, controlled by seperate switches so they
aren't running when the machine isn't.

Electronic ballasts are better in fluorescents, they have almost no
flicker. Any fixture can be built with them, but you pay a small
price preium in most fixtures and may have to wait a few extra days to
get them.

High Output lamps are really only needed in unheated out-buildings
in the snow belt, signs, outside lighting and walk-in coolers - most
regular ffluorescents will start relaibly down to 50F.

Any other suggestions for light that won't break the budget? (120v by
the way...underpowered shop and no 220v available up there for the
commercial lighting fixtures often available surplus).

Well, lots of regular fixtures are going to draw lots of 120V, so
you might want to address that power supply issue anyways...
And check the labels on those surplus fixtures carefully before you
pass on them, they could be straight 240V but most are available with
"Multi-Tap" ballasts that take 120/208/240/277 volts. I always order
them that way, so the customer isn't stuck if they want to use them in
another location.

-- Bruce --
--
Bruce Bergman, Woodland Hills CA USA.
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