Fluorescent Area Lighting Savings

[Earl Weiss]

Fluorescents have improved quite a bit even in the last few years, but compact fluorescents are still nowhere near the same light output per watt as metal halide. .....
There are some fluorescent tube fixtures now that produce the same light per watt as the pulse-start metal halides and lose very little light output over their life. I plan to retrofit a bay soon with 4 fluorescents in place of 2 Scottsdales and turn half of them off at 11 PM. I should get much more light during the busier hours, and with half turned off late at night there should still be a significant energy savings. On top of that, their life expectancy is 24,000 hours and they retain almost all of their light output throughout their life, so maintenance should be significantly reduced.

FWIW. I had 4 single tube wet location HO Flourescent fixtures from in the place I took over. As they die, instead of replacing a ballast at I replace it with a double tube wet location fixture from Grainger. I think the 4 ft HO bulbs are about 60 watts each. The fixtures are on the side walls about 8 ft high and each about outisde end about 2 feet from the end of the bay so they are seperated by about 8 feet. Lighting is excellent and total watts per bay is 480. One day I may try to figure out how t have 2 on and letthe other 2 come on when the bay is occupied.

 

[Randy]

Last week I took down two 175 watt Metal Halide lights and put up two Regent 65 watt DL Series lights. The lights are mounted 10 feet above the vac island and are considerably brighter than the metal Halides I took out. The Police stopped by this morning and commended on how much brighter the lot looked.

 

[Randy]

A long time ago our electrical contractor advised us to not use the T5HO bulb and go with the T12HO instead. He said we?d have fewer problems with the T12HO than with the T5HO. The pins and sockets on the T5 are exposed and can become corroded in the harsh car wash environment. I also remember him telling us that the T5HO bulbs are considerably more expensive than the T12HO, I?ve been paying $7.99 a bulb by the case. I don?t know what a T5HO costs.

 

[MEP001]

One day I may try to figure out how t have 2 on and letthe other 2 come on when the bay is occupied.

You'd have to replace the single ballast with two separate ones, one for each bulb. You could hook a motion sensor to one, and maybe add a delay timer so it won't keep turning off and back on while someone's washing. I've considered the same thing if I switch to fluorescents, using fixtures with 6 bulbs and turning off all but 2 late at night, but with them wired to come back on if someone uses the bay.

 

[MEP001]

Last week I took down two 175 watt Metal Halide lights and put up two Regent 65 watt DL Series lights.

Where did you purchase those, and what did they cost? They look a whole lot nicer than the cheap yard light at Home Depot. Is that a shiny reflector lens or is it a clear refractor?

 

[MEP001]

The pins and sockets on the T5 are exposed and can become corroded in the harsh car wash environment.

Any of them will get corroded in a car wash environment. They weren't meant for that use without being enclosed. The T12HO ends are a little better protected, but I've seen plenty of them burn up. I mentioned I'm building a vacuform mold machine, and I found someone who will sell me APET-ST plastic, high-impact, completely UV-stable crystal clear stuff, which I'll use to make a full enclosure for a 6-bulb 32" fixture.

I also remember him telling us that the T5HO bulbs are considerably more expensive than the T12HO, I’ve been paying $7.99 a bulb by the case. I don’t know what a T5HO costs.

The T5HO bulbs cost two to three times as much (depends on where you shop for them and a few other factors such as the Kelvin rating and the start-type), but they last two to three times as long. 1000bulbs.com has T12HO bulbs for $3.40 each in a case of 15.

 

[Shorco1]

mepp, I don't lose sleep over how much you post I worry about your driving.

 

[Shorco1]

Last week I took down two 175 watt Metal Halide lights and put up two Regent 65 watt DL Series lights. The lights are mounted 10 feet above the vac island and are considerably brighter than the metal Halides I took out. The Police stopped by this morning and commended on how much brighter the lot looked.

Hey Randy, those are the identical lights that I installed. Great light wouldn't you say! You'll be please with the performance at a very good price.

 

[Randy]

Yea, I think I?m going to be happy with them. I think got them at the same place you got yours. They were on special and I bought all they had. They put out a lot of light. I wonder if I'll get more nighttime business now?

 

[Randy]

In 26 years we?ve replaced 4 ballasts and 3 sockets. Not bad considering that they are on 24/7 most of the year. Why go to all the trouble to make an enclosure for a 6 bulb 32? fixture when you can buy one or just buy a Lithonia DMW fixture, our bays are lit up like light.

I?m apprehensive in buying 8? fluorescent lights bulbs from 1000bulbs in Garland Texas, pay shipping and run the risk of them being broken in shipping. What a hassle that would be to have to deal with a box of broken light bulbs, been there and done that. I don?t think $8 per light bulb that lasts 2 years is too much to pay. Anything we buy out of state we have to pay use tax on.

 

[Shorco1]

Randy, that's the place. You got a great deal, better that I. I've seen my night business improve and I attribute that to the brighter lights. Women feel safer and I've seen more families. The lights are so bright the cops told me they like to write their reports in the parking lot.

 

[Randy]

I?m not too concerned with night business, mostly security. I don?t see why these guys?s can?t figure out that they?ll be saving power and power is money by installing these lights. It?s pretty much a no brainer. I didn?t have to spend countless hours analyzing and trying to figure out color temperature or output lumens. I just put them in and was done with. Have you had to replace any bulbs yet? How much do they cost?

 

[Shorco1]

Randy, I replaced one bulb out of 38. It was replaced at not cost. I let the electric company analyze, they have the great charts and graphs. The consumption goes down, the cost follows. With our electric company you can go back three years and look at the graphs and charts on consumption. Works for me. By the way, Scott emailed me and wants to convert his lights. Are there any remaining in your neck of the woods?

 

[Fatboy769]

Randy, I replaced one bulb out of 38. It was replaced at not cost. I let the electric company analyze, they have the great charts and graphs. The consumption goes down, the cost follows. With our electric company you can go back three years and look at the graphs and charts on consumption. Works for me. By the way, Scott emailed me and wants to convert his lights. Are there any remaining in your neck of the woods?

Thanks Ken & Randy for all the valuable information that you have provided me on these lights. I have several metal halide lights that I would like to convert. I could analyze the savings for days on end, but I have much better things to do with my time. Randy, do you have any extra lights?


Scott

 

[MEP001]

Why go to all the trouble to make an enclosure for a 6 bulb 32” fixture when you can buy one or just buy a Lithonia DMW fixture, our bays are lit up like light.

Because 1) the fixtures I want to use give 50% more light for a bit less energy than the 8' HO lamps, 2) the fixtures I've seen get brittle over just a few years and break, 3) what I'm looking at would be quite a lot cheaper.

I thought about that problem when I recommended it - I suppose if you hear glass rattling in the box, you could refuse delivery. They are packed for shipping.

 

[Rudy]

Say again....where do you guys get these things?

 

[mjwalsh]

Yea, I think I?m going to be happy with them. I think got them at the same place you got yours. They were on special and I bought all they had. They put out a lot of light. I wonder if I'll get more nighttime business now?

Randy & Ken,

Somehow I did not catch this mystery "same place" to pick up or order these "Regent 65 watt DLs" We are still using a significant number (I lost count) of halogen flood lights (sobbing & sniffling) all over the outdoor portion of our lot.

 

[jprb]

My pole lights are positioned around the perimeter of the lot. Can these lights be aimed toward the lot, or are they area lights? Also, where can they be purchased.

JPRB

 

[Kevin James]

The picture that Randy posted of the Lithonia DMW light fixture is the same light that we use at different locations other than at the car wash. It?s a perfect light fixture for a car wash; it puts out a tremendous amount of light. We have some Lithonia DMW light fixtures that have been installed for over 15 years and they aren?t cracked or broken, they look almost like new. I would waste my time trying to make some ?Rube Goldberg? or ?jerry rigged? fixture that isn?t going to be UL listed. If you want more light from an enclosed fixture use a VERY HIGH OUTPUT bulb.

There is no way I?d buy any kind of light bulbs on-line again. We tried it once and they came broken. FEDEX drop them at the door and was gone. No visible damage to the box, we filed a claim with the shipper. FEDEX came out looked at the box and said ?claim denied? improperly packed for shipment. What a pain in the rear.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You'd have to replace the single ballast with two separate ones, one for each bulb. You could hook a motion sensor to one, and maybe add a delay timer so it won't keep turning off and back on while someone's washing. I've considered the same thing if I switch to fluorescents, using fixtures with 6 bulbs and turning off all but 2 late at night, but with them wired to come back on if someone uses the bay.

Since I have 4 fixtures per bay I was thinking more along the lines of 2 fixtures on all the time and perhaps 2 on motion sensors. They are 220 Volt fixtures so the motion sensor would need to handle that as well as the wet location.