In-Bay and Vac Station Lights

[Randy]

Kevin,
Your pretty tight width wise on your light fixture, I think you’d have hard time getting in an 85 watt CFL bulb into that fixture. It would hurt to try. On my fixture I used this adapter http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/5840/ELEC-242515.html I had a lot of room inside the fixture, I believe this is the same adapter that 2biz used also. You could replace the socket with something like this http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3812/SOCK-L70045.html or this http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3813/SOCK-243201.html
I think I’d do one bay, gut the fixtures and change out the socket. Are those 175watt MH fixtures? They like look pretty small, more like a 100 watt fixture.

 

[Randy]

Randy is right about replacing the lights yourself. I did this at one location myself at about 1/3 the cost of going through the utility company program. At the locations where the utility company did do the conversions I am still saving about $200 per month in electrical bills after paying off the 0% no interest 5 year loan they provided.

I’m not going to get too excited about changing out or converting my lighting fixtures over to T-5’s. My last power bill was $226.45 and I leave my lights on 24/7 during the winter months, October to April. Heat the equipment to 50 deg. with electric heat. The lighting portion of the power bill is pretty small, so I think the payback would be a long time.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Randy I just got off the phone with a "Kelly" at this company and ordered a dozen of the 85W CFL's 5000k full spectrum stock code FC85550D OD

They also have a socket #243201 to fit the bulb which is not needed at this time because we'll try them at our location that already has that socket size.

 

[2Biz]

Kevin,

I couldn't use the "reducer" Randy is talking about. I had to take the Mogul Base out and use a medium base socket to gain as much room in the fixture as I could get. Here is what I bought from 1000bulbs. I used the 85w bulbs you bought...Plus I only have two in each bay, 3 in the semi/truck bay...

https://1000bulbs.com/product/3812/SOCK-L70045.html

The difference in the medium base and the mogul base is over an inch...If you add the reducer, you'll be adding another inch to what you already have. Switching the bases, gains you an inch over the mogul. It was easy to swap out the sockets in my fixtures. The sockets have mounting holes, see link for details, and my fixtures have an aluminum piece of flatbar that attaches the socket to the fixture. The medium base bolted right up in place of the mogul. Plus there are wires attached to the medium base which makes it easy to wire into your 120v wiring, bypassing the cap and transformer.

About your vac station lights...I have pole canopy lights above each vac. They had 175w MH in them too. I used the same medium base sockets but chose to put the 45w 5000k full spectrums in them instead of the 85w. I rarely get anybody using the vacs after dark, so they are more for security...But they still put off plenty of light for the occaisional person who vacs after dark...

 

[2Biz]

BTW...Soapy is right about his T5HO's. If I were to ever switch out the fixtures, I would go this route. But when I did this conversion, I had just purchased the wash and was trying to upgrade as much as I could without breaking the bank. So adding the $15 bulbs to my current fixtures was the route I took. They've been installed almost 2 years now and I haven't had a single bulb failure. I think I made the right choice at the time and given circumstances.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Thanks 2Biz for the response. Daughter gave me a count this afternoon on the light fixtures. We have 116 of these in total not including the vac areas and yard lighting where there were dark areas.

So I will try the 85's and put them in 1 or 2 bays where we have the small base fixture and do a comparison and see how that goes. Am anxious to visually see the difference and hopefully I'll be satisfied and my wife will be happy with the electrical bill.

If that doesn't do it then it's liable to get more expensive.

Thanks everybody for your input!

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Kevin, they also have the 85W bulb with the mogul base, so you wouldn't have to change the sockets on those other fixtures. They also have a 105W that's about the same physical size and price if the 85 isn't enough.

 

[2Biz]

I.B. is correct, but if you need the extra room, switching out the bases give you an extra inch to play with.

Kevin, I think you're approaching this the right way. Basically the same way I did. My first step was to purchase a 40w, 55w, 65w, and the 85w bulb and do a comparison. I did the same as you are planning to do, test them out in a few bays so you can stand back at night and see the difference in light output compared to your other bays. After doing that, I settled for the 85w in the bays and 40w in my vac lights. Although I never tried a 105w, I am completely satisfied with what I ended up with.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Thanks Pat & 2 Biz. Next question: Someone had said that these fixtures will need "ventilation" because they do get hot!

What have you done for ventilation for these fixtures? Or just put the bulbs in and just turn them on?

 

[2Biz]

I didn't do anything at all. Just wire them up and turn them on. Even in the heat of the summer, the lens of the fixture is barely warm to the touch. Not much heat at all. Especially compared to the Metal Halides. You won't have to worry about heat turning your lenses yellow.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Someone had said that these fixtures will need "ventilation" because they do get hot!

I don't know what they were using because mine are like 2biz, they get just warm to the touch. Stick em in and turn em on.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Today the dozen 85W CFL's arrived. We wired a fixture we had in the warehouse to show my daughter what we would be doing so tomorrow we'll go to our 1 4-bay unit that has the small base fixtures in them and put in a at least 6 or we may go for the whole twelve. However I might be wise in holding back with a couple of them in case there is a problem. It will be a simple install after doing the one in the shop. Gut it, wash the glass portion and the reflector and turn it on. I hope it works out that way.

What do you think about holding back?

 

[Randy]

Kevin I think I'd convert 3 of the 4 bays so I could compare the differance of the two bulbs. Then I'd take fa ew pictures and post them. Please keep us posted

 

[TechGuy]

After reading this thread, we replaced the metal halide bulbs in one of our bays with these 105 watt CFLs.

I just thought I'd share the results. Can you guess which bay got the upgrade?

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Kevin I think I'd convert 3 of the 4 bays so I could compare the differance of the two bulbs. Then I'd take fa ew pictures and post them. Please keep us posted[/QUOTE

This is a photo of the location taken last night with the original lights. They are 175W MH.

We took picture 2 this evening and it shows bay 2 & 3 (count from the right) with the new 85W fixtures. We put a fixture back over Changer 1 as the glass was broken in it & put it back up today.

Picture 3 is my daughter Julie installing the lights. I put in the first 2 and she finished them. She was surprised that you could take all that crap out of the fixture and just wire in 120V.

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Now for the problems we had. The lamps were really tight in the fixture when it came time to close them. We eventually broke 2 of the CFL's. We tried bending the brace that held the socket a little and finally realized we could unscrew the socket from the frame, reverse it which would give us close to 1/2" more. (Photo below shows the foot of the socket. The screws are under the socket as opposed to being under the wire!) It was not fun but after seeing them lit up this evening and not losing any visual light is a win-win for us. I will order more of the 85W to finish this project.

For the other 4 locations I would like to put in the 105W CFL's. They are the same fixture. Anybody done this in this particular fixture, or any suggestions or recommendations? I'm not prepared to buy the fixtures that Scott is using and our locations are already well lit. I would like to keep them well light, except do it with less of an expense, besides removing all the junk that's in these fixtures would be an improvement in itself!

 

[2Biz]

After reading this thread, we replaced the metal halide bulbs in one of our bays with these 105 watt CFLs.

I just thought I'd share the results. Can you guess which bay got the upgrade?

Its a no brainer, huh?!?!?!

When I started this thread 2 years ago, there was little opposition. The pictures I posted proved it works. Everybody that made the switch Loved the $$$ savings and the additional light output these bulbs put out. And a brighter white light at that. Thanks for taking the time to post a picture. Pictures are worth a thousand words...

So, you got the others changed out yet?

 

[2Biz]

Kevin....Looking at the last picture you posted...Is there a reflector that goes in behind the bulb? Just wondering...Mine has a polished aluminum plate behind the bulb that I'm sure adds additional light output.

Also, Congrats on having a daughter that will repair pumps, install lights, and work with electricity. She has to be one in a million!

 

[Kevin Reilly]

Kevin....Looking at the last picture you posted...Is there a reflector that goes in behind the bulb? Just wondering...Mine has a polished aluminum plate behind the bulb that I'm sure adds additional light output.

Also, Congrats on having a daughter that will repair pumps, install lights, and work with electricity. She has to be one in a million!

2 Biz, she's a winner and really makes my life easy when it comes to anything in the Washes. My oldest son is in the Express Wash business and his brother is his General Manager. So normally when Julie has a problem she calls the brothers and I feel like the Maytag repairman. I just usually get a text saying "everything is OK...no problems!"

I meant to add last night that we used the "reflectors" behind the lights that came with the fixture and they are "lousy" to say the least and was going to ask that question and forgot!

Did you have them made or were they in your fixture? I know it would make a difference. Did you buy them or were they already in your fixture?

 

[Kevin Reilly]

After reading this thread, we replaced the metal halide bulbs in one of our bays with these 105 watt CFLs.

I just thought I'd share the results. Can you guess which bay got the upgrade?

Absolutely a no brainer! What a difference they make. That's why I would like to go to the 105's.

Thanks for the photo shot!