In-Bay and Vac Station Lights
- Thread starter 2Biz
- Start date
MEP001
Well-known member
This experiment didn't go well - maybe there's a CFL that can handle the heat, but with four of them in one fixture, two of them failed very quickly. IMO the bulbs were too expensive, and the CFL's are less efficient than T5 fluorescents.MEP001 said:New pictures after adding a reflector to the fixture with four 42W CF bulbs. Same bay, left is from front, right is from rear. One light is a brand-new 250W bulb and ballast kit, the other is the CFL's.
I think we've already determined T5HO's are a bit better than CFL's. But thats not what this thread was all about. It was to look for a quality conversion using our current fixtures that put out better light and was cheaper to operate than MH's...And was cheap to convert...As it was, It cost me $15 per fixture to convert the 175w Hubels...If I were to go with T5HO's the price would have went to $120 per fixture + bulbs + additional conduit and wiring.
Maybe what you tried didn't work to your liking, but my bulbs are still working fine after 2 years. Not a single failure...
Maybe what you tried didn't work to your liking, but my bulbs are still working fine after 2 years. Not a single failure...
MEP001
Well-known member
If I could have found a single, affordable bulb that produced enough light to make the retrofit, my opinion would be very different, but as it is I put over $100 into one fixture. For another $20 (plus bulbs) I could have just replaced it.2Biz said:
I was trying to accomplish the same thing. Actually the light from the two working bulbs is still impressive, almost as bright as any of the two-year-old 320W MH, and now at a quarter of the wattage.2Biz said:
If it were me and I was paying the light bills, I'd see how long the remaining (2) 40 watters will last. Especially if they are almost as bright as your 2 year old 320w bulbs....Thats a 75% savings....You might be ok with 80w of CFL light.
I doubt the 40w bulbs you used were manufactured and tested to be used in a (4) bulb enclosed fixture. You have 4 times the heat. The single 85w and 105w bulbs surely are tested with the heat they put out. 1 bulb in 1 fixture. Maybe thats why they are lasting so much longer.
I doubt the 40w bulbs you used were manufactured and tested to be used in a (4) bulb enclosed fixture. You have 4 times the heat. The single 85w and 105w bulbs surely are tested with the heat they put out. 1 bulb in 1 fixture. Maybe thats why they are lasting so much longer.
MEP001
Well-known member
It's really not ok. Normally I'd be replacing the bulbs and ballasts about now because they're so weak.2Biz said:
I'm sure they weren't. It even says on them not to use in an enclosed fixture, but it's a big fixture and it barely got warm to the touch with all four working.2Biz said:
MEP001
Well-known member
Not even close. There's barely enough room for the 8" MH bulb. Even if there was, I'd still rather go to a T5 fixture and get 50% more light from the same wattage. One of the things we have over the competition is well-lit bays - I can go by either of the two closest washes after dark and I might see one wet bay. They're still running the 75W T12 fixtures (with energy-miser 60W bulbs in them) and a third of the bulbs out.
Kevin Reilly
self serve carwashes
Just to keep you up to speed on our lighting. My wife mentioned that our electrical bill dropped quite a bit so I had her give me some figures.
Gross was up 7% month of Feb over January and electricity was up 6% over January.
Gross was up 15% month of March over February and electricity was down 22%.
We received 60 of the 85CFL's and 48 of the sockets and have done nothing with them yet but we are on the right track. I received the smaller bases and am trying to figure out how to fit the smaller socket to replace the mogul's. I've been thinking about it, but that's all and will have to solve that problem before I cut Julie loose at the other locations. To refresh her memory though she's going to have to finish the last 2 bays of our 4-bay unit. Am anxious to get it done, but will have to fit it into her schedule.
I'll keep you posted and thanks again for all the help!
Kevin,
Does your mogul bases have two screws in the top that attach it to the aluminum bracket that screws to the fixture? If it does, you can use these holes to attach the medium base. My medium bases have two screw holes in the top. I think I was able to use one hole in the bracket and drill the other to line up with my medium base, but it was easy to drill since the bracket was aluminum....
Here is the ones I bought. Click on additional images to see the view with the 2 screw holes...
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3812/SOCK-L70045.html
Does your mogul bases have two screws in the top that attach it to the aluminum bracket that screws to the fixture? If it does, you can use these holes to attach the medium base. My medium bases have two screw holes in the top. I think I was able to use one hole in the bracket and drill the other to line up with my medium base, but it was easy to drill since the bracket was aluminum....
Here is the ones I bought. Click on additional images to see the view with the 2 screw holes...
http://www.1000bulbs.com/product/3812/SOCK-L70045.html
soapy
Senior Member
Kevin, not sure by your post but I think you are trying to get from mogul bases to medium bases. If so then you can simply buy and adapter that will screw into the mogul base and convert it to a medium base bulb.
cantbreak80
Maybe I need new clubs
That's what I did. Got them at HD for $2something each. Leviton brand...screw onto lamp, screw lamp into mogul base...No clearance issues.
Kevin Reilly
self serve carwashes
Yes, the bracket has the screw holes, but they are metal, not aluminum and if I can just do 1 screw that would be fine, but haven't worked with it yet.
Soapy, the fixture doesn't have enough room for a reducer as the 85's just barely fit in the fixture with the single and we had to do some adjusting.
I started this thread back in Feb 2011 and installed my CFL's in April 2011...I thought I would let you all know I had my first bulb failure - 2 years and 2 months later. My lights stay on an average of 16 hours a day. So far the bulbs have been on roughly 12,640 hours. I don't know how long the rest will last, but I'm happy with the results so far.
Another observation, after replacing the 85w CFL, I checked the light output comparing to the 2 year old bulb in the same bay. I can't see any difference. So no degradation over time.
Another observation, after replacing the 85w CFL, I checked the light output comparing to the 2 year old bulb in the same bay. I can't see any difference. So no degradation over time.
I.B. Washincars
Car Washer Emeritus
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2007
- Messages
- 4,284
- Reaction score
- 1,163
- Points
- 113
- Location
- SW Indiana melon fields.
I've installed about 80 of these as well, most in May and June 2011. I had one fail in January at 19 months. Other than that one my experience seems to be mirroring 2Biz.
I have these installed:
https://1000bulbs.com/product/8254/FC85-S50OD.html
They are rated at 10,000 hrs. Its nice to know they have surpassed what they are rated at.
https://1000bulbs.com/product/8254/FC85-S50OD.html
They are rated at 10,000 hrs. Its nice to know they have surpassed what they are rated at.
MEP001
Well-known member
They didn't last long at all. One of the remaining two failed about a month ago, the other evidently couldn't handle coming on after Friday's high of 104°.
Thats really odd. Mine are going on 2-1/2 years and only 2 have burnt out. That was just a few months ago. The heat hasn't affected mine that I know of. It has got between 95° and 100° many times this summer.
