Retrofitting LED lights into a ShurVend

[Uncle Sam]

The use of LED lights in new vending machines is almost 100% now, but that leaves a large installed base of older machines that could be retrofitted with LEDs. There have been posts by operators who have done the retrofits or asked about which LEDs to purchase. There are many different companies selling LEDs sourced mostly from China whose quality can be questioned. We have also had calls about retrofitting LEDs into our vendors, so I have researched and looked at many companies trying to find LED fixtures that could be adapted to the ShurVend machine. The only type fixture I found were called under counter fixtures of various lengths and a rectangular cross-section that could to hooked together to make the appropriate length for the sides of the vendor door. Then you have to find a way to support them and face the right direction in the corner of the door. Most of these fixtures require a 120 volt power supply which is not too hard to find in the bottom of the vendor. My biggest objection to these fixtures is the color of the light produced; usually warm white and 3500 degrees K which is a reddish white light that gives the packaging a different color than the normal cool white (4100-5000 degree K) fluorescents used for years in vendors. That being said the big objection by operators to using LED lights developed by AMS was the cost of the fixtures; one 42-inch long (10 LEDs) and one 24-inch long (6 LEDs)

Cont'd

 

[Uncle Sam]

ShurVend switched to the LED lights as soon as they were offered by AMS and we continue to use them. They are pricey ($300 for the pair) and are made by the same company that makes the control boards for AMS, so they plug right into the MDB circuitry that runs the bill validator and coin changer which is easy to do and is low voltage for safety. They are 1-inch round fixtures that can be mounted using plastic “P” clamps and a self drilling screw. We use zip ties on the top of the “P” clamps to make sure the fixture does not slip down from where it should be to produce the best lighting. These LEDs provide an almost harsh white light (5000 degrees K) that lights up the products very well and they claim has a life of 50,000 hours.

ShurVend will provide an LED retrofit kit with all the parts (LEDs, “P” clamps, screws, and zip ties) to our customers and step by step instructions for replacing your present fluorescent fixtures and removing all the ballasts in the vendor. Old ballasts and old fluorescent bulbs can cause electromagnetic noise that can interfere with the Sensit system in the vendor, so vending the products will not be as reliable as it should be. LEDs eliminate that problem.

Uncle Sam