# LED Bulb Question



## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

It has been a while since I have asked a dumb question.  Anyway in my shop ( garage ) there are 3 light fixture in the ceiling. They are rated for 60W bulbs. Given that LED Bulbs use a lot less wattage than incandescent bulb, is there any reason I couldn't use the 100W LED equivalent bulb and get more light than before ? I think the 100W LED equivalent bulbs are no more than 20W is use.


Thanks.....Gary


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Dunno, but my old man used metal garbage can lids, with the inside painted gloss white, for reflectors. Amazing the amount of light those thing put out.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*Let There Be Light!*



gjackson52 said:


> It has been a while since I have asked a dumb question.  Anyway in my shop ( garage ) there are 3 light fixture in the ceiling. They are rated for 60W bulbs. Given that LED Bulbs use a lot less wattage than incandescent bulb, is there any reason I couldn't use the 100W LED equivalent bulb and get more light than before ? I think the 100W LED equivalent bulbs are no more than 20W is use.
> 
> 
> Thanks.....Gary


Gary; the rating label in a light fixture is based on the heat output of an incandescent lamp, and what the components and wiring can withstand. LEDs put out almost no heat so any size would be acceptable as long as it physically fits in the fixture. _The major issue would be the cost of the lamps; they're still bloody expensive!_


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

What Dan said is probably true but the drivers for the LEDs produce some heat. LEDs have to have drivers because they still haven`t been able to effectively run them at higher than 12 volts last I heard. You`ll at least be safe running them watt for watt input and finding one that draws 60 watts that screws into a lamp base is something I haven`t seen yet.

When I was in Alabama recently one of the people I know there was replacing all his T8 florescents with LED tubes. I think the driver was in the tube but not sure. Still used the same tombstone sockets but wired more like incandescent. I`m still switching out my T12s for T8s so I gladly accepted his redundant ballasts. The light from the LED tubes was better than the florescent tubes by a small margin in my opinion.


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## Shop guy (Nov 22, 2012)

I agree with what Charles says. His changing to T8's will give him more light. The T10's are very old technology. When going to T8's one should look for bulbs that are 6500 kelvin for the best results.


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

If you already have t8 or t12 florescent fixtures just buy led replacements t8 bulbs fit in either style rewire basically 110 volt in parallel to 2 tombstones minus the ballast lots of videos on the web. So 2 duel 40 watt fixtures for $42. They are bright from earth led 
10.49 a bulb tax and shipping included.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Not long ago, I took the fluorescent lights out of my garage and tapped that circuit to install 5 medium screw in fixtures, each of which has at least a 100 watt equivalent LED bulb installed. The total draw is almost the same as the two fluorescent bulbs, but the light is easily 4 times as bright, and because there are 5 bulbs, the lighting is even with no dark spots. 

I recently bought a couple of 2500 lumen LED lights with 10 inch wide reflectors and screwed them into sockets above my table saw and my workbench. The light level is unbelievable and the power used is far less than the two relatively dim incandescent lights that were there before. I have added a number of under counter strip lamps to shine into dark areas, and above my sliding miter, and and router table. I love having very high light levels, and lights that light up all areas in the space. Here is a link to the Rockler shop lights, shown below. LED Shop Light with Reflector Shroud | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

A bonus is that the total draw lets me run two items on each 20 amp circuit in the shop. Heater and all lights, AC and all lights without blowing circuits. The price of LEDs have really come down, thank goodness. By the time I need to replace them, they will be downright cheap, if I should happen to live that long.

There are some new LEDs that are really high lumen output these days and I encourage anyone with old eyes to make the switch and enjoy coming into the light.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

I just picked up some $28 LED shop light fixtures from Costco. Can be flush mounted or hang by chains. Super bright, cheap, and easy to install.

Screw a bulb to socket adapter in the existing fixture and there will be no wiring to do


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## IRestore (Mar 28, 2015)

Gary, as long as you don't exceed the wattage usage rating of the circuit or fixture, in this case you identified it at 60W you are fine. The Output wattage has no effect on the circuit or fixture. So you can install an LED that consumes or uses 60W.


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## senebraskaee (Apr 29, 2012)

I love LED's. The only issues I have had, and I have installed over 50 now, is when replacing bulbs in enclosed fixtures and lights that are dimmed or controlled by a photocell. Some of the LED's make more heat than you may think and in a tightly enclosed fixture I have had a couple of older units that flickered. They clearly stated on their box "not for use in enclosed fixtures" but I had to try it. Darned instructions anyway!
Most LED's are clearly marked "Dimmable" or "Non-dimmable". Some of the non-dimmable units obviously can't be dimmed (yes, I tried that too) but they also may flicker when controlled by some types of photo-cells. I use LED's for outdoor lighting so I have to watch that.
Neither of these problems should be an issue in a garage and I agree with everyone, LED's are the ONLY way to go now the prices have come out of the stratosphere.


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## richjh (Jan 14, 2013)

Over my workbench, I had a 3ft, 2 lamp fluorescent fixture that put out 50w. I was not able to find replacement bulbs at the big box stores anymore so I replaced it with a 4ft LED shop light from Costco. All I can say is Wow! What a difference. It is rated as 42W and puts out as much light as my dual 8ft fluorescent fixtures mounted on the ceiling that use 110W bulbs. 

I like the LED shop lights at Home Depot as you can directly connect them together to form as long a fixture as you need. I plan to use these in my Georgia house shop. 

Rich


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Tom and Doug.........thanks for the tips. I'm getting ready to put my workshop in my basement, and I think both of these items will be useful. A couple of questions:
Tom - Have you tried removing the lights from the fixture and moving them to other locations? I'll probably be buying as I can afford them, and am thinking it would be nice if I can move one from place to place until I have the shop fully lighted. I'm wondering if they're sturdy enough to be handled a lot.

Doug........I was looking up the one you're talking about at Costco, and only found a 2-pack for $60. A couple of reviews said that model was not as good as some of the others as far as light dispersal. The model that was recommended was Feit 972917. Do you know if that's the one you bought for $28?

Thanks to both of you..


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Jim regarding the Feit bulbs: I replaced the bulbs in the track lights in my living room a couple years ago with generic led bulbs to reduce power usuage (dropped to 20% of previous). I needed to replace a couple and went with Feit bulbs even though a bit pricier. What a difference. The Feits are twice as bright as the other bulbs. I'll be replacing all my led bulbs with Feits when possible now.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

The fixture I have is Feit 73983. They look different than the HD lights with the same model number, as these have reflectors where the HD ones don't appear to. They are brighter than the standard 4 foot T12 fixtures they replaced, and they are a little less 'yellow' in color. The fixture says they are 4000k.

I plan on swapping out the other 2 fluorescent fixtures next time I see them on sale.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Thanks, Doug


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## gjackson52 (Jul 4, 2015)

Thank you for all the tips and info ! It is much appreciated.



Gary


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

richjh said:


> Over my workbench, I had a 3ft, 2 lamp fluorescent fixture that put out 50w. I was not able to find replacement bulbs at the big box stores anymore so I replaced it with a 4ft LED shop light from Costco. All I can say is Wow! What a difference. It is rated as 42W and puts out as much light as my dual 8ft fluorescent fixtures mounted on the ceiling that use 110W bulbs.
> 
> I like the LED shop lights at Home Depot as you can directly connect them together to form as long a fixture as you need. I plan to use these in my Georgia house shop.
> 
> Rich


+1 on the LED's from Home Depot. I am up to 6 (on 2 runs) in my garage/shop and 3 (single run) in our basement. If I add 2 more to the garage, it will cover me end to end. Adding 3 or 4 more to the basement will take me all the way around the storage area on one switched circuit. 

Anybody want to buy a few dozen 150w incandescent bulbs? I stocked up a few years ago when they got to be hard to find--the fixtures in the garage are still there, but I haven't bothered to replace the last 2 that went out!!
earl


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

chessnut2 said:


> Tom - Have you tried removing the lights from the fixture and moving them to other locations? I'll probably be buying as I can afford them, and am thinking it would be nice if I can move one from place to place until I have the shop fully lighted. I'm wondering if they're sturdy enough to be handled a lot.
> 
> Thanks to both of you..


 @chessnut2 I switched the first reflector light around when I added the second, and the Rockler units are quite robust. I think if I had a higher ceiling in my shop, I'd consider the larger output unit, but it would boe overkill in my shop where it is just 4-5 feet above the work surface. I really like these things. I might add a couple in the garage since I have added the Laguna 14/12 there as part of my wood prep area. At present the five bulbs in the garage are conventional without reflectors. I am thinking about finding a way to put reflectors on those bulbs. I know you can get porcelin fixtures threaded for reflectors, which only cost a little bit more than the regular kind. Rewiring is a nothing thing to do and I know the reflectors would boost the lumen level even higher.

Curly bulbs were crap, but the LED stuff is really terrific. I bought the warmer light since I find it more comfortable, about 2800 Kelvin, but you can choose about 4K and 5.5-6K color temperatures as well, if you want them.

LEDs have revolutionized film and video lighting. I have a couple of battery operated lights that, with digital cameras, completely antiquated the old flash lighting systems. 

Best things since pop.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

greenacres2 said:


> nybody want to buy a few dozen 150w incandescent bulbs? I stocked up a few years ago when they got to be hard to find--the fixtures in the garage are still there, but I haven't bothered to replace the last 2 that went out!!
> earl


I did that too. I don't think you can even sell them, so I'm going to donate them to Salvation Army, they can sell them for a dime. Tired of seeing them around because I'm all LED now.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Jim regarding the Feit bulbs: I replaced the bulbs in the track lights in my living room a couple years ago with generic led bulbs to reduce power usuage (dropped to 20% of previous). I needed to replace a couple and went with Feit bulbs even though a bit pricier. What a difference. The Feits are twice as bright as the other bulbs. I'll be replacing all my led bulbs with Feits when possible now.


Charles, Do three Feits make a yard or would it now be a metre?
(I just couldn't resist)


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

thomas1389 said:


> Charles, Do three Feits make a yard or would it now be a metre?
> (I just couldn't resist)


I hope this doesn't led to a discussion on the difference between lumens and candlepower. (I couldn't resist a pun either)


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

*The Illuminati*



Cherryville Chuck said:


> I hope this doesn't led to a discussion on the difference between lumens and candlepower. (I couldn't resist a pun either)


Too light...


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

thomas1389 said:


> Charles, Do three Feits make a yard or would it now be a metre?
> (I just couldn't resist)


I think 3 Feits make a fjard.


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

The nice thing about leds is they don't shadow.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

roofner said:


> The nice thing about leds is they don't shadow.


So those that have always been afraid of their own shadow will no longer live in fear?
Hmmm, I know a couple of people that would benefit.


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

I have replaced all the T-8 fluorescent tubes in my shop with these from Hyperikon.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S5OA1U2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are less expensive than those I found at the local home improvement store. You have to rewire the fixtures, but that takes about 5 minutes with the enclosed instructions.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

The only thing I am concerned about, but not yet sure about, is the issue of the power converter built into the LED bulb. That was a serious flaw in the curly bulbs, particularly the cheaper ones. The curly bulbs were good far beyond the lifespan of the power converter. We will see how this works out, but I think the fact it is solid state and has no arc to produce light means it is running cooler. That is always good for solid state power supplies.


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

Earth leds are $42 for 4. Saving of $9 .


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

richjh said:


> I like the LED shop lights at Home Depot as you can directly connect them together to form as long a fixture as you need. I plan to use these in my Georgia house shop.


Could you provide a link to the HD fixtures you like? I assume you're referring to the ones identified as "linkable". There are quite a few available from them.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

CharlesWebster said:


> I have replaced all the T-8 fluorescent tubes in my shop with these from Hyperikon.
> 
> https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S5OA1U2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> They are less expensive than those I found at the local home improvement store. You have to rewire the fixtures, but that takes about 5 minutes with the enclosed instructions.


That's not a bad deal Chas and they are only slightly more on Amazon Canada https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0...sc=1&tag=vs-home-convert-amazon-20&pldnSite=1 It's interesting that they can be run with the T8 ballast and input an extra 4 watts that way or as you say they can be bypassed. The 2200 lumens is fairly bright. I had a chance to check out some led fixtures recently where someone I know was switching out his T8s and the lights were bright and the light quality was excellent. That was all something that was being discussed about the new leds a few years ago when this subject first came up was would they be bright enough but that's not an issue any more. They are as bright or brighter.


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## CharlesWebster (Nov 24, 2015)

Some of the Hyperikon tubes can be operated with the ballast in place, if the ballast is a new electronic one, but if it's an old magnetic (black tarred block) one, you will have to remove and rewire.

I really like the LEDs in the winter when the shop gets down near freezing at night. The fluorescents took forever to warm up and emit enough lights. The LEDs just come on at full brightness, regardless of temperature.


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## greenacres2 (Dec 23, 2011)

patlaw said:


> Could you provide a link to the HD fixtures you like? I assume you're referring to the ones identified as "linkable". There are quite a few available from them.


 @patlaw Mike--here are the linkable fixtures from HD:
Commercial Electric 4 ft. White LED Linkable Shop Light-54103161 - The Home Depot

They come with a 14" linking cord and a butt link connector. The 5' optional cord is up to $7--pretty salty but i'm hanging mine 2' to 3' apart so it's cheaper than more fixtures. (I paid $5 for several of the 5', but i'm out) Instructions say you can link up to 9 fixtures, but I stopped at 6 on one circuit. 

earl


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## elfridaauston87 (Jul 1, 2019)

I saw many on Reecoupons, so if you want to buy check there.


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