Fluorescent tubes V LED batons power consumption

[securespark]

Integral are a great brand, fantastic quality.

Ansell are also good. I replaced 2 x 8 foot twins in my garage with these

They are cracking:

Ansell Tornado Twin 6ft LED Non-Corrosive Batten Fitting 71W 7320lm 230V - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. LED performance allows point-to-point replacement of existing fluorescent luminaires. Features luminaire fixing clip allowing the option of mounting onto BESA box. Lockable heavy-duty stainless steel clips supplied as standard for added safety and security. FREE...

www.screwfix.com

Being a clumsy b'stard, I am always knocking them with stuff and they are very resilient!

I have had them cheaper though.

 

[SUNRAY]

They're cracking but you say resiliant?

 

[winston1]

When the 65 watt tube was used the UK voltage was 240 volt, when we went to 230 volt in real terms nothing happened, but when we started to use solar panels, over volt would cause them to lock out, so as solar panels arrived so the voltage in real terms dropped.

It was at this point when 58 watt tubes failed to run for any time in 65 watt fittings, it was likely a combination of volt drop and change of tube type, the 58 watt tube would work for a short time, but where the 65 watt version had a typical life of 6 years, the 58 watt version was more like 6 months, I am sure if the ballast was changed then it would have worked.

You have said this before several times. But it has not been my experience. Florescent tubes are current driven devices, not voltage, and I have experimented using a variable transformer down to 200v with no problems. What would you suggest changing the ballast to? The ones still available are rated at 58/65W.

The odd 4 low voltage MR16 lamps, from a toroidal transformer have lasted over 10 years,

I assume you mean extra low voltage

 

[SUNRAY]

You have said this before several times. But it has not been my experience. Florescent tubes are current driven devices, not voltage, and I have experimented using a variable transformer down to 200v with no problems. What would you suggest changing the ballast to? The ones still available are rated at 58/65W.

I've done a lot of site temporary work, mostly in entertainment involving some very long cable runs & variable generator supplies and the one thing I will say with absolute certainty is fluo tubes do not like low voltage. with 240V chokes/ballasts dropping below 230V is doubtful if they strike, especially T8's, I'll go further and say I have much of a box of 25 T8's stock that automatically get ignored in favour of T12 due to the better working voltage range.
The 110V versions are even worse for low voltage, a line of them will flash and flicker for a while when starting up, as each fires the inrush will extinguished lit lamps.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

My quick mental arithmetic say a flou lasts 3-4 years and LED 2 years.

There is something very wrong there, LED's should normally last much longer, in an appropriate mounting method. Heating is the LED killer, installing them in a situation where they have inadequate cooling. I have had only one failure here, since swapping, and that failure twice, due to inadequate cooling.

 

[SUNRAY]

There is something very wrong there, LED's should normally last much longer, in an appropriate mounting method. Heating is the LED killer, installing them in a situation where they have inadequate cooling. I have had only one failure here, since swapping, and that failure twice, due to inadequate cooling.

Thes were commercial units very much like the traditional fluo fitting of a length of trunking with the tube hanging under, so the tubes are as free in open air as possible. More than half of the fittings are in a storage area with no heating or cooling, it's cold in winter and heavily shaded so summer shouldn't be excessive, the rest are a workshop and offices so have heating.
These are on 24/365 so no inrush currents.

We supplied 4 boxes of spare tubes (100) to give 8-10 years or replacements hopefully

As I mentioned this is very far from an unusual job for me.

 

[ericmark]

I could tell the tail of using auto transformers with 110 volt supplies, however since magnetic ballasts no longer available no real point.

As long as using electronic ballast there is no real advantage over LED.

 

[winston1]

however since magnetic ballasts no longer available no real point.

You've said this before and been proved wrong. Did you forget?

 

[ericmark]

I have detailed the experiments with 110 and 127 volt tapings to auto transformer before too.

Current 110 volt around 0.8 amp, 127 volt around 0.5 amp, this is a massive change for 17 volt.

Years ago you could get octomisers which would maintain the voltage to around 225 volt, which saved massive amounts of energy used, but the electronic HF ballast does same thing, so they no longer save money.

It seems new rules outlaw any lamp with less than 75 lumen per watt, but seems no one picks up retailers selling lamps with lower outputs, I have seen loads of GU10 not complying with that.

The problem is you can find the lumen per watt for an integral lamp, but lamps needing some form of driver, transformer, ballast etc, it does not work, as same tube with diffrent ballast gives diffrent results, same with small changes in voltage. So with a supply voltage of 207 or 253 the power used can vary by a huge amount.

 

[winston1]

Years ago you could get octomisers which would maintain the voltage to around 225 volt, which saved massive amounts of energy used,

You could, maybe still can, but it has been proven time and time again they don’t save energy. Anything that requires heat e.g. a kettle uses less energy but has to stay on longer to boil, tungsten lamps are dimmer causing the user to change it to the next size up, and anything with a SMPS is constant watts anyway.

 

[winston1]

I have detailed the experiments with 110 and 127 volt tapings to auto transformer before too.

Current 110 volt around 0.8 amp, 127 volt around 0.5 amp, this is a massive change for 17 volt.

Can’t see how that is possible. You must have made a mistake.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

It seems new rules outlaw any lamp with less than 75 lumen per watt, but seems no one picks up retailers selling lamps with lower outputs, I have seen loads of GU10 not complying with that.

Possible they escape as being decorative lighting?

 

[SUNRAY]

You must have made a mistake.

I doubt it