# Pole barn lighting



## Mark S (Nov 4, 2009)

Converted my shop to LED with no regrets. I have the 4ft 4 bulb fixtures , kept the fixtures and converted them over. The conversion kit came with the bulbs. Put 2 LED bulbs in each fixture and have better light than I had with 4. Went with the "daylight" bulbs ,they are a bright white.I have much better light and the light bill is half of what it was.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Mark S said:


> Converted my shop to LED with no regrets. I have the 4ft 4 bulb fixtures , kept the fixtures and converted them over. The conversion kit came with the bulbs. Put 2 LED bulbs in each fixture and have better light than I had with 4. Went with the "daylight" bulbs ,they are a bright white.I have much better light and the light bill is half of what it was.


Was it just a matter of swapping out the ballast ?

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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

brushbuster said:


> Was it just a matter of swapping out the ballast ?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-S720C using Ohub Campfire mobile app


You replace the ballast with an LED driver and the LED bulbs are identical in shape and mount the same in existing fixtures, they just have LED's instead of fluorocarbons.

LEDs are the way to go.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

sullyxlh said:


> You replace the ballast with an LED driver and the LED bulbs are identical in shape and mount the same in existing fixtures, they just have LED's instead of fluorocarbons.
> 
> LEDs are the way to go.


 Yeah I have been researching it a little today. I might swap mine out in my shop. I have t8s now and they work fine, but if the LED's will brighten things up a little I am all for it, Damn eyesight aint what it use to be.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I've seen several comments about short life of LEDs. I'll wait for them to become more reliable, nah, my T12s will still be working on the original bulbs and there won't be a need to replace them.


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## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

FREEPOP said:


> I've seen several comments about short life of LEDs. I'll wait for them to become more reliable, nah, my T12s will still be working on the original bulbs and there won't be a need to replace them.



Usually the LED itself will outlast the components that power it. I'm all for greener stuff and a better way of doing things but From what I've seen LED has simply not revolutionized the world of lighting the way that it has been advertised. Now another 10-15 years might be a different story...


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## sullyxlh (Oct 28, 2004)

FREEPOP said:


> I've seen several comments about short life of LEDs. I'll wait for them to become more reliable, nah, my T12s will still be working on the original bulbs and there won't be a need to replace them.


You can't get LED's at a big box store and get high end results.

Find an electrical supply house and have their lighting planner visit or take your plans to them and find out what you need. Good LED's have 100,000+ hour use rating and if they do fail, anymore our suppliers want the fixture back to see what specifically failed.

T12's are energy suckers and put out poor light compared to what's out there now.

If you what fluorescents go with a T5 highbay HO lights they will put out twice as much light and use have the energy the T12 are sucking and are the closest you'll get to an LED light.


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## Mark S (Nov 4, 2009)

You remove the ballast and wire them direct no ballast needed. Come with directions and wire nuts takes about 5 minute to do the conversion. 5 year warranty. I was skeptical about the change but now that I did it no way would I consider anything else. Go with the "daylight" bulbs if you like bright light. 18 watts each bulb with no lag time in cold weather. The bulbs I bought had no drivers they must be built into the bulbs.


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## davi5982 (Mar 8, 2010)

T8 unless your shop ceiling is over 20' then I would go with the T5.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Mark S said:


> You remove the ballast and wire them direct no ballast needed. Come with directions and wire nuts takes about 5 minute to do the conversion. 5 year warranty. I was skeptical about the change but now that I did it no way would I consider anything else. Go with the "daylight" bulbs if you like bright light. 18 watts each bulb with no lag time in cold weather. The bulbs I bought had no drivers they must be built into the bulbs.


 Do you remember what the cost of the conversion kit was?


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## Mark S (Nov 4, 2009)

$ 30.00 each with one bulb. Start out with half the bulbs you currently have and go from there.


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