I'd be interested to know what brands you use. I tend to buy my lighting from screwfix, toolstation or TLC. I think these stores sell mainly on price though, so there may be better quality options available.
Absolutely agree. Colour temperature is a big factor that's often overlooked.
Agreed, but "ordinary" LED bulbs work very well in those awful "triple spotlite" disks and bars that were designed for ancient reflector spotlights. (It's only my total lack of taste that has stopped me replacing these in my office, my wife's sewing room, and an attic)
I'd think such as a downlighter without adequate ventilation would shorten the life of tungsten too? Such LED downlighters are commonly about 5w and produce very little heat. And unless designed for a special application the fittings aren't sealed.
It was rather more of a problem with high power CFLs like RO80 style.
Why not simply replace the tube and started with an LED variety?
I see TLC have recently introduced 6ft replacement LED tubes. Might give them a try. Have a fitting which was originally T12 and T8 replacements take much longer to start.
I was going to say even Toolstation has started stocking a 6ft LED tube but it's out of stock in most stores:
It's a bit of a dichotomy. My workbench lighting was very good with lots of colour matching Northlight tubes - a mixture of 5 and 6 ft. Old fittings with starters. And do rather annoy as they no longer start at the same time - at least two tubes take a couple of minutes.
I've never had any LED where I'm 100% happy with the spectrum. And thinking it may be better to fit electronic ballasts. Except for the costs.
I felt the colour is better from a LED tube that some conventional ones. I presume the Northlight tubes must use unconventional phosphors and perhaps not be so efficient? I might swap or try alternative starters. Many tubes fail to strike in cold weather.
Each produces a discontinuous colour spectrum. If that is important then why not stick to halogen?
Colour matching Northlights are made to do what they say on the box. To reproduce that type of daylight as closely as possible. They are less efficent in the level they produce so I used more than most. I have two twin fittings with reflectors running the length of the bench.
These florries produce very nice shadow free lighting. With as good a light quality as I want. LEDs are used for TV etc lighting these days so likely can be pretty good - but really not sure replacement LED tubes are the same state of the art.
When installed originally, was very happy with the workbench lighting. Don't want to accept anything inferior 30 years on. ;-)
There are 6500K LED tubes with 95 CRI available, but they seem to be expensive ($140), only 2-4 foot long and on sale in the USA rather than the UK, seem to be aimed at art studios not workshops ...
That's why I'm interested in those from TLC. 330 deg output (I don't know how uniform that is) will illuminate the ceiling much the same as FTs. Trouble is, I use the florries very little so can't justify changing them. Most are old (I got them just over 31 years ago and they were well-used then). One is in the shed and the others are in the cold loft; they all start even when the loft is close to freezing and shed is below. If they'd just pack up...
Many of my panels are generic cheap designs from eBay. Over the past few years they have become cheaper. The one in my main living room actually came from B&Q. Chinese - but with a large metal back-plate to which a driver and bespoke led strip is fitted giving adequate heat-sinking. The rest of it is thin plastic which looks more than OK.
Thanks. I hadn't thought of using cheap eBay panels, but as you say that's what the sheds are using anyway.
I bought an off-the-shelf LED tube from Lidl to replace the kitchen fluorescent. Aside from an instant start and /slightly/ whiter light I don't notice any difference.
I think some people are more susceptible to differences real and perceived. My thing is sound. Sounds that other people don't notice can drive me up the wall.
I'm sure very decent LEDs are around - as I said they've been used in TV etc lighting for a while. And TC cameras make an odd white balance and poor CRI far more obvious than the eye, which quickly compensates.
Same hear, I'm trying out some ikea smart lamps, even when they're off, they're really just in standby, and the internal PSU "sings" at 2kHz plus a couple of harmonics, if I turn it to 5% brightness then it's silent.
Similar with the TV in standby, these things add up to an annoying background whine when trying to sleep ...
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