Shop lighting: magnetic or electronic ballasts?

I am going to install new flourescent lights in my shop. Do electronic ballasts really have no hum like I read somewhere.

Any reason to choose electronic ballasts over magnetic besides noise?

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert
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Mine are 100%, absolutely, totally, definitely, for sure, QUIET. Besides which, they weren't even expensive! The bulbs have lasted since I installed them about a year or so ago. Before that I was replacing bulbs left and right.

Dave

Brian Elfert wrote:

Reply to
David

Quieter, more efficient.

And, most will work just fine when the garage is COLD, the magnetics flicker and flash until they warm up.

Reply to
Bill B

Reply to
Rick Stein

My shop lights have magnetic ballasts. I can't hear them over the noise of the dust collector, or through my ear protectors even if there are no power tools running.

As others have noted, there are good reasons for using electronic ballasts, but IMO the noise level of magnetic ballasts is not an important consideration in a shop.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Reply to
Doug Miller

Brian, Electronic T-8 are the only way to go. As I have time, I am replacing all the ballasts in my shop. I have replaced 6 and have 13 more to go (larger shop).

woodstuff

Reply to
woodstuff

Well, speaking for myself, there are often times when I'm in the shop when (gasp) no power tools are running. Personally, I got tired of listening to

60-cycle hum and put in T8 fixtures with electronic ballasts.

todd

Reply to
Todd Fatheree

I too often have such times, but I usually have a radio on, and don't really notice the hum much. Just a matter of personal preference.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Reply to
Doug Miller

I thought about replacing the ballasts, but they aren't exactly cheap, plus don't you have to replace the sockets too? All of the lights with electronics ballasts have T-8 instead of T-12 bulbs.

I have lights with magnetic ballasts, but I am putting in a suspended ceiling and want to go with new troffer lights that go in the ceiling.

I am having a heck of a time find 2x2 troffer lights with electronic ballasts. Grainger has them for $66, but I just paid $38 for the 2x4 version at Lowes.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

I am finding the fixtures with electronic ballasts seem to cost about 20% more or so if you are looking at decent fixtures.

Nothing compares pricewise with the $10 shop lights you can find, but those are generally junk. Home Depot does have a $8 shop light with electronic ballast, but I am sure it is junk.

I bought three 2x4 troffer fixtures with electronic ballasts at Lowes, but I can't find 2x2 troffer fixtures with electronic ballasts at any home imporovement or home lighting store.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Reply to
Jim Behning

In my neck of the woods. The smaller electronic ballasts are easier and less expensive to replace when the time comes. The ones we use at work, your just inserting the wire into a conector, versus having to wire nut all the connections. They're idoit proof.

The only drawback - they last a long time - but when they go, they just go. No prolonged humming to keep reminding you about changing that ballast.

Personally, if your talking new lighting and you are, I would look at low voltage halogen. It's a pure light, no color shifts like you get with Fluorescent. It's bright without being an uncomfortable brightness "Like you get with the fluorescent daylight tubes".

If you have a chance go into a lighting showroom and see the differences between the two products. It's worth the time.

Pat

Reply to
SawDust (Pat)

This is for my workshop. Wouldn't halogen create heat like crazy and run my electric bill up? Has something changed in halogen technology?

I've been switching to compact flourescent for lights in the rest of the house that are used a lot. I find the light quality is fine once the bulbs warm up for 15 to 20 seconds. It may be coincidence, but my last electric bill was down by 1/3 from last year and the outside temps were 5 degrees colder than last year.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

I tried a bunch of regular lighting stores and none of them had troffer light fixtures except special order. I even tried the largest lighting store in the metro area and they don't carry troffers period. (I figured they would have them as a stock item.) One other lighting store that looked promising wasn't open.

I'm now considering going back to 2x4 as your comments on price make sense. The 2x2 fixtures are going to cost at least as much as the 2x4s, plus the bulbs cost almost four times as much.

The reason I wanted to use some 2x2s is because I am using the Ceiling Max grid system that screws to the floor joists. I have floor trusses every

24 inches, so the lights will fit in between. Obstacles running through the floor trusses means 2x4s have to be placed in an odd pattern to fit where 2x2s can go in a straight line.

I just realized that troffer type light fixtures might not work period. I'll have to try one of the 2x4s I already bought.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards keep them in stock.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt. And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

Reply to
Doug Miller

lighting

I did T-8 lighting in my shop last fall. It has worked out very, very well. I recommend buying high color rendition bulbs. I bought mine at

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for a very reasonable price. The light quality is superior and has made longer days in the shop much more enjoyable.

GL

Reply to
grant.lasson

Not 2x2 troffers with electronic ballast. They do have 2x4 troffers with electronic ballast. They all have 2x2 troffers with magnetic ballast.

Home Depot has them on their web site for web site orders only, but they are $70 each.

Brian Elfert

Reply to
Brian Elfert

I would look into the new T5 or T5HO. A little more money but they have significantly better color shifting properties and are more efficient. They are also much brighter that T8 or standard flouresents.

Dave

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Reply to
Teamcasa

I'd consider the one's they're talking about (t8???)just to get rid of the "winter time flickers".. The shop in the morning looks like a friggin light show..

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

Reply to
mac davis

I have electronic ballasts in my unheated basement where I have my shop. It gets down to 50 some nights in the winter. Never a flicker with electronic ballasts. I will never have anything else.

Reply to
Dick Snyder

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