Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Topic: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED (Read 13526 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #25 – February 21, 2020, 11:43:33 am

Eric,
Perhaps it is too soon to tell, but does the double stick on the the strips you bought seem to be holding up well? I bought a couple of ten packs of the same in warm white (thanks for the heads up on the product!

) My thought is the aluminum backing of these strips will likely make the adhesive used less likely to let go. I did buy the window glazing tape that Roger posted (not 3m by the way, but I am confident that if it passed Roger's litmus test it will do the job), but I don't want to possibly waste one of the strips trying to get the original double stick off (which by the way looks almost identical to the stuff the LED strips come with, only thicker). At this point, I think I will do the entry fixture with the OEM double stick and revisit the issue should it prove inadequate for the task.
Don

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #26 – February 21, 2020, 01:02:14 pm

Great question. My strips have held up over my last two trips and 800ish miles. We also went through hot and very cold temp swings. I agree with you that the aluminum backing should help provide stability. They make a slightly cheaper (-$5) without the aluminum.

Time will tell!

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #27 – February 21, 2020, 03:21:38 pm

Don, when I changed all my overhead lights to LED I used the glazers tape in addition to the self stick on the back of the LED strips. I have had a couple of the strips come loose evidently from getting hot. I fabbed up some plexiglass plates which I put 5 strips each onto. Then double stick tape the plates to the Thin Lite frames after removing the bulbs, ballasts and aluminum bracket which separated the bulbs. The entire plate assembly wouldn't hold. They would fall if sitting too long, or if I hit a bump in the road. I added hot glue to the back of the plates to help hold. This helped a lot, but a couple would have tendency to fall while driving.

With 5 strips of warm white LED's each, the light is too bright for our liking, therefore I am reworking them now. I am eliminating the plates completely. I am reattaching the aluminum bracket which separated the bulbs and can fit 3 rows of lights on the top of this bracket. The bracket is held in place by the rivets factory mounted in the frame. I haven't decided whether to use glazer's tape and/or hot glue and/or shoe goo to hold them in place.

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

Larry

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #28 – February 21, 2020, 03:37:53 pm

Shoe-Goo is the answer

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #29 – February 21, 2020, 04:24:41 pm

Same as AM Solar uses ti hold down solar panels.
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Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #30 – February 21, 2020, 05:29:38 pm

Larry

I added a second switch to the light fixture so that when the lights are on I can use one strip or all. Never need then all at night but during the day it is nice. I used a thin aluminum sheet that the strips are stuck to and then the sheet is stuck to the fixture. Tha lets me wire and test outside of the fixture. You can get a smaller piece of countertop laminate at the big box stores for about what the aluminum cost.

Waterproof LED strips get hotter than non-waterproof strips and don't stick well at all. Clean off the original stick on strips and use the glaziers tape. If it comes loose ot is the original tape on the strips that is failing. I usually put a little dap of silicone on either side of the steips where the wires are.

Wire the strips in parallel to minimize voltage variances.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #31 – February 21, 2020, 08:49:50 pm

Quote from: Roger & Susan in Home2 – February 21, 2020, 05:29:38 pm

Larry

I added a second switch to the light fixture so that when the lights are on I can use one strip or all. Never need then all at night but during the day it is nice. I used a thin aluminum sheet that the strips are stuck to and then the sheet is stuck to the fixture. Tha lets me wire and test outside of the fixture. You can get a smaller piece of countertop laminate at the big box stores for about what the aluminum cost.

Waterproof LED strips get hotter than non-waterproof strips and don't stick well at all. Clean off the original stick on strips and use the glaziers tape. If it comes loose ot is the original tape on the strips that is failing. I usually put a little dap of silicone on either side of the steips where the wires are.

Wire the strips in parallel to minimize voltage variances.

Roger what do you use to cut the hole for the added switch?

Keith

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #32 – February 21, 2020, 10:41:57 pm

I used four of the 3000K warm white strips with aluminum backing in the overhead entry light. Very pleased with the brightness, but I will likely add a switch to make so I can have all four on or the two outside ones. They are wired in parallel and connected to power via two position terminal strip for easy removal. I will likely use just two in each of the bedroom bath overhead lights. I like the quality of the light Put out by the LED's much better than the fluorescents they replaced.
Don

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #33 – February 21, 2020, 10:56:32 pm

Drilling holes in fixtures : use a step down drill bit, they are fantastic, great to have in your tool box.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Step-drill-bits-Drill-bits-Power-tool-accessories-Tools/4294607745

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #34 – February 22, 2020, 02:03:29 am

I used a Dremel tool to cut rectangular holes. Pretty quick. It is just plastic so you could drill most of out and use a file or utility knife to square it up.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #35 – February 22, 2020, 09:26:18 am

If you need to cut a square or hex hole in metal, Watts Bros. in Wilmerding, PA has just what you need.
Of course, things are more complex than cutting plastic or wood but really neat how a three fluted "tool", a square hole template, a floating holder, a vise, and a drill press running at a slow speed can make a square hole.
Cutting tool companies do this all the time in order to make square drive holders for cutting tools like core drills.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #36 – February 22, 2020, 11:03:54 am

I found led tubes that replace the florescent tubes in the hall and bath fixtures. I also found direct replacement bulbs for the lamps and basement fixtures. I searched LED replacement for the bulb part # I wanted to replace.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #37 – February 22, 2020, 07:36:38 pm

I'm getting ready to finish my install of the LED strip lights possibly tonight. previous owner had replaced all the bulbs with LEDs, but many of them were failing, and the color temperature just wasn't right in my opinion. I was going to go with a much more expensive option until it was posted about those inexpensive ones from China on Amazon. I bought two boxes of the daylight and I'm pretty much finished with the exception of the bathroom. any u320 there's two overhead fluorescent lights in the bathroom one controlled from the bath and the bedroom, called the hall light and one kind of over the toilet but in the middle. that one comes on with the under cabinet puck lights and I always thought that that was kind of dumb. I want the puck lights to come on separately. That way I can kind of use them just as a night light or if I just don't need much light, but have the other two come on when I want a lot of light. So I'm having to drill a channel between the two lights through the AC unit to connect the wires that way. So then when I flip the switch either the puck light comes on, flip another switch the other two come on.
For the fluorescent fixtures, I took out the bulbs cut the wires and just rewired it directly to the LED strips. I used two LED strips and they are quite bright which is exactly what I was looking for. In the kitchen I used three in each of the two overhead lights, and again they are nice and bright. If I'm cooking or soldering something whatever, I have plenty of bright light where I need it overhead. The fluorescent tubes that I'm replacing required a ballast and I just didn't think they were very bright.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #38 – February 22, 2020, 07:57:34 pm

Nice job. I hope to get the rest of my lights done over the next week or so. I also am looking forward to doing the storage bays.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #39 – February 23, 2020, 07:23:39 am

Bob your bathroom lights must have been a newer model year upgrade. On my 96 the undercabinet puck lights are on one switch under the med cabinet and the overhead light is on a switch in the hallway by the bathroom door. I didn't find the puck light switch for nearly 6 months and then surprise

Larry

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #40 – February 23, 2020, 08:45:47 am

Larry a lot of strange things in my coach when it comes to lighting. For instance there are under cabinet floor lighting and the kitchen and the bathroom, but the switch for that is when you first walk in on the stairs no other switch that I know of. Seems kind of silly and then the before mentioned puck light overhead light thingy. Well that one's fixed I'm going to replace the old style strip lights under the cabinets with newer LEDs and have a switch where it makes sense to do so. Also since I'm rebuilding my countertops I'm really thinking about doing an epoxy pour in the middle that will be under lit by LEDs. it would be a night light type of light in the bathroom. If I can pull it off the way I think I can I think it would look really cool and be pretty practical as well. I'm all full of ideas when it comes to this stuff. However translating them into actual working models takes a little bit more work.
I did finish the bathroom lights last night. I drilled a hole between the AC and both lights and connect to them with 16 gauge wire. I put three strips in the main light and two strips in the hall light. It now looks really good. The light is more useful and I'm sure better energy efficiency than what was the original. I lined everything with aluminum tape that I got from harbor freight. it gives a nice surface for the tape to stick to and a nice reflection as well.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #41 – February 23, 2020, 09:08:14 am

Bob sounds like a good plan of action. If the LED'S w/epoxy work out, be sure to post pictures. We all love pictures. I have low level lights in the hallway and salon also, just not LED. It got turned on accidentally during the day one time. When it got dark, I couldn't figure out how they turned off. Took me 3 days before I accidentally found the switch by the front door. Before, I thought the switch went to something that didn't work. After 5 years, still learning,

Larry

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #42 – March 21, 2020, 05:27:56 pm

So I am slowly changing out every fixture in between my normal life. This fixture is the main center fixture in the three way switch. I went with four 3200K strips on the same aluminum backing. The light output is a little bit more intense but similar in coloring as the fluorescent bulbs.

The white balance in the pictures doesn't accurately show the color of the light. It is not near as yellow in real life as it is in the picture.

The wife much prefers the softer lighting. I would prefer to go with a 4200 bright white but cannot find the same design in that color. I can live with the color and the wife really likes it so they will stay.

Only seven more fixtures to go!

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #43 – March 21, 2020, 06:53:44 pm

Did mine also this last week.. Color match is a problem so I mixed them to get the color needed

Took 3500k(or 3k cant remember) 3 strips mixed with 1 strip of 6k(white) to make the 4500k color (very close)

Bathroom is a little small so I did 2 of the lower colors and 1 of the bright and the same in the toilet... Bright and I can see now.. bought some extra lights to add but I am going to use the coach first like this and see if i want to add more lighting

Not sure why women like the lower yellowish color... I like it Hospital bright!!

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #44 – March 21, 2020, 07:00:37 pm

I mounted these straight to the wood / fiberglass instead of the aluminum fixture like I did on the first fixture. I will let it sit and use it for a while before I mount the next ones. The smaller fixtures will all be mounted to the aluminum bases due to the smaller fixture size.

I was a little surprised to see the same small fixture under the much larger "lights".

I also just learned my first install was a double LED mount strip and this one was a single mount strip. I prefer the light output if the double strips!

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #45 – March 21, 2020, 11:11:39 pm

I really like the bright lights. I put in the natural white light. Three per fixture with the big one in the kitchen having four. And the first one near the driver's seat I only used two, but I'm thinking about adding another one now. I use those lights for when I need to really brighten up the coach. When I'm working inside or cooking or anything like that. When I want the mood lighting then I go to the puck lights the wall sconces and the LED lights I put in the window valences.
I put them on foil tape. Hope it helps to disapate heat. Just wish Foretravel put the switches in a central location. Having them spread all over might have been a good idea in 1999, but in 2020
It's not.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #46 – March 21, 2020, 11:27:50 pm

Pretty even lighting

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #47 – March 25, 2020, 02:06:43 pm

Another thing I have tried with these strips. A 9 volt battery, a small switch, and a little wire, and I have put them inside a few of my cabinets where some light was needed. They work great and provide plenty of light.
As a test, I hooked a full strip up to a 9 volt battery. I had it on for 48 hours and it was still going. They should last quite a while in a cabinet.

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #48 – March 25, 2020, 04:48:54 pm

I've been doing a little light work myself and have some parts if anyone wants them before I trash them just pay postage
Chris

Re: Fluorescent light fixture upgrade to LED

Reply #49 – March 26, 2020, 11:04:56 pm

Installed the LED in the hall fixture between the bedroom and bathroom, two fixtures in the kitchen and the fixture in the front of the coach. They really light up the area. Put 3 strips in all of the fixtures except for the hall fixture it has 2. Since I had to cut the strips to fit the fixtures I was able to use the cut offs in the closet fixtures. I put 4 cut offs in each closet fixture. Works great! Need to order another box so I can use them in the basement.
John M

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