Fishin-trician
Member
- Location
- So Flo
cost per fixture to swap mag. ballasts to electronic, relamp with t8s' and labor, on 8ft ceilings. Just curious to see what others charge?
2x4 lay-in retros'
- Thread starter Fishin-trician
- Start date
- Status
It pays to do all that work?
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
The government seems to think so.
We're doing a retrofit right now in a library and also adding occupancy sensors as well. Couldn't say what the labor rate was figured at though per fixture. If the ballasts are pcb type, you're really going to have your work cut out for you.
Fishin-trician
Member
- Location
- So Flo
Do them on service calls solo in about 15-20 minutes, if the tombstones are good. Seems like alot more work to swap a whole fixture, unless they're rusty or damaged.
What's up with the pcb ballasts? Is it the whole disposal issue?
What's up with the pcb ballasts? Is it the whole disposal issue?
- Location
- Chapel Hill, NC
- Occupation
- Retired Electrical Contractor
I just reworked a fabric store and we replaced 80+ lay ins. I thought it would be cheaper than relamping, new ballast etc. I think I figured about $110/ fixture but we did not have to dispose of the old units.
cadpoint
Senior Member
- Location
- Durham, NC
The government seems to think so.
Couldn't say what the labor rate was figured at though per fixture. If the ballasts are pcb type, you're really going to have your work cut out for you.
My point was it never pays us to try to rebuild, ballast change, and if you have plenty of experience with lighting retros you know it's good practice to change all the lamp sockets and upgrade the lamps, also for retro of replace, if the ballast is old PVC type, you have the cost and time of recycle, get a good laugh when I hear someone say they can change out layins in a flash.
buzzbar
Senior Member
- Location
- Olympia, WA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
For disposal, I use a company that picks up the fixtures, ballasts and lamps from the job site. All I have to do is stack them on pallets and wrap shrink tape around them. They charge by the pound, and I believe it's about $5 per ballast IF it has PCBs.
All of the above costs are charged to the customer. Not my expense.
It's a piece of cake, although it does have a lot of crumbs!
All of the above costs are charged to the customer. Not my expense.
It's a piece of cake, although it does have a lot of crumbs!
For disposal, I use a company that picks up the fixtures, ballasts and lamps from the job site. All I have to do is stack them on pallets and wrap shrink tape around them. They charge by the pound, and I believe it's about $5 per ballast IF it has PCBs.
All of the above costs are charged to the customer. Not my expense.
It's a piece of cake, although it does have a lot of crumbs!
Yes they send us a drum and all the paper work to ship it to them, they have a rate sheet for ballasts, and we just mark up the cost and pass it on to the job.
mkgrady
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts
How do you know if the ballasts have PCBs?
Cow
Senior Member
- Location
- Eastern Oregon
- Occupation
- Electrician
The ones that don't say "no pcb's" on the ballast.
- Status