2x4 lighting retrofit....

[Fulthrotl]

got a customer who wants to convert his 2x4 florescent fixtures
to a 2 tube troffer T-12...

there's a bezillinon companies making this stuff.... anyone here
have experience with a retrofit kit they like? one that isn't like
trying to pack a marshmallow into a piggy bank?

thanks for any info you might have.

 

[mdshunk]

Take two tubes out and call it a day.

 

[Riograndeelectric]

why would your customer want to continue using T12 tubes?
if you are going to convert/ rewire to only using 2 of the tubes why not install a 2 tube T8 ballast and new T8 tubes.
I have done quite a few of these but it was not converting from a 4 tube fixture but rather fromconverting 2-2tube T12 ballasts to 1 -4 tube T8 ballast and changing from T12 to T8 tubes.

 

[iwire]

I question the economics of rebuilding drop in fixtures from T-12 to T-8 many times you have to change the sockets along with the ballast, when its all done the fixture still looks old.

 

[mdshunk]

I question the economics of rebuilding drop in fixtures from T-12 to T-8 many times you have to change the sockets along with the ballast, when its all done the fixture still looks old.

Exactly. If it's just a regular prismatic lens fixture, you can change the whole fixture often times for cheaper than new ballasts, etc. Gives you a chance to upsell to a parabolic, a few emergency ballasts, etc.

 

[K2X]

I've done a few thousand of these 4 lamp to 2 lamp t-8 conversions. I don't know what the overall price was but i know the piece rate/labor to us was about $4.50 a fixture. Our typical install was to gut the fixture, add new centering brackets, (to get the lamps properly spaced in the fixture), new ballast, new sockets, new reflector, (which also replaces the ballast cover), new lamps, and often a new lense. Usually an extra 1.5 bucks labor to install a new lense. Pcb ballasts and lamps were required to have a certificate of destruction, and non pcb's went in the trash... I wish i had the couple of million non pcb's we threw in the trash back then. Now we can get 40 cents a piece.

Take two tubes out and call it a day.

Ballast still draw juice even without lamps or at least they are hot to touch.

 

[Fulthrotl]

got a customer who wants to convert his 2x4 florescent fixtures
to a 2 tube troffer T-12...

there's a bezillinon companies making this stuff.... anyone here
have experience with a retrofit kit they like? one that isn't like
trying to pack a marshmallow into a piggy bank?

thanks for any info you might have.

duh. typo or brain damage. you pick.... conversion would be T-8.
sigh.

thanks for the input....

 

[Fulthrotl]

I question the economics of rebuilding drop in fixtures from T-12 to T-8 many times you have to change the sockets along with the ballast, when its all done the fixture still looks old.

i agree. that's why i am asking.... i just put in new fixtures.
i don't refurbish them, but the customer is convinced that
it's an inexpensive retrofit.... i figure 20 minutes each, to
cover the fetching time and whatnot. sound reasonable?

 

[K2X]

i agree. that's why i am asking.... i just put in new fixtures.
i don't refurbish them, but the customer is convinced that
it's an inexpensive retrofit.... i figure 20 minutes each, to
cover the fetching time and whatnot. sound reasonable?

Sounds good to me. I would do about 30 or 40 fixtures on a shift with no lens. Some guys could do 60 and some 20.

 

[alfiesauce]

20 minutes each to bring in ballasts, take fixture apart, take out ballast, install new ballast, put in new fixtures, deal with old lamps. Seems a little shy to me. Once your all set up, sounds good, but pre and post time is going to be a bit. Do you have to move a bunch of stuff around to navigate your ladder or lift around?

 

[Fulthrotl]

20 minutes each to bring in ballasts, take fixture apart, take out ballast, install new ballast, put in new fixtures, deal with old lamps. Seems a little shy to me. Once your all set up, sounds good, but pre and post time is going to be a bit. Do you have to move a bunch of stuff around to navigate your ladder or lift around?

agreed. 30 minutes....

 

[hillbilly1]

Did a prototype four lamp T-8 to three lamp T-8 years ago, It had a kit that used the exsisting sockets and ballast, but new socket holder, with chrome reflectors was supposed to put out the same amount of light as the four lamp. Took about 15-20 minutes each if you busted butt, but the light output was not as much as they claimed. Also light output would drop as the reflectors got dusty.

 

[charlietuna]

Customer is making a mistake-additional cost of new fixtures can be offset by tax incentives within two years. In Huntington the A/C savings inside the first year will make up the original investment costs. Have them talk to their accountants !

 

[monkeyman164]

Our company does a lot of retros now. It seems as for me and a coworker of mine. We complete about 60 in an off shift situation between the both of us(depending on the type of the old light) . so an average of 30 usually per person but that's having a cart close. with everything we need on it. Defiantly need a cart to be efficient in an office building. thats re-lamping adding the spacer kits new lamps and ballasts new tombstones and wiring But as always seems to be cost effective for the building owner just to install new ones like it was already brought up.

 

[Riograndeelectric]

I question the economics of rebuilding drop in fixtures from T-12 to T-8 many times you have to change the sockets along with the ballast, when its all done the fixture still looks old.

why do you have to change the tombstones/ sockets when changing from T12 to T8?

 

[S'mise]

Sounds like a waist of time for the effort. If you are looking for light output T5's are the way to go.