Fluorescent or LED

[Almost There]

The van came equipped with a 12V 30W twin bulb Thin-Lite fluorescent light fixture.

 It can go in the van over the kitchen counter, in the yard sale stuff or on Kijiji when I get back in the spring.

Should I go with it or stick to planned LEDs?



'

 

[jimindenver]

I would strip the guts out and put inexpensive LED's in the fixture. For a few bucks each they use so much less power than even a florescent.

 

[compassrose]

Those Thin-Lites get kinda pricey. I have had the "bargain" ones in the Class C and ended up replacing each in a very short time frame. They were overheating to the point they were scorching the ceiling behind the fixture. Now I tell folks to avoid the cheap ones.

I cannot use LED's. I'm one of the rare(?) people who gets a headache from LED's. I put 110vAC linkable fluorescents in my bus and wired them into a dedicated inverter. I have a total of 18 single fluorescents (varying sizes) in the bus. I might need to add two more (task lighting) as I need to make an area for my sewing machine and a area for my daughter's art work/supplies. Those two will probably we wired into the regular electric. I found that I could buy regular undercounter thin lights (Wal-Mart) plus a small inverter for half the price of same amount of money as buying the Thin-Lites. Plus if I had to replace or add, all I have to do is go to almost any store and buy one.

Yes, I understand that this may not work for everyone. Or anyone. Please refrain from pointing it out ad nauseum.

 

[B and C]

I like the LED's I've installed, warm white ~3500 kelvin that are more the color of a regular incandescent light bulbs.  The bright white ones (~600+ kelvin) are to blue and garish for me.  I replaced every light in the coach with LED's and some dimmers.  Dimmed, they make a pretty good night light without much power draw for when you have to get up in the middle of the night  I do not buy the cheapest LED's however as the cheap ones do get very hot as compassrose stated.  I have not converted my one CFL fixture.  I never use it, but is there in case I need a bright light in that area.  It doesn't cost anything to leave it alone.  If this is under you cabinet, I would replace the bulbs (disconnect and remove the ballast) and install a couple of short strip lights in their place.  Mine are bright enough that I could do surgery on squirrels if I were so inclined (or talented).

 

[jimindenver]

There are different LEDs and some do get warmer but not anything like a incandescent bulb. Regulated are usually the more expensive and run on anything from 8-30v. This is good if you use shore power and the converter is putting out higher voltages charging the battery. The downside besides price is they create RFI.

I use the unregulated type because I never have shore power and certainly not at night when the lights are on. I have run test on them at 17v without issue and even 24v where they did get hotter but nothing critical. My panels were $3.79 each four years ago and you can get them now 10 for $17.99 shipped. The worse I have heard of was the cheap double sided tape has released.

After I bought mine newer LEDs came out with higher output from fewer emitters. More light from a smaller package does mean more heat. Still it's not like you hear of fires out of them used correctly. I can close my hand on the 120 emitter porch light while it runs and not get burnt.

 

[Canine]

I think if you have to worry about how much power a 12v flouresent uses,you need more solar.

 

[Almost There]

I think if you have to worry about how much power a 12v flouresent uses,you need more solar.

I don't have ANY power at the moment.

What I don't know is whether it's worthwhile packing this fixture for installation in the van when the electric/wiring/solar etc. etc. is installed or whether to go with LED throughout.

How much more power does the fluorescent fixture use as opposed to the same amount of lighting in LED?

 

[B and C]

You stated "[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The van came equipped with a 12V 30W twin bulb Thin-Lite fluorescent light fixture".  Advice was given to convert it as it draws 30 watts (~3.7 amps) and I (we?) thought it was already installed.  If it is not installed, go all LED as power requirements are a lot lower.[/font]

 

[mockturtle]

LED is definitely the way to go.

 

[Almost There]

You stated "[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The van came equipped with a 12V 30W twin bulb Thin-Lite fluorescent light fixture".  Advice was given to convert it as it draws 30 watts (~3.7 amps) and I (we?) thought it was already installed.  If it is not installed, go all LED as power requirements are a lot lower.[/font]

Thanks and sorry about the confusion - I forget sometimes that not everyone remembers the grief I went through gutting the van all last winter.

It's going in the storage trailer for disposal one way or the other next spring!!

Thanks guys!!

 

[SternWake]

LEDs have gotten a lot better in recent years, but there is still a bunch of leftover junk on the market.

I had some warm white LED MR11 bulbs that just killed some TV stations, and these would not respond to a dimmer. All my other LED bulbs do respond to a dimmer, and I have found this dimming option to be wonderful. I can turn on most all of my interior LED lighting and it is about 0.8 amps, and with the dimmer I can get the amp draw to just over 0.1 amps and there is still a good amount of light.

I really dislike having the source of the light in view of my eyeballs. My favorite LEDS are some t-20 reverse light bulbs with Cree emitters behind lens projectors. I put these into a 99 cent store gooseneck lamp and can aim the light where needed or desired, and the emitter is shielded from my eyes. I aim them at my table, or at my white roof, or anywhere I feel like.

This is the LED dimmer I bought. No difference in product between the 8$ prime offerings and the $2.99 slow boat from china offerings. The actual electronic guts take up a small fraction inside this casing. I have removed the guts and installed them into other fixtures, one controls much of my interior lighting. I can;t say enough how much I love the ability to dim the lights, from not only a eyeball perspective, but an electrical consumption one too.

http://www.amazon.com/Triangle-Bulb...qid=1446406002&sr=8-1&keywords=pwm+led+dimmer

A qualified electronics expert friend of mine got one and said they were well built, and he ordered a half dozen more.

Me, I am not keen on fluorescent lighting. At first I did not like the LEDS either, mostly for the too blue factor, but the white light of later LED's I have grown fond of and prefer reading to, compared to incandescent.

I remember back in the day, My interior lighting was all incandescent, and one single 921 bulb consumed more than nearly All my LED lighting can consume now. That one bulb in 6 hours would consume more battery power than my fridge now consumes in 10-12 hours.

No wonder I was such a prolific battery murderer back in the early 2000's

 

[B and C]

I am sure I read the thread, but as I age, that darn CRS keeps getting in the way of pulling stuff from the past.

 

[highdesertranger]

keep in mind those 12v fluorescent fixtures give off RF interference, especially on the AM bands. sometimes if you are trying to get OTA TV. highdesertranger

 

[akrvbob]

LED!!
Bob

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Margie says SternWake's led lights are sexy when turned down low.
But then, she thinks he's sexy too

 

[highdesertranger]

remember before LEDs became common fluorescent was a big improvement over incandescent. I used them for years. highdesertranger

 

[Willy]

LED all the way!! ..Willy.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

LED is the way to go but don't make the same mistake I did, I cheaped out and didn't go for the warm light ones, they are not blue but a bit bright, cold and floresceny like.

 

[NeedAnEscape]

I'd go with LED, but I would put incandescent lights in if I couldn't go LED, as fluorescent lights give me headaches.

 

[LeeRevell]

As with CFLs, it took awhile for the LED lights to be available with proper color balance.  First too white and garish, and some too yellow, now I can buy those that look 'normal'.  Small battery powered LEDs still tend to be too bright white, but I am accustomed to them now.