OT: Shop lights allergic to humidity

oliverdude · Mar 28, 2018

A few years ago I bought some high output 8ft. fluorescent lights for the shop. They look just like a normal fluorescent light, but they use a little different bulb and ballast. They start GREAT in cold weather, but as it warms up and the humidity rises, they don't start as good, if at all. Sometimes I can flip the switch a couple times and they come on and other times I have to pass my propane heater under them for a couple minutes before they come on. Running a heater on an already hot and humid day is not the least bit desirable, not to mention that it's robbing me of already precious shop time. This happens even if they are only off 7-8 hours overnight.

Does anyone have ideas on how I could eliminate the problem? Would humidity be getting into the ballast? Could I do something to seal the ballast without causing a heat buildup?

Thanks,
Geoffrey

Pathogen · Mar 28, 2018

One thought that comes to mind concerning humidity. If there is contamination in the light sockets, wiring points, or places crud can make contact with current carrying wires, the humidity may be providing the conductive splice within the contamination. Water in pure form is an insulator but when contaminants mix with water, water becomes conductive. Eventually the crud - humidity mix will create carbon tracts and short out the circuits and perhaps ending the lights life before its time.

I would suggest you inspect bulb contacts, sockets, terminal strips - whatever is in there.

Wear latex or nitrile gloves when removing the lamps for inspection and cleaning. The gloves are to keep oil from your skin from contaminating the glass. If the lamps run really hot the glass will fail. Rubbing alcohol should be enough to reassemble the lamps into the fixture.

If you see dirt - dust all around as I suspect, then you will have likely found the problem.

Since drying out the fixtures allows them to perform, then generally damage has not become permanent, yet.

batw · Mar 28, 2018

oliverdude said:
A few years ago I bought some high output 8ft. fluorescent lights for the shop. They look just like a normal fluorescent light, but they use a little different bulb and ballast. They start GREAT in cold weather, but as it warms up and the humidity rises, they don't start as good, if at all. Sometimes I can flip the switch a couple times and they come on and other times I have to pass my propane heater under them for a couple minutes before they come on. Running a heater on an already hot and humid day is not the least bit desirable, not to mention that it's robbing me of already precious shop time. This happens even if they are only off 7-8 hours overnight.

Does anyone have ideas on how I could eliminate the problem? Would humidity be getting into the ballast? Could I do something to seal the ballast without causing a heat buildup?

Thanks,
Geoffrey

i use a dehumidifier in my shop have sealed all air leaks and it keeps humidity way down, my lights use to do the same thing.
an added plus is none of my machines rust.
i use to go to thrift shops and buy dehumidifiers got them cheap any problems go back and buy another, last one i bought was store bought worth every cent

Scottl · Mar 28, 2018

I have a couple of suggestions.

First, get some DeoxIT and treat all mechanical connections.

Second, consider installing some low wattage heat tape or similar that can be switched on in humid weather to dry things out a bit without heating the shop.

James H Clark · Mar 28, 2018

Oliverdude: Maybe its time to try a new ballast in one of your lights, to see if that improves performance. I had some eight footers, single pin and they were useless in cool weather. Keeping good ballasts and tubes were a pain. Still got one, but it is living on borrowed time. Leds are expensive, but almost worth it. Good luck.

JH

Chip Chester · Mar 28, 2018

But know that new LED bulbs will probably cost the same $ as ballast, and are almost identical replacement procedures. (Take down fixture, change some wires, re-install fixture.) Unless you do it in-situ, on a ladder or manlift, with your head upside down, etc.

Steven-Canada · Mar 28, 2018

If you put them in a few years ago, probably need new tubes minimum

Based on a 2000 hour work year, tubes will lose half the brightness in the first year.

If you have to change ballasts, consider LED's but go for minimum 500K or 6500K Daylight colour. It's closest to sunlight.

Milland · Mar 28, 2018

Steven-Canada said:
If you have to change ballasts, consider LED's but go for minimum 500K or 6500K Daylight colour. It's closest to sunlight.

If you convert to LEDs you might want to buy one panel first to check the color and whether you like it. Or buy a couple of different color temps.

I bought a slightly cooler panel as I wanted less "blue" in the spectrum. It's still variable depending on who makes the LEDs and whether there's phosphors used for converting more of the LED blue color to a more "human pleasing" white. Even panels from the same vendor bought at different times could look different due to changes in phosphor mix or LED source.

https://www.voltlighting.com/article-led-lighting-color-temperature/p/article-led-color-temp

Phosphors development for LED lighting - ScienceDirect

rbent · Mar 28, 2018

Cheap big box store ballasts are just that, cheap. I buy mine from the local electric supplier, I think they are Phillips Advance made in Mexico ones.

CarbideBob · Mar 29, 2018

110V LED, toss the ballast and rewire. Lower cost when on.
Pay attention to color temp when replacing. Your old "Cool white" is actually yellow. White LEDS tend towards a very harsh light that you might not like.
Cover also counts, clear is maybe not best. (clear, striped, milky covers)
E-yuch is your friend here. Longer life, electric bill savings and no disposal fees.
LED tubes that will run without a rewire carry a premium cost and there is no need if you are handy with a pair of wire snipers and wire nuts.
I would never buy another ballast for a fixture, a losing deal all ways around now.
Once I kept many in stock, puck that now.
I did not like the first LEDS due to color temp but now you can get "softer".
Bob

oliverdude · Mar 29, 2018

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will look into cleaning the sockets and replacing the bulbs in one of the lights to see if that helps. I'll change one to led and see how I like it too.

dalmatiangirl61 · Mar 29, 2018

Same experience as others, florescent lights slow starting when cold or humid, horrible flickering when cold, and short lived ballasts. Have been converting over to the LEDs and like them much better.

EPAIII · Mar 29, 2018

LEDs are expensive. But they ARE worth it. You will save the extra in a couple of years.

You are having problems and are losing time because of them. Commercial shop? They you are losing money too. I replaced all the fluorescents in my house and shop with LED bulbs. I had about 40 fluorescent bulbs between them and I had constant problems with them. I also removed all the ballasts and threw them away. I haven't had a problem since. And in general, three LED bulbs give me more light then four fluorescents did. Get LEDs and stop wasting time and money. And get rid of those ballasts. Don't run the LED lights through them.

James H Clark said:
Oliverdude: Maybe its time to try a new ballast in one of your lights, to see if that improves performance. I had some eight footers, single pin and they were useless in cool weather. Keeping good ballasts and tubes were a pain. Still got one, but it is living on borrowed time. Leds are expensive, but almost worth it. Good luck.

JH

greif1 · Mar 29, 2018

I second the Deoxit suggestion. Caig Labs calls several products Deoxit; you want CAIG DeOxit Cleaning Solution Spray, 5% spray or the 100% non spray version.

DeoxIT(R) D5S-6, More than a Contact Cleaner

SteveF · Mar 31, 2018

EPAIII said:
.................. And in general, three LED bulbs give me more light then four fluorescents did. .................

I'm not sure what kind of, or the age of, the T8 flourescents or LEDs some of you guys are running but, for example, a 17 watt Phillips LED puts out 2100 lumens and the comparable flourescent is 2800. That's FIVE LEDs to get the output of four flourescents. I swapped out the bulbs in one fixture, and compared to the next fixture, in a literal side by side comparison, it has less light and I'm not wild about the color.

oliverdude - Definitely only change out one fixture and see how you like it.

Steve

jrmach · Mar 31, 2018

t-5 high output daylight bulbs rock

leds suk in myop

Tony Quiring · Mar 31, 2018

Back when we built shop and installed lighting T5 was the go to thing.

Built a spreadsheet to do cost study that included replacement and energy costs.

The savings in energy if real would require 20 years to make up and only if we never replaced any tubes.

Went T8 and works fine.

Box stores have 4 tube 8 ft fixtures for 40 bucks and contractor pack of tubes works out to a buck each.

Now some need replacement and upstairs was done this year so whiter tubes are being added.

Can get many color options in glass

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OT: Shop lights allergic to humidity

oliverdude

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Pathogen

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batw

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Scottl

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James H Clark

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Chip Chester

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Steven-Canada

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Milland

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rbent

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CarbideBob

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oliverdude

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dalmatiangirl61

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EPAIII

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SteveF

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jrmach

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