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Frequently Asked Questions About LED Lighting Solutions

Retrofitting your lighting for high-efficiency LEDs can seem like a big undertaking. Get all the facts straight before you get started. Here are some of the most common questions business owners and facility managers have for our Pewaukee-based commercial lighting contractors.

Don’t see the answer to your question here? Contact us to get more information or schedule an on-site contractor estimate.

What are my LED options for 2 x 4 ceiling fixtures?

Generally a 3 bulb ceiling fixture consists of 3 T8 tubes that are 32 watts each. There are typically 3 options that can effectively replace them:

  1. LED tube – 15 watts, which amounts to a 60% savings
  2. LED strip kits which take the place of all 3 tubes. These bring a 96 watt fixture down to 33 watts, a 66% savings.
  3. New LED fixtures, generally between 25 and 32 watts is enough for an 8-9ft ceiling, resulting in a 76% savings

What are my options for LED parking lot poles?

Parking lot poles generally have bulbs ranging from 250 to 400 watts. There is also a transformer in each head which raises the energy usage from 250 to 275 and 400 to 458 watts. These 400w heads can be replaced with three options:

  1. LED 100 watt Mogul Disc with 5 year warranty – this is often the most cost effective option
  2. LED 120 watt retrofit plate with a 10 year warranty, custom made for each type of fixture.
  3. LED 100 to 150 watt new fixtures with 5 to 10 year warranty. This is the most full light of the three options

What are my options for multifamily hallway lights?

Many multifamily unit hallways are underlit using single 13 watt bulbs in a fixture. There are a million solutions to this application, we typically prefer to use our 12 watt flat disk rated for 50,000 hours of use vs 10,000 hours. The maintenance savings alone will pay for the light in a short period of time. The hallway itself will appear more safe, and because it’s a flat disk, tenents won’t rip them off the wall moving large furniture in and out.

What are my LED Lighting options for industrial highbays?

Most facilities have either 6 pack highbays or 400 watt fixtures lighting up their production and warehouse areas. What is the best LED replacement for older lighting?

400w heads can be most easily replaced by these 4 options:

  1. A simple screw in bulb that uses the current ballast. What this option lacks in efficiency, it makes up for in speed and price of installation.
  2. A screw in bulb that does not use the ballast. This is a slightly more efficient option that is also fast and affordable.
  3. A new “UFO” fixture
  4. A new fixture with a 10% uplight, a 10 year warranty, and is American made. These are the best on the market.

The 6-pack high bays are made up of 6 T8 tubes and it is the most common fixture we see. These 6 packs can be best replaced by one of these three options:

  1. A simple bulb click-in that uses the current ballast. These are less efficient, but very affordable up front.
  2. A hardwired LED tube, one of the most cost effective options that comprises the vast majority of our retrofits.
  3. A new linear LED fixture.

Frequently Asked Questions About Business Signage LED Upgrades

How long to LED sign projects typically take?

Most of our signage jobs are completed in just one day.

Why do the letters in my business’s sign look dim or pink?

This is a result of sign letters being illuminated with neon, most often in cold temperatures. Murcury vapor in the neon tubing condenses, which gives letters a pink appearance. Pink or dim letters are often signs of a neon failure.

What are the best LED options for illuminating a main roadway sign?

Generally single or double-sided business signs use a T12 flourescent lamp and a large expensive ballast. T12s produce a lot of UV that discolors panels and age the sign. Upgrading to LEDs will provide pure bright light with full illumination that will make your sign pop.

Why do some LED lit signs have white streaks in them?

Cheap LED retrofits, called sign tubes,  are easy to install, but they look cheap and result in distinctive bars of light behind the sign.

Energy house uses specifically made heavy duty aluminum sign bars where each LED diod has its own optic. The optic is design so the majorty of light comes out of the sides of the diod, producing a full, smooth, bright light. These higher quality lights fully illuminate the sign and eliminate the white streaks that cheap retrofits produce.