Revolution T5 12" LED Flourescent replacement

[Dwight]

I am looking to replace the fluorescent tubes in my Thin-Lite #732 units with LED's. My current lights are rated at 800 luminous and I don't want any less light.

Haas anyone replaced their tubes?

[tpi]

I googled the Revolution T5 12". My comments:

I have read no data showing white LEDs are 350% more efficient than fluorescent lighting. They may be slightly more efficient than these small T5 lamps, on the order of 60-70 lumens per watt. If they truly draw as little power as they say, they should be dimmer.

The color temperature of the Revolution is 4500K which is cool white.

Personally I feel LEDs are best as incandescent replacement for much greater efficiency. For fluorescent they offer only marginal improvement in efficiency, especially on the bigger lamp sizes. 4' fluorescent are rated 100 lumens per watt in some instances, which is better than many/most white LEDs.

[pmclemore]

I recently replaced all my incandescent bulbs and am pleased with their led replacements. However I decided against replacing my fluorescents as they give a lot of good light at only 8 watts per bulb. And we don't use them for long; when I turn them on, I want LIGHT. For reading we use the led spots.

Pat

[Dwight]

I just had a ballast die in one of my Thin-Lite units and a replacement is about the cost of one LED tube....

[Dan@LED4RV]

Originally Posted by Dwight

I am looking to replace the fluorescent tubes in my Thin-Lite #732 units with LED's. My current lights are rated at 800 luminous and I don't want any less light.

Haas anyone replaced their tubes?

Putting T5 LED tubes in their holders inline with the Ballast (taking your T5 fluorescent tubes out and putting in the LED tubes) will give little if any power saving. The Ballast is what uses most of the power. Fluorescent lights in general are fairly efficient and they use twice that of an LED strip in an RV.

LED strips (5050 3chip) are as bright as a new RV fluorescent lights and if your lights are over two years old, LED strips will be brighter than your fluorescent lights. LED strips by-pass the ballast.

When I was in service and I replaced a Ballast, my success rate was 1 in 3. It was always about a one hour job. Your Ballast is bad if your bulbs are burning out quick or fluorescent tubes won't come on unless you’re on shore power. Or maybe won't burn at all.

When it comes to larger fluorescent tubes for home or office the numbers are very different. The Ballast has to be taken out and a LED driver has to be put in, in most cases. Getting an LED light that will work with the Ballast that is in the light makes very little sense because there is no power savings. That part is the same as an RV light.

[Dwight]

We stopped by an RV dealer and he was selling the Revolution T5-12™ TUBE LED replacement bulbs for the 12" fluorescent fixtures. He had them priced at $40 per bulb. I struck up a deal with him if I purchased a quantity of boxed LED bulbs. These are an easy 2~wire install and wires around the existing ballast of the fluorescent tube.

There are 25 LED bulbs per box and I purchased 3 boxes for $650 per box which breaks down to $26 per bulb which is a 35% off the retail price of $40.

I still have several bulbs that are left over if anyone is interested in any of the bulbs I can let you have them for the same price I paid for them...$26 per bulb.

Just send me a PM or email for any questions or other info.

The web site for the bulbs is below....these are amazing bulbs and each bulb has 30 LED's in it. These are not LED strips with double-sided tape, these are encased in a glass tube.

Tube, LED, lighting, new products, florecent - Star Lights, Inc.

[superair21]

Hi Dwight
Do you have any more of the flouresent replacement LED bulbs
If so please email me at 21superair@gmail.com thank you
Bruce

Originally Posted by Dwight

We stopped by an RV dealer and he was selling the Revolution T5-12™ TUBE LED replacement bulbs for the 12" fluorescent fixtures. He had them priced at $40 per bulb. I struck up a deal with him if I purchased a quantity of boxed LED bulbs. These are an easy 2~wire install and wires around the existing ballast of the fluorescent tube.

There are 25 LED bulbs per box and I purchased 3 boxes for $650 per box which breaks down to $26 per bulb which is a 35% off the retail price of $40.

I still have several bulbs that are left over if anyone is interested in any of the bulbs I can let you have them for the same price I paid for them...$26 per bulb.

Just send me a PM or email for any questions or other info.

The web site for the bulbs is below....these are amazing bulbs and each bulb has 30 LED's in it. These are not LED strips with double-sided tape, these are encased in a glass tube.

Tube, LED, lighting, new products, florecent - Star Lights, Inc.

[idroba]

Originally Posted by tpi

I googled the Revolution T5 12". (snip)

Personally I feel LEDs are best as incandescent replacement for much greater efficiency. For fluorescent they offer only marginal improvement in efficiency, especially on the bigger lamp sizes. 4' fluorescent are rated 100 lumens per watt in some instances, which is better than many/most white LEDs.

I am so glad you said that, as it is completely true. People are spending a lot of money on LED lights and their efficiency in Lumens per Watt is very little different from fluorescent lighting. Both are much higher in efficiency than incandescent but LED's are not significantly better in efficiency or sometimes not even as good as RV fluorescents. There is some possibility that in the future they will outperform fluorescents in lumens/watt but for now, they don't.

On home 120 volt units, go to a store which sells both compact fluorescent lights and LED units. Compare a major brand such as Phillips or GE where lumens are listed. You will find that a compact fluorescent (CFL) with the same output in lumens as an LED (as listed on the package) will have virtually the same actual watts consumed. The cost however, will be about 10 times as high.

LED lights are good, and getting better, but at this time are not more efficient than fluorescents, home or RV stiles.

[Dwight]

Originally Posted by Dan@LED4RV

Putting T5 LED tubes in their holders inline with the Ballast (taking your T5 fluorescent tubes out and putting in the LED tubes) will give little if any power saving. The Ballast is what uses most of the power. Fluorescent lights in general are fairly efficient and they use twice that of an LED strip in an RV.

I agree with Dan...

[Dwight]

These replace the F8T5 fluorescent tube bulbs which are 12" long....

[blkmagikca]

I disconnected the ballasts in the 3 fluorescent fixtures in my AS, removed the tubes and replaced them with LED strips I got from Dan at LED4RV. The color is good (not cool and not yellow) and the amount of light is, to my old eyes, as bright as or brighter than the original fluorescent tubes.

[dznf0g]

My ammeter says Dan is correct.

[Dwight]

The Revolution T5-12™ TUBE LED replacement bulbs are the perfect fit for the 12" fluorescent fixtures. These are an easy 2~wire install and wires around the existing ballast of the fluorescent tube.

I still have several if anyone is interested in any...$26 per bulb.

Just send me a PM or email for any questions or other info.

[Dwight]

I still have several bulbs that are left over if anyone is interested in any of the bulbs I can let you have them for the same price I paid for them...$26 per bulb.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by idroba

LED lights are good, and getting better, but at this time are not more efficient than fluorescents, home or RV styles.

LEDs are, however, somewhat less fragile than fluorescent bulbs, which may be a consideration for use in motorhomes and trailers where they may be subject to vibration and bumps.