My layout is small (12’x12’) in a corner of an unfinished basement with an open ceiling. I have a couple of cheap fluorescent fixtures above part of the layout but they are insufficient. I want to replace them, and want to go LED. I don’t want to rolls or “strips” of lights that you unwind and attach to something.
I want either replacement fixtures, or replacement bulbs that can go into the existing fluorescent fixtures. Can someone recommend the types (colors?) of bulbs I need and where I can get them? If I need new fixtures, do the big box stores carry them?
IF the existing fixtures have 48" fluorescent tubes in them you can replace those tubes with LEDs. Some of these LED tubes are made to work with existing ballasts left in place.
I prefered to remove the ballasts and “hot-wire” the “tombstones” which is a nick name for the two-pin lamp holders. Some “economy” shop-light fixtures aren’t worth converting and some are pop-riveted together which makes getting at the ballast more dificult.
Also, some replacement tubes are made to wire the hot to one end and the neutral to the other. Some are made to feed the hot and neutral to each pin at one end of the fixture. These require a “non-shunted” lamp holder which you may have to get separately.
If you would rather not work with wiring inside the fixture or the fixtures are not all that great then it might be better to get an LED fixture with the lamps already wired.
I have a 2’ x 2’ lay-in suspended ceiling in most of my layout room. I have replaced some of my older fluorescent fixtures with flat-panel lay in LED panels:
Many of these lay-in “troffer” fixtures can be suspended independently. Some include hardware for hanging, some do not.
Keep in mind that these links are simply for reference, not exactly suggestions.
You have to decide the color temperature, I prefer the lower ranges, 3000K or so. as you go higher the light tends to be more stark. Also I prefer diffused lighting, some LEDs are designed to be more direct, thus a bit more “intense”. You might like this, or maybe not.
I have five 8’ fluorescent two bulb fixtures in our garage and replaced the bulbs with 8’ LEDs, at least twice as bright as the fluorescent bulbs. I bought them from Amazon.
They require rewiring the fixture and they came with instructions to do so.
I recently replaced the four, two-tube 48" fluorescent shop lights above my layout with four, single tube 48" LED light fixtures from Harbor Freight Tools. Much brighter now, no ballast hum, and no rewiring to convert fluorescent fixtures to LED. Best of all, these fixtures are currently on sale at HFT for $20 each.
I recently replaced all of the flourescent tubes in my train room with LED bulbs. Twice as bright as the old tubes. They are GE from Lowes and work with the existing ballasts with no rewiring. About $14 a pair as I recall.
I agree, they’re too bright for mood viewing of the layout and it’s minature lighting, but I also have separate track lighting that’s dimmable with LED bulbs (3000 kelvin) so I can choose the type lighting I need for the task at hand.
I am building a new house and I read all these threads. My impression is that 4000K might be a good compromise. Some people to like their lighting to be in the 5000K range, others are like Ed and like 3000K.
I was really surprised how easy it was to install a drop ceiling (suspended ceiling). That might be something worth doing and installing 2x2 flat panel LED lights in. Here are a few in-progress installation photo’s.
First I installed an L shaped bracket around the perimeter attaching with drywall screws into the studs that I locoated. All the brackets, runners, eyebolt hangers, wire etc. can be found at Home Depot or Lowes etc.
My wife and I got 80%+ of our ceiling materals from a guy who wanted to get rid of an out building ceiling and install drywall instead. We did have to buy some additional materals, runners, T-bars and ceiling panels to complete the entire 700 sq ft of basement. But if you are doing a smaller area, it will not coast a great deal, say 12x12 or whatever.
I measured an equal distance down from the ceiling beams and drew a pencil line all around the room as a guide for where the L brackets would follow. Mine are 3 1/2 inches below the ceiling beams. The flat panel lights require a minimum clearance of 2 inches but thats real tight. Even 3 1/2 inches it was a bit tricky to maneuver them into place, as well as the ceiling panels.
I would replace the fixtures rather than trying to work with what you have.
Most of the tube lighting in the big box stores are LEDs. You’ll have a tougher time finding replacement flourescent bulbs for your old lights, IMO. LEDs are better since they work in humidity and colder temperatures more reliability, like in a basement, IMO.
I think you want Warm White, not Cool White LEDs. WW is yellower cast than CW, which has a blue cast.
Look for the lumens. More lumens are brighter, which tends to be more expensive. The brighter the fixtures, the less you’ll need, but you’ll want enough for proper spacing to avoid voids in the lighting. I like using three foot fixtures since it seems to be a good compromise between overall brightness and consistency since I space them closer together than the 4 footers.
