I put 3 LED Shop Lights in my shed because the florescents didn’t work too well in winter.
I died completely after a couple of years. The second one comes on, but it blinks, then sometimes it will come on. I have never seen LED shop lights blink!
Can someone more knowledgeable 'splain to me?
Lou, I have been researching LED lights for my shop as well. I seems that LEDs do have temperature limitations, depending on the LED you purchase. I have see documentation where LEDs can start to falter below 30° others go colder. LEDs are also heat sensative, somewhere around 90-100° they can start to fail. I am in Florida so the upper limits are what interest me the most. If you are like most of us, the box and accompanying paper work are long gone, if not see what the paper work says
Good to hear from you Lou. I don’t know much about the intricacies, but…
Are you describing tube-type “bulbs” that you swapped out fluorescent tubes with? Or entire fixtures (that maybe plug end-to-end, or screw directly into an Edison socket)?
If the former, maybe an oxidation issue on the contacts, perhaps testable by twisting the LED tube & pins a couple times in the socket? If the latter, I think I might suspect a quality issue with the fixtures…
FWIW, I installed a bunch of them a couple years ago (garden variety fluorescent-style 2-“bulb” fixtures), and haven’t had any blinking.
Probably not any help, but wanted to say hi after these several years.
Lou,
If they are dusk to dawn with a photo sensing cell then just adjust the lights out of the photosensor.
Perhaps a better description of the said lighting as there are MANY variants.
Hi yourself.
They are a one piece, plug it in and go LED shop lights. Looks like there are 2 strips of LEDs the length of fixture. I think 48".
It’s too cold, I’m not going out to check the length.
Interesting, Bob. I didn’t know they had a temperature range, that’s why I bought them. In Joisey it can range from 105 to -10 F.
Not sure if this is your blinking issue, but all of the power supplies I have dealt with for LED lighting have built-in overload/short protection that automatically resets. The reset is very quick, so if the short or overload persists you can get blinking. The supply I am using to drive all the 12V LEDs on my layout will flash about every 10 seconds when the layout is really wet and current is leaking between the rails through the wet ballast.
BTW, I’m using old sign service 12V LEDs in all of my buildings. They are designed to be outdoors in all types of weather/temperature and seem to do fine not much further North than you in CT.
I got a case of these:
for the shop. They claimed:
BALLAST AND WIRING KNOWLEDGE NOT REQUIRED: Philips UniversalFit LED tubes are compatible with most electronic and magnetic ballasts, and are the fastest and easiest replacement for T8 and T12 linear fluorescent lights.
But they are not… They worked just fine when installed, but the first day I spent in the shop they would blink out at random times. I spoke to a commercial electrician about them and he said that they often times DO NOT work with older magnetic ballasts! Luckily amazon took them back no hassle (other than uninstalling them from the ceiling fixtures, replacing with new old-fashioned fluorescent tubes, repackaging and sending back via UPS)
Lou spent many years in Bergen County. Born and raised in a little burb called River Vale. Was a member of the New York Society of Model Engineers for few years. Been gone since 1985 and don’t miss the rat race lifestyle.
Intermission brought to you by Bart! I miss ya’ my friend and glad I saved “your” posted video from years ago !!!
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Interesting story, and makes sense.
I got something like this a couple years ago, they seem to be working fine still.