Rerofit hid to t8 high bay 6 lamp - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

6 shooter · 09-02-2009, 07:35 PM

What are some of the labor units per fixture to swap out hids to t8 fluorescents high bays? This is for a gymnasium. There is about 15 lights on the gym floor replaced with 54 t8s. On the bleacher sides 3 hids being replaced with 6 t8s. The ceiling height is about 30 feet high. There will be some added wiring to accomodate the extra lights that I will have to estimate but was wondering what some of you guys have been charging for these change outs.

MDShunk · 09-02-2009, 07:37 PM

How are they hung? Cord and plug or whip?

6 shooter · 09-02-2009, 07:53 PM

The existing lights there are whiped. I think I will use whips for the new ones I think. Maybe some thing else would work better.

mcclary's electrical · 09-02-2009, 10:39 PM

You do realize you are trippling the output of light in that place right? It only takes (1) 4' 6- tube t8 fixture to replace (1) 400 watt HID. Youre replacing 15 fixtures with 54, the other side 3 fixtures with 6. You're gonna need sunglasses in that place.

6 shooter · 09-03-2009, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcclary's electrical

You do realize you are trippling the output of light in that place right? It only takes (1) 4' 6- tube t8 fixture to replace (1) 400 watt HID. Youre replacing 15 fixtures with 54, the other side 3 fixtures with 6. You're gonna need sunglasses in that place.

This is a federal job corp building. The manager said that they needed 75 foot candles on the floor. The specs that I gave to my salesman came out with 54 light lay out.

Lighting Retro · 09-05-2009, 03:02 AM

Doh! 75 Footcandles? Wow, that IS intense. Not very often you see that.

Price per fixture varies widely depending on the environment you are hanging in. Some retrofit companies budget as much as 2 hours per high bay. I think that's a bit high even on the tallest lifts, but depending on whether or not you are factoring running power, etc, it might be close.

I see most bid around an hour to an hour and a half.

jjdh · 09-08-2009, 07:33 PM

Government buildings have energy conservation requirements for lighting.

Lighting Retro · 09-08-2009, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjdh

Government buildings have energy conservation requirements for lighting.

Safety requirements (ala footcandle levels required for specific tasks) trump all. It doesn't matter what was in there if it was inadequate for the current application. Besides, he's putting in a very energy efficient product when comparing lpw.

6 shooter · 09-10-2009, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighting Retro

Safety requirements (ala footcandle levels required for specific tasks) trump all. It doesn't matter what was in there if it was inadequate for the current application. Besides, he's putting in a very energy efficient product when comparing lpw.

What brand high bay do you guys use? I asked my salesman to look for a brand where I could reduce some of the lights from the original he quoted me. He quoted simkar which we were able to cut the lights on the gym floor to 28 instead of 54.

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 09:35 AM

Choice of fixture always has to do with desired footcandles, ceiling mount height, and fixture spacing. There are a ton of manufacturers out there, and we buy direct. You might consider Texas Fluorescents (Fleco Inc) or Harris Manufacturing. Orion makes solid fixtures as well. If I know what type of fixture you are spec'd out for, I might be able to ballpark where pricing should be.

6 shooter · 09-10-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighting Retro

Choice of fixture always has to do with desired footcandles, ceiling mount height, and fixture spacing. There are a ton of manufacturers out there, and we buy direct. You might consider Texas Fluorescents (Fleco Inc) or Harris Manufacturing. Orion makes solid fixtures as well. If I know what type of fixture you are spec'd out for, I might be able to ballpark where pricing should be.

They are simkar: REF654SRS.IES 6 lamp t5 high bay

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 09:58 AM

How are you mounting? Pendant, gripple cable, etc.

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 10:01 AM

I don't see that model online right away, but a 6 lamp T5 should run you around $160 with T5 HO lamps 850, 10' Y Gripple for mounting, and a 15' whip. Pulled that off a Harris quote for an IBeam style 6 lamp T5 High bay.

Of course that was for a pretty massive job, so it might take some arm twisting to get that price point for that quantity. Those put out some outstanding light.

6 shooter · 09-10-2009, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighting Retro

How are you mounting? Pendant, gripple cable, etc.

pendant style. Would use there chain mounting kit that comes as accessory.

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6 shooter

pendant style. Would use there chain mounting kit that comes as accessory.

I think the gripple is a bit more than pendant mount, so that price should be fairly accurate.

6 shooter · 09-10-2009, 10:19 AM

Lighting Retro. This would be the first retro fit for a hid change out to a high bay fluorescents. Beings that you specialize in that work do you have any pointers that I should be aware of.

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 6 shooter

Lighting Retro. This would be the first retro fit for a hid change out to a high bay fluorescents. Beings that you specialize in that work do you have any pointers that I should be aware of.

if you have pitched ceiling, gripple is 10x easier to make everything the same height and to level. Lasers are nice to use if you have them. They can also be rented from some places. Mounting really depends on structure limitations though. Besides that, it's just one of those things you have to do to get a feel for it. You'll start getting a rhythm about the time this one is over. It's nice to make sure you use a lift with enough deck space to remove and install without coming down as well.

6 shooter · 09-10-2009, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lighting Retro

if you have pitched ceiling, gripple is 10x easier to make everything the same height and to level. Lasers are nice to use if you have them. They can also be rented from some places. Mounting really depends on structure limitations though. Besides that, it's just one of those things you have to do to get a feel for it. You'll start getting a rhythm about the time this one is over. It's nice to make sure you use a lift with enough deck space to remove and install without coming down as well.

With the lasers would you use them on the floor to shine into the ceiling. That way the light would shine where you would mount the light in the ceiling to keep your fixture spacing specs?

Lighting Retro · 09-10-2009, 11:15 AM

rotating lasers are the best. You'd probably want to get the type you can wall mount with an anchor at a level you want the fixtures, and then mount them just under or over the laser level line. You can use two to make your grid to do one row at a time. We've also gotten low tech and used string of various sorts. It can help to have a ground guy to help make final adjustment instructions too.