55w PL-L & 18w 2 & 4- Pin LED Replacements

[Slyspark]

I hate that I'm even having to write this, but my biggest commercial customer has decreed that from now on, I can ONLY use LED replacement products in their showrooms, offices and warehouses. Where possible, I want to convert the existing fittings with retrofit LED lamps, rather than install completely sealed LED fittings which have no serviceable parts inside. This will both maintain the existing look and feel (particularly as they only want to replace as and when lamps blow, not the whole lot together) and will mean that they're still to some degree serviceable.

I've already started with the traditional fluorescent tubes, but I need to source something to replace the existing 55w PL-L lamps and the 18w PL-C lamps in both 2 and 4-pin (if possible, tho unlikely, the 4-pin ones need to be emergency inverter compatible) Anyone got any suggestions?? I hate having to do this, but if I don't someone else will and I might as well have the money in my pocket for doing it!

[Kev]

The emergencys you will be shit out of luck as the HV from the inverter will blow the led lamps! Philips do make a PL-C LED replacement lamp for 18W and 26W, I'm not sure about PL-L but as the 55W PL is like 100Lm/W anyway or something stupid seems pointless making a LED retrofit that will be less efficient?

[Slyspark]

I'd figured the same with the emergency versions, tho some manufactures make an LED version that can be run on their own battery pack. I had planned to leave the emergency fittings as fluorescent, but apparently that's a no. As for the 55w PL-L, I agree, but there we go!

[AngryHorse]

Something like this maybe?

[James]

That's pathetic, a 1400W LED tube to replace a 4800lm PL-L?!
Will they only let you install 100% LED retrofits, or consider allowing you to change the ballast as well? In case the latter, I will bring something to Kev's meet that you might prefer. It will still not hit the same lumens as 55W PL-L but be much closer (certainly 4000lm), and should just about hit 200lm/W, so only consuming about 20W. And have the same omnidirectional light distribution. And made in glass and no unreliable internal electronics whatsoever!

[Slyspark]

Oh, I can rip the gear out, which is what I've been doing with the 4x18w lay-ins as the tubes state they can't be run in series on one ballast, which is crap! Plus, it gives me a load of spare gear then. So, quite happy to remove the 2x55w PL-L ballasts from the wall-washers and replace them with something direct from mains, or something that has it's own driver, so long as the lamps still physically fit in the fittings and ideally use the same lampholder. I'd be interested to see what you've got.

As for the above link, I can't justify spending £55 PER LAMP as they'll never end up saving anything with a replacement cost like that, I'd rather rip the fitting out than spend that much!

[AngryHorse]

Yeah the `tube only` replacements look to be a bit crap?, a full fitting sounds better?