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LED BATTEN
westf27 - 10/1/22 at 03:57 PM

Got a five foot long LED batten (well several ) but one has stopped working.There is a small pcb in the end cap which looks iffy.
Can’t imagine that’s available as a spare part.Anything I can do to make it work ?

Steve


nick205 - 10/1/22 at 05:12 PM

Are the bulbs removable?

I ask, because I've got some under kitchen cupboard LED battens which are sealed units and if the bulb goes you replace the complete unit (Screwfix).


westf27 - 10/1/22 at 10:59 PM

Not bulbs as such,but square flat led’s on a pcb.


nick205 - 11/1/22 at 08:32 AM

Sorry, "bulb" was the wrong term, LEDs are indeed small and flat if surface mounted to the PCB or taller if thru-hole mounted to the PCB.

If you can see the PCB then maybe the lights are not completely replaceable units. On my under cupboard ones the units are completely sealed and unless you broke them open there's no accessible PCBs.

That said replacing LEDs (1 or more) is an utter pain and would require sourcing the correct LED. Surface mount soldering is not an easy home job either.

I'd look up the manufacturer and part number of the LED batten and ideally find a supplier to see how much a replacement unit is. May be the cheapest/fastest solution.


westf27 - 11/1/22 at 08:47 AM

Hi Nick,your right,this is a sealed unit but comprises an led loaded pcb and a small separate pcb power supply connected to it.

More stuff sent over from our favourite takeaway country.I’m the original locoster/tightwad and spent all my life fixing kitchen appliances.So I don’t accept this sealed for life easily.

However what cost me £40 three years ago is now £25.00 so again your right,bin it and move on.

Just found the right power supply £10,albeit I need to remote mount it,but at least it will fix the light.

If the weather was warm and dry I’d be outside with the car and the light would be history and replaced.

Decision day today


nick205 - 11/1/22 at 09:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by westf27
Hi Nick,your right,this is a sealed unit but comprises an led loaded pcb and a small separate pcb power supply connected to it.

More stuff sent over from our favourite takeaway country.I’m the original locoster/tightwad and spent all my life fixing kitchen appliances.So I don’t accept this sealed for life easily.

However what cost me £40 three years ago is now £25.00 so again your right,bin it and move on.

Just found the right power supply £10,albeit I need to remote mount it,but at least it will fix the light.

If the weather was warm and dry I’d be outside with the car and the light would be history and replaced.

Decision day today



I too am a tight wad and favour repair over throw away (just repaired my tumble drier for £30 and an hours effort).

Sadly some things these days seem to have dispose and replace designed into them

Still if you've found the right power supply and can mount it then maybe you've solvced the problem. Just don't waste good time and money before having to replace it all!

As LCBer's I thinks it's in us to repair things - there's certainly help on here!


The Knobs - 11/1/22 at 12:21 PM

The joy of low energy eco lighting, it goes wrong buy a new one shipped in from china and throw knackered one away lo


cliftyhanger - 11/1/22 at 03:01 PM

All this is why I bought "empty" fluorescent fittings, and used LED tubes that are £5 a pop from CPC. The LEDs last forever, but the electronics are not too durable.
On a similar note, I am fitting some replacement downlighters tommorow. When searching for the correct size (existing use a 90mm cutout, most are smaller) I came across some that are plastered into the ceiling for a totally flush fitting. Non replacable bulbs. Warranty 5 years, but t=wehne a bulb goes, it means hacking them out the ceiling, what a great idea.


westf27 - 11/1/22 at 03:26 PM

It’s called hindsight.
I have trouble seeing what’s in front,let alone behind.


cliftyhanger - 11/1/22 at 04:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by westf27
It’s called hindsight.


Only available after you needed it.

Besides, my choices were made after a situation quite similar to your own. Once bitten etc.
What I find REALLY annoying is sellers prattling on about the longevity of LEDs. Utter nonsence most of the time.


McLannahan - 12/1/22 at 08:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
All this is why I bought "empty" fluorescent fittings, and used LED tubes that are £5 a pop from CPC. The LEDs last forever, but the electronics are not too durable.
On a similar note, I am fitting some replacement downlighters tommorow. When searching for the correct size (existing use a 90mm cutout, most are smaller) I came across some that are plastered into the ceiling for a totally flush fitting. Non replacable bulbs. Warranty 5 years, but t=wehne a bulb goes, it means hacking them out the ceiling, what a great idea.


Are these second hand LED tubes Clifty? I'd like to replace all my fluor in my garage - all twin units and 5 x of them. Haven't looked that hard for 5ft LED bulbs yet, but looks that they could be about £20 each... Would be very interested if your source is 4 x cheaper?!


cliftyhanger - 12/1/22 at 09:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by McLannahan
quote:
Originally posted by cliftyhanger
All this is why I bought "empty" fluorescent fittings, and used LED tubes that are £5 a pop from CPC. The LEDs last forever, but the electronics are not too durable.
On a similar note, I am fitting some replacement downlighters tommorow. When searching for the correct size (existing use a 90mm cutout, most are smaller) I came across some that are plastered into the ceiling for a totally flush fitting. Non replacable bulbs. Warranty 5 years, but t=wehne a bulb goes, it means hacking them out the ceiling, what a great idea.


Are these second hand LED tubes Clifty? I'd like to replace all my fluor in my garage - all twin units and 5 x of them. Haven't looked that hard for 5ft LED bulbs yet, but looks that they could be about £20 each... Would be very interested if your source is 4 x cheaper?!


https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/pel01591/led-tube-t8-24w-1500mm-3000k/dp/LA08097 and bought a few spare tubes. The tubes are a bot bendy as plastic. almost tempted to put a cable tie to support them in the middle. Nice and bright.

And I bought these batten fittings, mostly singles, plus a couple of doubles.
https://cpc.farnell.com/search/prl/results?st=battens%20led&sort=P_PRICE

Care needed as 5ft and 1.5 m are not the same... The battenholders are just the case wired to the tube, no innards. If you have 1.5m tubes, you can just bypass the ballst etc etc


The Knobs - 13/1/22 at 09:27 PM

LED tubes are a waste of time as you are still using the old gear packs. I have fitted hundreds of LED fittings and over 5 year span under 2% failure rate. S Anyone looking for down lights, look at the Brightsource SOLO all in one 8w/10w, brilliant fittings.


SteveWalker - 13/1/22 at 11:28 PM

You can completely remove the old ballast or electronics though, leaving just live to one pin at one end, neutral to one pin at the other end and the 2nd pin at each end connected together.

I must admit that I did buy new LED battens as I preferred the look of them.


BenB - 16/1/22 at 08:43 AM

I swapped all our fluro tubes for led retrofit tubes about five years ago after getting fed up spending my weekends up ladders. So far only three failed. One the psu went, one the led track broke half way down it (not sure why, suspect the bulb was flexing for some reason) and the other not sure. Took the psu out of the track issue one and got the first one working again. As a bonus I now have a butt-tonne of led chips from the other two. So really fairly little wastage.