LED Batten Advice

TheFew · 10 Nov 2020 at 10:17

Hello folks, one of my old kitchen fluorescent tubes recently packed up and I decided that instead of trying to fix it I would move the LED Batten lights. So I am in the market for three 5ft (150 cm) batten lights to replace a my current ones (a 4ft, a 5ft and a 6ft)!

The issue I am having is, having looked on some website such as screwfix a lot of the reviews complain about lights either:

1) Not having centre entry for cables

2) Not having sufficient space in the lights to cope with two inbound cables within the light housing.

So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any 5ft LED Batten lights that have centre cable entry and also a decent amount of space within the housing to accommodate 2 wires coming into the light.

Thanks

Slade2 · 10 Nov 2020 at 10:41

I wanted to do the same recently in my garage but when I was in B&Q they were selling off some LED replacement tube fittings so I got a couple of those as they were cheap at the time. To be honest It was a bit of a cope out because I didnt want to have to pay for a new fitting but I have been very impressed with them so far. The light is so much brighter than the previous light which of course was just a normal florescent tube. Maybe an idea.

TheFew · 10 Nov 2020 at 18:52

Slade2 said:
I wanted to do the same recently in my garage but when I was in B&Q they were selling off some LED replacement tube fittings so I got a couple of those as they were cheap at the time. To be honest It was a bit of a cope out because I didnt want to have to pay for a new fitting but I have been very impressed with them so far. The light is so much brighter than the previous light which of course was just a normal florescent tube. Maybe an idea.

Interesting. For some reason I had assumed you could not put an LED tube in a fluorescent light. Guess that's today's learning point!

That said , I am still very interested in new lights, as the current ones are really old, grubby and ugly!

Slade2 · 10 Nov 2020 at 19:19

TheFew said:
Interesting. For some reason I had assumed you could not put an LED tube in a fluorescent light. Guess that's today's learning point!

That said , I am still very interested in new lights, as the current ones are really old, grubby and ugly!

Mine where as well! but then again mine are in my garage so its a little different. I was pleasantry surprised how good they are and how much brighter the garage is after the swap over.

Armageus · 10 Nov 2020 at 19:25

Subscribed to this thread, as looking at replacing my kitchen tube as well.

When I looked a little while ago it looked like you bought a kit with the tube and an led starter (essentially a fuse I believe).

The only part that put me off was mention of whether the existing fitting is wired at single or both ends? :confused:

pastymuncher · 10 Nov 2020 at 19:53

We had a 35w 4Ft flourescent strip light in the kitchen which was the last remaining non-LED fitting in the house. I got fed up with the dull light from it which put half the kitchen into shadow so in December 2019 I bought the 4ft 40w version of these. It's a huge upgrade in light output and the kitchen is really bright now so you can see what you are doing in all parts. It was simple to fit, runs cool, doesn't flicker and is only around a third the thickness of the flourescent fitting it replaced. I will be getting a shorter version to replace the LED spotlights down the other end of the kitchen. It doesn't have a hole for the cable in the center but around two thirds of the way down which was perfect for where it sits in our kitchen.

K.C. Leblanc · 10 Nov 2020 at 20:09

If you can't a fitting with the right cable entries you could use a junction box like this.

https://www.quickwire.co.uk/the-qui...iVXgd2VTGUhzg4uI63hvsxeMiIaMrhlBoC5wMQAvD_BwE

jimjamuk · 10 Nov 2020 at 22:53

TheFew said:
Hello folks, one of my old kitchen fluorescent tubes recently packed up and I decided that instead of trying to fix it I would move the LED Batten lights. So I am in the market for three 5ft (150 cm) batten lights to replace a my current ones (a 4ft, a 5ft and a 6ft)!

The issue I am having is, having looked on some website such as screwfix a lot of the reviews complain about lights either:

1) Not having centre entry for cables

2) Not having sufficient space in the lights to cope with two inbound cables within the light housing.

So I was wondering if anyone could recommend any 5ft LED Batten lights that have centre cable entry and also a decent amount of space within the housing to accommodate 2 wires coming into the light.

Thanks

I have these in my garage - whilst the lights are really good those reviews are correct but then thats why they are the price they are. You attach the brackets, wire in the two wires and its done

TheFew · 12 Nov 2020 at 18:15

The wife is involved now... so we are upgrading from cheap LED battens to more fancy LED lights...

chaparral · 12 Nov 2020 at 18:37

TheFew said:
The wife is involved now...

Hope your going to post some pictures of your new kitchen when it finished

TheFew · 12 Nov 2020 at 18:40

I'll probably be broke after finding 4 replacement LED lights that pump out 3,500 lumens to replace the existing battens!

checjb · 12 Nov 2020 at 20:59

I've just fitted a couple of these at a mate's. Really bright light, two wires only (switch line and neutral, no earth needed) and so I went for a junction box behind each. Honestly, it's like noon in the room now.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V1ZM69S/

TheFew · 13 Nov 2020 at 06:42

checjb said:
I've just fitted a couple of these at a mate's. Really bright light, two wires only (switch line and neutral, no earth needed) and so I went for a junction box behind each. Honestly, it's like noon in the room now.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07V1ZM69S/

Thanks for the link. Will float these past the wife.

NoobCannon · 13 Nov 2020 at 11:22

Honestly amazed so many people even still have florescent tubes in use anywhere but a garage or large office space, certainly didn't think they were used in homes anymore excl maybe caravans

Armageus · 13 Nov 2020 at 12:18

Just about to order this one:
https://www.any-lamp.co.uk/philips-corepro-ledtube-un-ho-23w-840-150cm-cool-white-replaces-58w

2700 Lumen should be fine to replace the supposed 58w 5200 Lumen Fluorescent I currently have, as I've read a few reviews that say the typical 1800-2200 Lumen bulbs that are more readily available (e.g. at screwfix etc) aren't necessarily quite as bright as the Fluorescents they've replaced

(I did see a 3700 Lumen one, but guessing that would be overkill for a Kitchen!
https://www.any-lamp.co.uk/philips-ledtube-un-uo-24w-840-150cm-master-cool-white-replaces-58w)

TheFew · 13 Nov 2020 at 14:21

Thinking of 3 of these in the kitchen and 1 for the utility..

https://www.lights.co.uk/long-led-panel-lysander-variable-luminous-colour.html

Its quickly spiralled from a £30 LED batten...

TheFew · 13 Nov 2020 at 14:22

NoobCannon said:
Honestly amazed so many people even still have florescent tubes in use anywhere but a garage or large office space, certainly didn't think they were used in homes anymore excl maybe caravans

I have 3 in the kitchen. Only been here 5 years a d not decorated the kitchen, so left them in place as they are working. Ugly as sin however.

Armageus · 16 Nov 2020 at 16:12

Just to update, I ended up buying this one:
https://www.screwfix.com/p/philips-g13-t8-led-tube-2000lm-20w-1500mm/6280v

Not quite as bright as the Osram 58W it replaced, but instant on and no flickering is a revelation

Struggled to find anything brighter from anywhere they didn't either look dodgy (e.g. the above website I linked), or would sell individual tubes.

NoobCannon said:
Honestly amazed so many people even still have florescent tubes in use anywhere but a garage or large office space, certainly didn't think they were used in homes anymore excl maybe caravans

Have just bought our house from the council, so will be redo-ing the Kitchen at some point, and will replace the lights then. Until then though, this is a minor upgrade (and will likely save some electric over time)