Laundromat Lighting Change
After 5 years it was time to make some decisions about the lights in the Laundromat. I have been looking at LED lights and fixtures for a while but I was not ready to make the change in this store.
Check out the video below for some before and after shots.
I understand there is an energy saving with the LED’s and the lifespan is a lot longer but there is also the consideration of the cost to upgrade.
Looking at some rough numbers:
Cost of running 84 – T8 41K lights, 24 hours a day for one year is about $2,200. The cost of materials to replace the tubes only was $150.
I did find an issue with one of the fixtures. One of the terminals for the tube needed to be replaced.
There are a variety of LED options including complete fixture changes, ballast, and wiring changes only and also a LED tube that works with the existing fixture and ballast.
Building new I would definitely go with an LED light. I am currently working with another owner and we are looking at LED strip lights as an option to provide a more constant light across the entire Laundromat.
I bought my first LED bulbs sometime around 2007. They were expensive and had a very short lifespan at that time but I knew the technology was the way to go. They did have that “flicker” that the CFL bulbs originally had so using them exclusively had a strange effect.
So in this store based on a number of decisions, including initial cost, I decided to just replace the existing tubes with the same type and color.
Below is a picture taken halfway through the change.
There is also the other factors with the detergent that I explain in my book “Feeling Dirty. Life As A Laundromat Owner”.
If you have any comments or questions please let me know.
Ken
Looking bright and clear in the laundromat. Nice. Do you run all of your lights 24 x 7 even if the store is not open 24 x 7 (for safety/ security)? Thanks.
Ben
Originally I set the lights on timers. The doors would lock at midnight and about 60 minutes later some of the lights turned off and then 15 minutes after that the rest turned off except for one in the middle of the store.
I used the same method at Washin Golden Springs as well.
About 18 months ago I had a problem with the magnetic locks in Golden Springs. A few of my customers knew this and they would come in early and get their laundry done with the light from the single fixture.
About 4 am one morning 2 guys came into the store with a grinder and went to work on the change machine. They wouldn’t have had any luck on most but this model has a bigger hole for the bill acceptor. Once they broke that off they reached in and grabbed some cash. Total time 5 minutes.
I covered the details here http://www.kenbarrett.us/the-american-dream-and-the-guy-with-a-grinder/
What I found from that issue and talking to the police was:
1- The cameras had problems with only partial lighting. Too much light for night vision and not enough for normal mode.
2- The police can’t easily check the store on a drive by with the lights off.
One of my main features is lots of big, clean windows so it’s easy to see in the store.
So if you are not going to be open 24 hours but leave all the lights on it may confuse some customers that think you are open late.
If you are going to shut the lights off, turn them all off so the cameras work and someone would need a flashlight to look around.
Ken