Kelly Jo and I have been working on a project at the Lazy OD Ranch. There are so many projects that need to be done and so little time to work, so it is difficult for me to prioritize them. It is almost like I do the one that is screaming the most at the moment. But this one needed a day or two without rain and temperatures above freezing would be nice too. When the weather window opened up, we jumped on it.
The barn has a light on the front that comes on automatically at night. It is plenty bright and it should be. It is a 500 watt light. I have been looking for an LED replacement and I found one a few weeks ago and ordered two of them.
This is the light on Amazon
This is their description:
This high powered 38 watt LED Yard Light is a direct replacement for a 300 watt incandescent. It features wall or pole mount installation and corrosive resistant housing. This LED Yard Light has an average life of 35,000 hours and it has 4000 lumens.
I could probably have used one light and mounted it in the center where the 500 watt light is but I did not know for sure it would be bright enough so I bought two and mounted one on each side.
They looked good as darkness fell and the lights came on.
This is the real test after dark. Here is the front of the barn with the 500 watt light on. It lights up the front really well.
This is the front of the barn with only the two new LED lights on and the area is lit up as well if not better than the big 500 watt light. I am well pleased. I was not sure a 38 watt light could really put out that much light!
Other than the fact that I have nothing to do and I love climbing 15-17 feet up an extension ladder carrying tools and materials 40 times over two days; here is the real reason I made this change.
A 500 watt light running an average of 12 hours per day at 12 cents per kilowatt, costs right at $21.60 per month. That's not that bad in the grand scheme of things especially when a good light is one of the cheapest forms of protection from thieves and vandals. (Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light.)
As you can see the LED lights light the front of the barn up very well and they use 76 watts combined. 76 watts of light running an average of 12 hours per day at 12 cents per kilowatt, costs $3.28 per month.
Basically the same light for $3.28 per month! That is a saving in electricity of $18.32 per month!
Now, the lights cost $60 each so they were $120 for the pair. I already had the wire, boxes, screws, staples and wire nuts. My labor is free and Kelly Jo works for Salsa. That means the total cost was $120.
At $18 per month savings I can make that back in less than 7 months. Everything after that is all gravy!
I had already replaced the light over the man door. It was also a 500 watt light that stayed on all the time. I replaced it with an LED with a motion detector that is super bright and only comes on at night when some one approaches the door. That light is less than 23 watts.
I dropped from 500 watts to 23 watts on that one, plus it only comes on when needed. At this rate, the power company will be sending me money for my bus payment and diesel. Riiight! I will let you know how that works out.
That is some of what we have been up too. Thanks for reading.
Davy
