# Best lighting for freezer?



## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Yo,

I need to put a couple lights in a blast freezer at the fish plant. It will be around -20 to -30 fahrenheit in there. It's a fairly small area; about 12 feet by 25 feet, with 10 foot ceilings. What would work best?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

I like jelly jars with cages and A-21 150 watt incandescent lamps. 


But we have been doing LED strips that seem to work well. 


If you must use vapor proof Flouresent wire them without a switch so they stay on 24/7.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

erics37 said:


> Yo,
> 
> I need to put a couple lights in a blast freezer at the fish plant. It will be around -20 to -30 fahrenheit in there. It's a fairly small area; about 12 feet by 25 feet, with 10 foot ceilings. What would work best?


How about this.

http://www.arcticlite.com/freezers/freezers.html




.


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

The Rab jellyjar w/ cage is the most common and economical for that, that's what I use on all walk ins.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

BBQ said:


> I like jelly jars with cages and A-21 150 watt incandescent lamps.
> 
> 
> But we have been doing LED strips that seem to work well.
> ...


is that because they wont come back on after being turned off because of the temp?


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

BBQ said:


> ...
> If you must use vapor proof Flouresent wire them without a switch so they stay on 24/7.


 
Is this only in respects to flouresent life?

Be sure to use plastic if your going through the roof. (if available to run up there.)

Use silicon and coat anything through the wall both internal and exteral 
(IE seal it)


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

BBQ said:


> I like jelly jars with cages and A-21 150 watt incandescent lamps.
> 
> 
> But we have been doing LED strips that seem to work well.
> ...


What about a vapor proof fixture with LED tubes in it?


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## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

Missed the -20...


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

TOOL_5150 said:


> is that because they wont come back on after being turned off because of the temp?


Yes, even when they are rated for it they are slow to brighten up.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

erics37 said:


> What about a vapor proof fixture with LED tubes in it?


Never tried that. 

I would check the temp specs on whatever LED you choose.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

erics37 said:


> Yo,
> 
> I need to put a couple lights in a blast freezer at the fish plant. It will be around -20 to -30 fahrenheit in there. It's a fairly small area; about 12 feet by 25 feet, with 10 foot ceilings. What would work best?


How long does it stay on and what are your ramp up requirements? (time needed to come to full brightness)

If it stays on all the time, fluorescent and HID are fine. If you need instant full output, the choices are incandescent or LED. 

You'll see that retail display cases at Target stores use motion detectors combined with LED strips. Freezer trucks now use LEDs commonly as well. LEDs can switch on instantly so they don't need to be left on, and turning it off saves thermal load on refrigeration system.


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## Bbsound (Dec 16, 2011)

We have used T5 fixtures with low temp rated ballasts. 
I dont remember what the ballasts were rated for, but this freezer was 0 to -5F or so.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> How long does it stay on and what are your ramp up requirements? (time needed to come to full brightness)
> 
> If it stays on all the time, fluorescent and HID are fine. If you need instant full output, the choices are incandescent or LED.
> 
> You'll see that retail display cases at Target stores use motion detectors combined with LED strips. Freezer trucks now use LEDs commonly as well. LEDs can switch on instantly so they don't need to be left on, and turning it off saves thermal load on refrigeration system.


Well I think I'll just leave them unswitched, but on their own switch-rated breaker because in the off-season they won't need anything running in there. But for the most part, they'll just stay on 24/7 for the duration of crab season.

I think I'll go for LED. The Phillips EnduraLEDT8 tube says it's rated at full light output down to -22 fahrenheit.


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## Ima Hack (Aug 31, 2009)

This is what we have been using for a couple of years now , not one has failed yet. We did try a few Econolight fixtures and two out of ten have died in the first year.

http://www.lithonia.com/commercial/vap+led.html


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Do T5's go to -20? CS


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

chicken steve said:


> Do T5's go to -20? CS


With a -20F rated ballast, but it does not change that it will take 5-10 minutes to come to full brightness. If it'll get left on all the time, its fine. if not, LEDs or incandescent is the way to go.


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## partyman97_3 (Oct 11, 2009)

We do work for a local grocery store chain and we have installed hundreds of these in walk in coolers an freezers. I don't know the cost, they provided them. The customer service in very good. Ditto on the penetrations. Make extra sure you fill them up. If not the differerence in temperature will create condensation. We also put them all on timers. These fixtures come to full brightness almost immediately. 

http://www.efficientlights.com/products/led-walk-in-cooler-freezer/


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## Deep Cover (Dec 8, 2012)

I recently wired up a walk in freezer. It was shipped with LED tubes, but the freezer was set at 0 degrees F.

edit: They worked great!


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Whats the max distance that a t5 or t8 lamp can be from its ballast? A remote ballast might change things.


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## SignGuy1980 (May 19, 2012)

GE makes LEDs specifically for those temps.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

I like seeing Jelly Jars filled with water after people don't plug the penetration. 
Other then that I've wondered how well the LED bulbs hold up to the cold.


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## Electric_Light (Apr 6, 2010)

Wirenuting said:


> I like seeing Jelly Jars filled with water after people don't plug the penetration.
> Other then that I've wondered how well the LED bulbs hold up to the cold.


LEDs do very well in the cold. Their merits don't sparkle if they're left on all the time though, because the advantage they have is the ability to come on to full brightness from coldness where fluorescent needs to be left on all the time to maintain output, which taxes the refrigeration system unnecessarily.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

Electric_Light said:


> LEDs do very well in the cold. Their merits don't sparkle if they're left on all the time though, because the advantage they have is the ability to come on to full brightness from coldness where fluorescent needs to be left on all the time to maintain output, which taxes the refrigeration system unnecessarily.


These will stay on 24/7 but I don't think they'll make much of a dent in the refrigeration system capacity :laughing: It's an ammonia system with like half a dozen 150 hp compressors and some boosters.


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