ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area HID Lighting for Food Preperation

I have someone requesting a quote to install HID lighting for a food preperation factory. It is more smaller equipment doing thigs like frozen pizza assembly (mostly by hand). The one area is about 160' x 90' with a 2x4 drop cieling grid about 17' high.

It now has 104 8' shatter resistant inclosed 2 bulb floresents the owner was wanting replaced with HID lights. The owner said he wants to replace the floresents because of frequent lights going out because bulbs and ballests. Some FDA rule about lights could not be burned out. No bulbs can be changed with out shutting down productionand then desanitising cleaning after. Also he was hopeing to be more energy effishent.

Is HID lighting more reliable than floresent or does he just need better maintence of his old floresent fictures?

Are HID lights more energy efficient that they would see any difference in a electric bill.

I seen some lights that said they were FDA aproved. Do all food preperation lights need to be FDA approved or do they just need some kind of shatter resistant / damp location enclosure? Would a vandal resistant enclosure be about the same?

Would he be better off with newer more efficient floresents or some retro fit on his light housings?

Is metal Halide perfered over high pressure sodium for assembly work?

What would be better for HID on a drop cieling a surface mount or a drop in?

Any other advice?

Thanks,

Tom

Have used low bay metal halide lights in these areas in the past. Have a lighting rep search out the fixtures that are FDA approved.
A properly designed fixture layout can do most of what you asked for.
Metal halides are usually more expensive than florescents. So you will have to sell this on a cost savings over time basis. You will need a lot of accurate numbers to make that sale
Good luck.

One of the first casualties of corporate cost-cutting measures was the elimination of a lighting maintenance program.
Towards the end of the avarege lamp life, the whole system should be scheduled for shutdown, and all tubes replaced and lenses cleaned. After start-up, any lights that aren't lit need to be checked for further problems. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of period changeouts and shutdown throughout the year.
Find out how many lights can be out, per the FDA, and once that number is reached, begin a proper lighting program as described above.


BTW,
I like to see the look on someones face when you tell them to replace a lamp that is not actually burned out.

[This message has been edited by Redsy (edited 09-14-2003).]