Cheap, easy, adjustable DIY light fixture

SteveHman

SteveHman

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October 2011
This will be the first of many DIY posts. I have done several projects and will get them up as time permits

This first project is for all of the CFL guys out there. The first question those that know me will ask, "Steve, you're a LED guy, what's up with a CFL type fixture?"

Well, I didn't say I was going to use CFLs, buit this may be a good fixture for those that are. I have other plans for this baby, you'll have to follow my grow 5.1 journal to see (but it won't be revealed until harvest).

I started out thinking of different ways to mount lights, cheap and easy. First thing I thought of was this, a 4 fixture vanity light.
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I could have been done at that, just wire up a cord and off you go. But this was only adequate. It didn't allow me to do what I wanted to do. I want to be able to adjust angles of lights, configure it how ever I wanted etc...

So I disassembled the fixture and removed the 4 light sockets. My first thought was to mount them into a board, but that still wasn't modular or adjustable:
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So I started thinking, and one of my favorite DIY materials came to mind. PVC! It turns out, the light socket is a perfect fit inside a 1 inch "T"

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So, with a handful of wire nuts, PVC pipe and "T's" and elbows you can build almost any shape. Here's an example:
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And if you just slip-fit them together (using just friction, no glue) you can rotate, reconfigure and add on to them if you need to.
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I'll post a completed pic once mine is done. As far as a reflector is concerned, my application won't need one. But if someone wants to build one that would work it should be easy.
 
Finished light:
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Total cost was about $25. You can also buy the bare sockets individually and save some money that way. I could have taken the vanity back, but gas round trip would have negated the savings.

I used a littl hot glue to hold the sockets in place, you could use epoxy or silicone as well. CFLs don't heat up much so risk of it melting are very low (I won't say zero, just in case you burn your house down).

As with all electrical projects, do not attempt unless you have a good general understanding of basic circuitry and electrical theory.
 
Great Job Hman!!!! Remember Jozo calling you that .... Think I am gonna use this concept, and add some 4way T's, and an extra run of sockets for more lights.... What an excellent concept bud !!!:goodjob::thanks:
 
Gotta say :goodjob: one more time...PVC makes the arrangements of the lights very expansive ... GREAT JOB AGAIN!!!
 
Ever wonder at what temperature PVC starts off-gassing? I know it's not rated for hot water, but I don't know if it's because the temperature of typical hot water lines is enough to cause chemicals to be released, if it's enough to soften the material (seems somewhat unlikely as I've seen people use it for hot water), or for another reason.

Would ABS be a better choice for GR materials, even when using CFLs which do not get above 160°F (at least with smaller-wattage ones, not sure about the 125-watt and above ones)? I know it's available in 1½" but I don't know about 1¼" an below.
 
TorturedSoul said:
Ever wonder at what temperature PVC starts off-gassing? I know it's not rated for hot water, but I don't know if it's because the temperature of typical hot water lines is enough to cause chemicals to be released, if it's enough to soften the material (seems somewhat unlikely as I've seen people use it for hot water), or for another reason.

Would ABS be a better choice for GR materials, even when using CFLs which do not get above 160°F (at least with smaller-wattage ones, not sure about the 125-watt and above ones)? I know it's available in 1½" but I don't know about 1¼" an below.
Click to expand...
The maximum service temp for PVC is 140 (that would be in direct contact, fluids etc...). I don't think that the lights are going to heat the socket up to that temp. But as a precaution I would take a surface reading of the lights you intend to use in their original socket first. I would only use this on smaller wattage lights, say in the 23w (100w equiv) type lights. The one in my desk lamp reaches 95 right at the junction of the base and the ballast. The ballast gets up to 130 near the top where the coils are attached. The light is still warm (not hot) to the touch.

Also you can see in the picture, the socket extends 1/2 inch out of the PVC "T" socket, so unless the base of the socket were to get in the 140 degree range (or higher) then you should be fine with the setup.

ABS has an operating range up to 176. If high temps are a factor then I would consider using ABS. I think though for most applications PVC is a safe choice for standard CFL lights.

Thanks for the input TS, your comments are always welcomed and typically require the use of some critical thinking on the reader's part--which is always a good thing.
 
stevehman said:
This will be the first of many DIY posts. I have done several projects and will get them up as time permits

This first project is for all of the CFL guys out there. The first question those that know me will ask, "Steve, you're a LED guy, what's up with a CFL type fixture?"

I'll post a completed pic once mine is done. As far as a reflector is concerned, my application won't need one. But if someone wants to build one that would work it should be easy.
Click to expand...

Brilliant! :thumb:

I sure wish I had hooked up with you before I spent all that $$ on my standard T-5 tube fixtures! :adore:
 
hey man i got mine all together and when i plugged it in nothing happened... does it need a ground? i did mine differnt than the final one. It looks more like the first setup you made. it is square with 5 lights. the power cord comes in and whit wire goes left and black wire goes right then hooked up all the lights in series. white to black wire till it came back to the black wire on the power cord. :yikes:
 
biggd420 said:
hey man i got mine all together and when i plugged it in nothing happened... does it need a ground? i did mine differnt than the final one. It looks more like the first setup you made. it is square with 5 lights. the power cord comes in and whit wire goes left and black wire goes right then hooked up all the lights in series. white to black wire till it came back to the black wire on the power cord. :yikes:
Click to expand...

you got a blown bulb...
 
To start with, they are not and should not be wired in series. I have heard the term "wired in series" misused a lot.

Let me explain:
In series means that the hot from the cord feeds the hot at the first light, the neutral from the first light feeds the hot wire on the second light, and the neutral from the second light feeds the hot the third light, and the neutral from the last light comes back to neutral at the cord.

The problem with this setup is that there is a voltage drop at each light, and no light is getting the full 120 volts.

You need to run the lights in a parallel circuit. All black wires to the hot wire, and all white to the neutral wire. That way each light receives full 120 volts. Plus, if one bulb is bad the rest will still work.


biggd420 said:
hey man i got mine all together and when i plugged it in nothing happened... does it need a ground? i did mine differnt than the final one. It looks more like the first setup you made. it is square with 5 lights. the power cord comes in and whit wire goes left and black wire goes right then hooked up all the lights in series. white to black wire till it came back to the black wire on the power cord. :yikes:
Click to expand...
 
Update!
I bought an LED light off Ebay and it is square about 1foot by 1 foot it fit perfect in the middle of my light setup. It wasnt what i got it for but it figured WHY NOT!
Anyone else experimented with CFL and LED mix? If so how did it work out?
 
That is pretty neat. Thank you.
Don't have a lot of rep but I'll hit you with what I got.
Again, very cool , thanks for sharing.





SteveHman said:
Finished light:
DSCN00495.JPG
DSCN00507.JPG


Total cost was about $25. You can also buy the bare sockets individually and save some money that way. I could have taken the vanity back, but gas round trip would have negated the savings.

I used a littl hot glue to hold the sockets in place, you could use epoxy or silicone as well. CFLs don't heat up much so risk of it melting are very low (I won't say zero, just in case you burn your house down).

As with all electrical projects, do not attempt unless you have a good general understanding of basic circuitry and electrical theory.
Click to expand...
 
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