Lights for a milking parlour
- Thread starter FIAT 450
- Start date
massey 6480
Well-Known Member
My preference would be old school twin fluroscent. The ones with a starter in them . When work done the parlour here there was the new type twin fluroscent used that have a ballast instead of a starter . Fecking things can't handle the variation in the current from the different motors kicking in and out during milking. Have near all been changed back now to old type . Quality is irrelevant too on the new type there all crap in my opinion. Keep the lights low too it's in the pit you need them . Work have them hanging from the pipe work of the parlour. That runs over the rump rail .
Have LED strips here. Work well with good light. 3 or 5 year guarantee (cant remember which). I would recommend them, use a lot less electricity too. I wouldn't go back to fluorescents and changing starters etc.
Funkeyfarmer
Well-Known Member
As said here before I'd avoid high frequency ballast, old school with starters or led fittings with at least a 3 year guarantee. I'm used lug led fittings at the moment good light output plus they are plugged in so if you get the same fitting again when it needs to be replaced there should be no wiring needed. As for locating the fittings if there's a lot of pipe work going on and a cluttered overhead in the pit i normally go single flouresent either side of the pipes a light every section i think it could work out at one every 4 to 5 cows fairly close together as i do like to make sure the pit is bright. It can also be handy to put a few over the palour for general lighting
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
When you say plugged in you mean a industrial socket for each light? The electrician is going to put up a dome light to see. But I'd say with with pipes and crap is over head be going for light down low
Paw
Well-Known Member
Don't forget it will be a lot darker in there when it's full of cows casting shadows.
scoffcruddle
Well-Known Member
I've 11 fluorescent strips with daylight tubes on each side of my pit,I wired them on different circuits so if one trips your not left in the dark.
Basically 1 strip for 3 cows,it's plenty bright enough and the weather proof fittings cost £24/each,only replaced one tube in the last 3 years.
Basically 1 strip for 3 cows,it's plenty bright enough and the weather proof fittings cost £24/each,only replaced one tube in the last 3 years.
Funkeyfarmer
Well-Known Member
No there's a 3 pin adapter at the end of the fitting i just wire a felx into it from a plexo box and plug in the fitting if that makes sense
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
Ya I think I know what you mean that kinda handy too.
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
That great advice thanks for that. How many lights have you per trip? That mean 8 singles each side for me then
scoffcruddle
Well-Known Member
I've 11 per trip,just how I wired it up as I had spare trips in the box.
Mine are above the rump rail on a metal trunking so cows can't hit them,old parlour they were above the cows and when bulling they'd smash them.
massey 6480
Well-Known Member
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
Thanks lad. Nice tidy jar plant
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
Ya lad done our 1st run thur evening. Been walking them through it since last sat they are starting to settle into it now. Have to slow them down now conning in
jay gatsby
Well-Known Member
Start of a new era. Best of luck with it
FIAT 450
Well-Known Member
Thanks very much.
One thing I'd say is put in loads of skylights. We have 5 12ft long light sheets over the 14unit parlour here, I've only had to turn the lights on here the last week or so with the shorter evenings, before that I hadn't turned them on since last April. I think there are 6 of the double tube lights in the parlour here, 3 on each side, spaced about 4ft wide over the pit, loads of light for me, I've been in parlours before that had a huge number of lights, I remember having a headache afterwards leaving one, just wayyy too bright.