Ideas to Replace Fluorescent Tube with Smart Lighting

brettule on 15/10/2025 - 11:38

I've got 3 x double fluro tube battens in my garage/workshop all wired to one switch at the entrance. I'd like to replace them with:

  • Smart lighting (I run HA so any platform will do)
  • Have good white lighting with good coverage for when I'm working on projects in the workshop.
  • Be able to create nice cozy warm temp lighting when I'm having a beer listening to tunes and admiring my completed project in the workshop.
  • Would be nice to support RGB colors when the youths turn it into an impromptu rave space.
  • I want to continue to use the existing light switch, so when I walk in I can flick the switch at the door and the lights power on in their default state, from there I can use HA to determine profiles or have a smart switch somewhere to change the profile.
  • The ceiling is plastered so I don't want to install 20 down lights, I'd like to reuse the locations of the existing tube lights.
  • Keep the costs reasonable, this is ozbargain after all.

Any recommendations, thoughts, tips or advice?

Cheers

Electrical & Electronics Fluorescent Light

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/10/2025 - 12:10

    Keep the costs reasonable

    If you want a ready made product given the requirements it’s not going to be affordable that’s for sure..

    Perhaps start search by replacing with 1200x 300 surface mount panels with rgb cct function instead.

    • brettule on 15/10/2025 - 12:48

      Hmmm ok. I was imagining those cheap smart bulbs that do RGB+CW that plug straight into a standard light fitting, but as a tube to fit batten mounts. I can't find anything that suits though, I'm missing something about why this is difficult.

      • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/10/2025 - 13:25
        +2

        not easy to fit all the required parts into a 360 degree shine 1200mm batten tube, and make it look good, and have meaningful output for rgb.

        consider when a product is marked as 10 watt rgbw (For instance) - and you just set it to red, the output is typically only 1/4 of the rated output (if that). So when on white mode, its going to be really lacking to what you're used to now which is 2 x tubes of dedicated white light.

  • seanfoite on 15/10/2025 - 12:34
    +4

    Might be easier to just keep the fluros for work and then add in lamps/additional lighting for the other two requirements?

    • brettule on 15/10/2025 - 12:39

      Yeah, you might be right.

  • twadds on 15/10/2025 - 13:32
    -1

    No RGB but these IKEA lights seem like a decent replacement for fluorescent tubes.

    https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/jetstroem-led-ceiling-light-pan…

    • ATTS on 17/10/2025 - 15:31

      Those looks nices, how do they usually be installed?

  • try2bhelpful on 15/10/2025 - 14:05

    https://www.costco.com.au/Home-Improvement/Lighting-Ceiling-…

    Worth a thought if you are a Costco member.

    • jv on 15/10/2025 - 14:49
      -1

      WARNING: All Electrical Work Must be Performed by a Licensed Electrician.

      That is not strictly true…

    • brettule on 17/10/2025 - 08:28

      Have you used these? How "warm" is the colour? Specs don't mention the Kelvin temp.

  • wannagrababargain on 15/10/2025 - 14:53

    When are you seriously going to use RGB? It's a false economy.

    I suggest forget RGB and focus on a brand that has a reputation for providing a good quality bright white light (with colour temperature adjustment).

    You're overthinking the HA stuff too. Get Zigbee lights and add it to your Zigbee mesh. For controlling the lights just get a hue tap dial, dimmer switch or button when they go on sale (often 40-50% off) - they are also Zigbee, feel nice to use and you can find HA blueprints to make them do anything including profile switching etc.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/10/2025 - 15:02

      Practically half my place inside and out is rgb. It’s a pretty cool party trick and could recommend. Just running off tuya though as I’m lazy.

      • wannagrababargain on 16/10/2025 - 12:01

        I get it. But not worth sacrificing white performance if the trade off presents itself imo

  • jv on 15/10/2025 - 14:56

    I'd just put in a smart switch and choose any lights you want…

  • muzzamo on 15/10/2025 - 15:07
    +1

    I've got 3 of these.

    Zigbee based, can select color temperature, and 100% compatibility with the phillips hue hub OR a zigbee stick connected to home assistant.

    https://www.sparkydirect.com.au/p/mercator-smi7040-ford-zigb…

    White colors only, no RGB

    • brettule on 17/10/2025 - 08:12

      This looks interesting! Zigbee2MQTT has support for the device so I'm good to go with Home Assistant. Tell me, if you set the temp and brightness to a setting of your liking, then turn them off at the power source (ie flick the light switch off), when you power them back on do they resume the last state you set them to or do they go to a default? Also, how cozy is the colour, 3000k feels like it might still be fairly white rather than a super cozy 2000k.

  • websterp on 15/10/2025 - 15:26

    https://hexspace.com.au/collections/garage-lighting

    What about these? Have seen few residential installs and looks pretty neat and a lot brighter than I initially thought.

    If you are feeling adventures you could've had a lot cheaper on Aliexpress as well: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009614346624.html

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 15/10/2025 - 15:57

      No white though.
      But yes they actually do look decent installed

  • bargaino on 15/10/2025 - 19:38
    +1

    I'd like to reuse the locations of the existing tube lights.

    Why not re-use the housings? Remove the tubes and transformer, install 12V or 24V strips with power supply and smart controller.

    e.g. https://www.amazon.com.au/Controller-DC5-28V-Wireless-Remote…
    - actually like that but RGBW - you want the W for brightness.

    Do you have a smart home system yet?

    • brettule on 16/10/2025 - 22:42

      I run Home Assistant, I abbreviated it to HA in my original post. Soz, I thought that was the lingo all the cool kids use :)

      • bargaino on 17/10/2025 - 01:15

        Sorry, I missed the abbreviation. In that case, you should have no trouble converting the battens with LED strips.
        Would you consider ESPHome?

  • AustriaBargain on 15/10/2025 - 22:10

    You could buy like six lamps and six smart globes. Position some specifically to light your work benches and the rest to just help light up the whole room. Lighting a room only with lamps is a little classier, it's how wealthy people light rooms in movies anyway.

    • brettule on 16/10/2025 - 22:44

      Love it. My son actually pitched the same idea, he loves a good lampshade

  • Odin on 16/10/2025 - 10:51
    +1

    I put 4x these up:

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/brilliant-lighting-120cm-white-t…

    They are excellent.

    You've got the ability to brighten or lesser the light, and colour temp from cool to warm.

    Not smart light, just normal dumb lights, but they're great.

    Really illuminated the garage.

  • R0b on 16/10/2025 - 14:45

    To do what you are trying to do would in my opinion require removing the batten holders for the fluro's and replacing them with standard light sockets. Then place LIFX smart bulbs in them (RGB) and replace your wall switch with the LFX wall switch. You can configure the wall switch so it knows the lights are LIFX smart lights so the software handles using the wall switch and keeping HA updated with the state of the light. You can have it turn on automatically using a sensor or manually trigger it in HA and then as you walk out of the shed hit the wall switch with no issues.

  • brettule on 16/10/2025 - 22:48

    Lots of great ideas here peeps. Thanks!! I think my solution will need to be several different products rather than an all-in-one silver bullet. Your responses have been really helpful.

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