Group Relamping: A Time-Saving Strategy
May 13, 2008
This is Chris Matt, Associate Editor of Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today’s tip is relamping your facilities.
One of the most important decisions managers face is determining the scope and content of their organizations’ lighting maintenance program and, in particular, its relamping activities.
One option managers have is to set up routes throughout facilities and assign a technician to replace burned-out bulbs at regular intervals so light levels don’t drop before the end of lamp life.
A second option is planned group relamping. For example, managers could replace all lamps in an area when the average lamp reaches 70 percent of its performance life. Group relamping increases material costs because the process often involves replacing lamps when they are still bright and burning. But managers have to consider labor costs as well.
Since workers change all lamps in an area at one time, they can clean and, if needed, reballast during lamp replacement, saving a great deal of time bringing materials to and from the job, and handling ladders and scaffolding.
Group relamping offers other advantages besides lower labor costs. Lamp-storage costs also are reduced because lamps are not part of the in-house inventory. Managers know in advance when an area will be relamped and can order lamps to arrive just in time, reducing inventory costs.
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