New 4' T8 w/o a ballast?

[PNWguy]

I am getting ready to build my house & shop, and think I'll need 40-50 4' fixtures. My preference is for replaceable LED "bulbs" that fit a T8 socket.

I'd rather not buy 50 fixtures, modify them and throw the ballasts in the landfill. Has anybody found a new 4' T8 fixture that has no ballast?

Yes, I've considered making them, but think it would take longer and cost more than the alternative.

Note: It's new construction; I don't want to slum CL for 50 random used fixtures. I want them to all be the same. I also don't want the "throw it in the dump when it breaks" units; I want to keep a consistent color temperature and look.

 

[Strouty]

No matter what you end up doing, you shouldn't throw any ballasts in the landfill, that is not cool, unless you still dump oil down the storm drains too, then I guess it would be fine.

 

[Norcal]

Just buy LED fixtures, no sense cobbling together something in a new build.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Please see post #1 in the best light fixture sticky. Link in sig below.

 

[txvwnut]

This is what I have.
https://primelights.com/shop/items/4-ft-2-lamp-led-t8-commercial-strip-shop-light-44watt-pl-blt44wfr

 

[PNWguy]

No matter what you end up doing, you shouldn't throw any ballasts in the landfill, that is not cool, unless you still dump oil down the storm drains too, then I guess it would be fine.

My intention is very clearly to not throw them away. Can we not get bogged down in specific words?

I take them to electronics recycling, they will end up in a landfill somewhere; probably India, now that China is no longer taking our trash.

 

[PNWguy]

Just buy LED fixtures, no sense cobbling together something in a new build.

I don't want to buy "throw them away when they break" type fixtures. That seems like a huge waste.

If the fixture has a 50,000 MTBF, and I have 50 fixtures, I'll expect 1 to fail every 1,000 hours of use. 1,000 hours divided by 8 hours per day is 125. So, I'd expect to have 2-3 lamps to fail per year and need to be replaced. Again, I'm trying to avoid this kind of waste.

I also expect the manufacturers to slightly change the color temperature of the fixtures (or simply stop making the fixture) after a few years. I expect that in 5 or 10 years, a bunch of fixtures will have failed and been replaced with slightly different color "bulbs". No thanks.

 

[PNWguy]

This is what I have.
https://primelights.com/shop/items/4-ft-2-lamp-led-t8-commercial-strip-shop-light-44watt-pl-blt44wfr

Thanks - great info. Exactly what I was asking about.

 

[PNWguy]

Please see post #1 in the best light fixture sticky. Link in sig below.

Thanks. Perfect info.

 

[cybrdyke]

The links mentioned above are what you're looking for. There's tons of other choices out there. You're looking for "LED Ready" strip fixtures in case you want to google it. Be very careful that the fixture that you buy is wired correctly for the lamps that you choose to use. You want to use "double-end powered" lamps, and so the fixture needs to be wired for those. Just double-check to be sure.
Hope that helps.
PS: Your assessment of the life & failure process of new fixtures is way off base. New fixtures would be the way to go. Maybe reconsider.
Either way.
Good luck,
CD

 

[Platonic Solid]

You want to use "double-end powered" lamps

Why? Most prewired LED strip housings are single end wired. Lamps are available single end powered, double end, and universal. It appears that most if not all (I didn't click every single link) the housings available on Prolightings (link) site are single end powered.

 

[cybrdyke]

Why? Most prewired LED strip housings are single end wired. Lamps are available single end powered, double end, and universal. It appears that most if not all (I didn't click every single link) the housings available on Prolightings (link) site are single end powered.

Because the world has moved on from single end powered tubes for a couple of reasons. The confusion over which sockets are required, shunted or non-shunted, caused alot of mistakes and miswiring. Safety-proofing a fixture with double-end powered tubes is another reason. If someone inadvertently tries to install a fluorescent tube into a bypassed fixture, there is no safety issue if it's a double-end wired fixture. Double end products have leap frogged single end products by far, leaving single end products as dinosaurs. The low-information internet sellers (bottom dwellers) are just selling the cheapest **** that they can.
CD

 

[txvwnut]

Prime lights is supposed to offer lighting layout plans if give them layout of your place. I didn’t try them out for that as I was replacing existing fixtures and just stuck to what I had.