Direct wire vs retrofit LED bulbs - Efficiency?

[scoob8000]

Looking at retrofitting my T8's in the garage. I already have a bunch of retrofit bulbs where you leave the ballast in but never installed them yet. (I have a hard time pulling perfectly good tubes).

How much power does the ballast pull when driving a LED tube vs direct wire bulbs? Is there enough to even make a difference?

Again I hate to cut out perfectly good ballasts. Sure I could try to sell them, if it's worth the hassle..

 

[Zeke]

Bypassing the ballast does save on electricity. From mu POV using what you have is gonna produce more light and that's it.
And you may gain some function over the original fluorescent during the cold times. I'm not sure whether extreme cold is hard on the old ballasts or the old tubes, or both.

 

[cybrdyke]

2 x F32T8 lamps with a normal electronic ballast draws 59 watts total. If your LED tubes are 15 watts, then the ballast will draw about another watt and a half (total 16.5w) each. So compare 59 watts with 33 watts. You'll likely get more light and better cold starting.
If this was a larger project, we'd have to check compatibility between the LED lamp and your existing ballast, but for a small garage, you'll know right away if there's an issue.
Good luck,
CD

 

[scoob8000]

2 x F32T8 lamps with a normal electronic ballast draws 59 watts total. If your LED tubes are 15 watts, then the ballast will draw about another watt and a half (total 16.5w) each. So compare 59 watts with 33 watts. You'll likely get more light and better cold starting.
If this was a larger project, we'd have to check compatibility between the LED lamp and your existing ballast, but for a small garage, you'll know right away if there's an issue.
Good luck,
CD

So that answers that. If the ballast itself is only pulling a watt or two, I might as well just use the retrofit bulbs I already have and any future bulbs I buy go direct wire.

I know it's another failure point but in reality I spend maybe 2-3 hours in there a month.

 

[The Cobbler]

So that answers that. If the ballast itself is only pulling a watt or two, I might as well just use the retrofit bulbs I already have and any future bulbs I buy go direct wire.

I know it's another failure point but in reality I spend maybe 2-3 hours in there a month.

makes sense.

 

[BreeStephany]

As an electrician, I revert to the "K.I.S.S." method (Keep It Simple Stupid)... remove as many unnecessary potential failure points as possible and get rid of the ballasts. Just direct wire line voltage to the tombstones and call it good!

If you already have retrofit / ballast LED lamps, keep the ballasts, but if you are looking purchasing, go with direct wire / bypass lamps.

Just my two cents.

 

[scoob8000]

As an electrician, I revert to the "K.I.S.S." method (Keep It Simple Stupid)... remove as many unnecessary potential failure points as possible and get rid of the ballasts. Just direct wire line voltage to the tombstones and call it good!

If you already have retrofit / ballast LED lamps, keep the ballasts, but if you are looking purchasing, go with direct wire / bypass lamps.

Just my two cents.

I'm going to use the retrofit tubes I have but any future tubes I buy I'll go direct wire.

As an electrician, what's your take on how some manufactures call for a fuse inside the fixture when direct wiring?

 

[exranger06]

Use hybrid tubes. They work with or without a ballast. You can mix fluorescent tubes and LEDs in the same fixture (keep the ballast installed, obviously). Then as the fluorescent tubes burn out, replace them with LED. When the fixture is fully LED and the ballast fails, direct-wire the LEDs. That's what I did in my garage.

 

[cybrdyke]

what's your take on how some manufactures call for a fuse inside the fixture when direct wiring?

A throwback to when LED's first came out. A catastrophic failure in the lamp could briefly cause havoc on the building electrical system, so the fixture manufacturer's wanted fuses. These days, the LED lamps are internally fused so this is no longer an issue.
CD