LED bulb question

[davidlee]

I have eight T12 fluorescent lights in my garage that I would like to start converting to LED's. I have looked on line and i see prices from $9.00 to $40.00 a tube. I don't know what to look for. I don't want junk but I don't wont to go broke doing the conversion for 16 bulbs. The ceiling height is 8' and it is unfinished (no sheetrock). All help is appreciated. OH,I don't want to change the fixtures if I can help it.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Is there a problem with the fluorescent bulbs that are currently in the fixtures? If not, then why do you want to replace them?

Jim

 

[davidlee]

The tubes are getting more expensive and some need new ballasts which cost almost as much as a new fixture. I also thought the life of a LED was much longer.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Some of the cheap brand LED bulbs have life spans that are not any longer than regular old fluorescent bulbs. Some even burn out after only a few hours. It seems to be that if you stick with a name brand bulb, instead of an aftermarket name, or big box store brand name, that you will get better bulbs.

If some of your fixtures need new ballasts, and you don't want to replace them, then you are looking at modifying your current fluorescent fixtures to accept the type of LED bulbs that do not require the ballasts to still be in the old fixtures.

So make sure you get the correct type of LED bulbs. Some are direct replacements for fluorescent bulbs, and some will only work if you remove the ballasts.

Jim

 

[davidlee]

I had planned on removing the old ballasts since some of them are bad. That's not a problem.

 

[metlmunchr]

I've had 24 of these in my home shop for a year with no failures. About $6.50 apiece and free shipping. Available in box quantities of 6, 8, or 10 tubes. All of my fixtures were purchased back in the 70's, and like yourself I had no desire to spend a bunch of money on new fixtures. 2/3 of mine were stacked in a corner to be thrown away due to dead ballasts, and would've been out with the trash were it not for the advent of bypass type tubes.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CQ2ZKZO/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They will work as a direct replacement on T8 fixtures with electronic ballasts, or in T12 fixtures by removing the ballast. They're fed from both ends so wiring is as simple as removing the ballast, hooking the hot side to the wires from the tombstones on one end, and hooking the neutral to the wires from the tombstones from the opposite end.

I think the Sunco light output numbers are legitimate at 2000 lumens while some (not necessarily all) of the others with higher output ratings are overstated, as is typical of many Chinese products. A friend bought some others online with a 2300 lumen rating, at about twice the price of the Sunco's. We compared both side by side and couldn't detect any visible difference in output. In examining both closely, we decided it was likely both tubes had been manufactured by the same company as all the physical characteristics were identical.

Whatever you buy, make sure you get frosted tubes. The clear tubes with their "string of bright spots" are extremely irritating, particularly at low mounting heights.

 

[davidlee]

Thank you so much for the info. That's what I was looking for. Your LED's bulbs are cheaper than replacement fluorescent tubes at the big box and no ballast to worry with. OOPS i got happy too quick. I need single pin.

 

[metlmunchr]

Single pin I assume are 8 foot tubes? There's a seller on Ebay who has a kit for $10 that converts 8 ft fixtures to use four 4 ft tubes. It includes center and end plates, 8 bi-pin tombstones, and hardware. That was a good option several months ago when most any 8ft tube cost at least $26 to $28.

The 8ft single pin tubes have come down in price quite a bit recently. You can get a box of 20 Hyperikon brand tubes from Amazon for $300, or $15/tube. Their products have good reviews on Amazon. They are the type that runs without a ballast.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072BD9Z5T/?tag=atomicindus08-20

At that price its hard to justify converting the fixtures to use 4ft tubes. You can get 8ft single pin tubes from sites like dhgate.com for less than $10 each in lots of 25 with free shipping but I don't know what the quality may be or how some of those sites may be if there's a problem with the seller. Amazon is first class IMO if there's any problems.

There's no doubt any conventional 8ft tubes are going to get more and more expensive since they're used almost exclusively in business locations and those businesses look to convert to led for cost savings and the demand for conventional bulbs shrinks. Some people continue to sing the praises of fluorescents, but if I go to my grave never having to buy or change another damn ballast I'll die happy

 

[Platonic Solid]

Hyperikon makes a good product and unlike so many LED retrofits on Amazon, they publish their UL file number which coincides with their UL Listing. You can purchase direct from their website, but their site is lacking in many ways.

 

[theoldwizard1]

If you have 4' fixtures, it would be easier just to scrap the old one and put up new ones from Costco or Sams. At less then $20 each, it is not worth the hassle of converting the old ones.

 

[Gmonkee]

Definitely price out conversion against replacement costs. The old units could be sold to offset costs or later converted for use in another area.

The deals change fast out there now so expect a way to do it for less the day after you finish getting it all installed. Accept progress over price at that moment.

 

[bob15]

Hyperikon makes a good product and unlike so many LED retrofits on Amazon, they publish their UL file number which coincides with their UL Listing. You can purchase direct from their website, but their site is lacking in many ways.

I've had great luck with hyperikon. Out of the 50 or so LED tubes I've bought from hyperikon, I had one bad one out of the box that was promptly replaced by them and I had the replacement tube in less than a week. I went with the 5000k clear and frosted tubes.