Light fixture tombstones

[Reg1952]

My ballast are starting to go on my 48" shop fixtures. I would like to replace all the T8s to Led. Been watching videos on how to do this and it looks simple. My problem is that my fixtures only have wires at one end at the bulbs and only one wire to each bulb. So I have 2 bulbs, 4 tombstones and only a blue wire going to one tombstone and a red wire going to the other one. I thinking I would have to change tombstones? Dont understand how they even work now with only one wire to each bulb.

 

[cybrdyke]

You dont have to change the sockets. Just be sure to purchase "double-end powered" LED tubes. They are the most common type.
Good luck
CD

 

[BillK]

Are you sure there isnt something going to the other end of the bulbs ? What bulb number is in the fixtures now ?

 

[MattT]

I reckon there must be jumpers between the tombstones. Also does the red wire go to one end of the fixture and the blue to the other?

 

[Trussman]

I've rewired dozens of tombstones for LEDs in my office. The wire just pushes in or releases just like a standard outlet or switch. My bulbs are all powered from one end, and the wiring diagram is located right on the bulb. So I ran the hot & neutral to one tombstone, and ran two jumper wires over to the tombstone next to it.....

 

[MattT]

I've rewired dozens of tombstones for LEDs in my office. The wire just pushes in or releases just like a standard outlet or switch. My bulbs are all powered from one end, and the wiring diagram is located right on the bulb. So I ran the hot & neutral to one tombstone, and ran two jumper wires over to the tombstone next to it.....

Single ended do make the wiring a little easier & cleaner. But double ended are more common so the selection of single ended lamps is kinda limited.

 

[Trussman]

1000bulbs dot com has them just about any way you like....

 

[Crazyjake8493]

If you have T8 bulbs now with electronic ballasts then the simplest LED upgrade would be plug-n-play LED tubes that require no altering of the fixture. These are the tubes you'll find at the big box stores.

You also most likely have shunted tombstones in your current fixtures, so if you want to eliminate the ballasts and use "ballast bypass" LED tubes, then you'll need to use double-end power LED tubes which will use shunted tombstones. If you buy single-end power LED tubes then you'll need to swap the end providing power to a non-shunted tombstones. The other end can be left in place because it is a "dummy" tombstone that is only there to support that end of the bulb, and is not wired to provide any power.