Yes, another Fluorescent to LED Conversion Thread

[Sub Dude]

I have a shop that is around 16 by 20 feet with 10 ft ceilings. I have 7-4ft two bulb hooded florescent fixtures. I purchased a box of bulbs 10 years ago when we built the house. I’ve used all of the bulbs and now I think I had a ballast go bad so I’m down one fixture and I’ve got other bulbs that don’t look well.

Time to consider an upgrade. I’ve done a little reading, and I’d like to upgrade to an LED type B (bypass) lamp and get rid of the ballasts.

I’ve determined that I have shunted tombstones and I think I’ll need un-shunted to utilize the type B bulbs. I measured the current ones with a Dvom and it looks like both sides are shorted. I left the connectors wired in to the ballasts. If I measure a short, am I measuring the connector or the ballast.

I like these fixtures and the hoods and I’d like to convert them.

Am I thinking right on the tombstones? Is there a better test? Cut one out of the circuit maybe and then test again?

Is there a good bulb to recommend? I’d like a 3500/4000K but not sure on the lumens.

Pics are the fixtures and current bulbs.



Thanks

 

[Two Door]

You can just look at them - The difference is obvious

 

[cybrdyke]

You dont need new tombstones. Get double-end powered LED tubes. These are the most common so they are available everywhere. Get something around 2000 lumens. Halco, Satco, Philips, Sylvania, Green Creative, and Keystone are some of the good brands.
Good luck,
CD

 

[Sub Dude]

Thanks. I guess it would have helped if you could see what I am looking at. This is the connector from the odd fixture. ITs tombstones are a different design than the others. I'm gonna take this info and read further about the items you mentioned..

Thanks

 

[cybrdyke]

That's a shunted socket made by Stucci.

 

[Sub Dude]

So, Get some double ended bulbs and wire Hot to one end and Neutral to the other and that's it?
I got these bulbs in my cart:
Bulbs
I don't see that they are listed as double ended though.

 

[Two Door]

So, Get some double ended bulbs and wire Hot to one end and Neutral to the other and that's it?
I got these bulbs in my cart:
Bulbs
I don't see that they are listed as double ended though.

It does say double ended, in the first graphic as well as the text. And yes, hot to one end, neutral to the other.

 

[The Cobbler]

I don't see that they are listed as double ended though.

in the photos it shows they are

 

[Sub Dude]

Thanks all, I think I'll get these ordered and give it a shot.
Appreciate your help. I'll let you know how things go.

Just went back to order and HD is out of stock. I'm looking....
Sub

 

[Two Door]

Cybrdyke frequently recommends prolighting.com. I've ordered from them without problem.

 

[Sub Dude]

I found a Halco bulb that looks good:

Bulb

Its available and I think I'll try that one.

Sub

 

[CJ7VFR]

I found a Halco bulb that looks good:

Bulb

Its available and I think I'll try that one.

Sub

I have the Halco brand ballast bypass LED tubes from Home Depot in the old fluorescent fixtures in my garage and basement. The only difference is I bought the Daylight (5000K) versions. I started with the 4000K versions but returned them for the 5000K versions because the 4000K's were just a bit too much on the softer white color side for me.

The Halco's are nice LED tubes at a reasonable price and they are always available at my local Home Depot. I actually just bought another 10 pack not long ago to retro-fit a few more old fluorescent fixtures I have.

Jim

 

[nadogail]

I took out the old 4 foot shop lights and I installed porcelain lamp holders and bought those screw-in LED modules. Mine came from COSTCO, Home Depot sells them as well.

 

[dscheidt]

I took out the old 4 foot shop lights and I installed porcelain lamp holders and bought those screw-in LED modules. Mine came from COSTCO, Home Depot sells them as well.

this is much like announcing you replaced your Honda with a Yugo because the Honda needed an oil change.

 

[nadogail]

this is much like announcing you replaced your Honda with a Yugo because the Honda needed an oil change.

I went from F40 T-12 lamps to LED modules and greatly increased the efficiency of and quality of the illumination.

 

[Shiftless]

greatly increased the … quality of the illumination.

Personally, I don’t like the glaringly bright light from the relatively small 4 panels on each of those fixtures. I like the 4 foot long tubes that spread out the illumination.
My 20x20 garage has 9 four foot long twin tube LED fixtures for the overall lighting. Task lighting over the workbench and over the 12 foot long floor to ceiling shelves is handled by separately controlled LED floodlights on fixed and swivel mounts.
Great lighting for me.

 

[Sub Dude]

Done and Done. I just converted two fixtures and things went well. I may have purchased a 3500K vs 4K but I think the bulbs I bought will work well.
I just measured the amp draw on the fixtures. My old fixtures draw 45mA and the LED fixtures 20mA.
I appreciate the help folks!

Sub Dude

 

[dave*99]

Done and Done. I just converted two fixtures and things went well. I may have purchased a 3500K vs 4K but I think the bulbs I bought will work well.
I just measured the amp draw on the fixtures. My old fixtures draw 45mA and the LED fixtures 20mA.
I appreciate the help folks!

Sub Dude

120x0.045=5.4 Watts Perhaps it's 450mA?

 

[Sub Dude]

Your are correct 450mA vs 200mA. I read it off my meter and it was set to 2 decimal points.
Sub

 

[Milton Shaw]

Around here the trash and recycling services will not take ballasts. So I just cut the wires and left them in the ceilings and rewired the sockets for single in light bulbs with 120 on each plug. I did put stickers on every fixture. I got the bulbs from Amazon and then the supplier when bankrupt but have not had any failures in three years so far.

 

[lund]

I did the same in my basement with all the fluorescent fixtures and added more to improve lighting. I really like the higher temp LEDs rather than the low temp "soft white" ones. In my case, I had some bad luck and bought the LED bulbs in bulk from a company on Amazon that went under due to their bulbs failing. Mine failed after a few years (started getting odd lighting variations with low temp spectrum striping) and needed to be replaced. So I bought replacement bulbs from a large company in case of further problems.

You will probably not regret doing this. Even with my bad luck it was the right thing to do. The LED bulbs are instant on, quiet, have a better light spectrum, use less power, should have a much longer life, etc. Removing the ballast and starters is the right way to go. It is logically silly to go from low (line voltage) to high voltage back to low voltage (in the led bulb) if you do not remove them. More to go wrong over time and less efficiency. The ballasts can also get old and hum (though not much with the low load for LEDs).

In my opinion, old style fluorescent bulbs should be banned. I know it is a pain to modify the circuits. But they use much less energy, have better light, and (maybe most importantly) are not toxic waste at the end of their lives. Please also dispose of the old fluorescent bulbs responsibly when doing this kind of work. That, unfortunately, can be a pain since nobody wants to take them and volumes are going down.