Can you show me a picture of your wiring, and also the link to the LED tube light that you used as a replacement for the fluorescent tube light? Existing Ballast is instant start electronics. Replaced my florescent bulbs with T8 4 Ft LED. Assuming the fluorescent lights you're replacing are run by an electronic ballast (rather than an old magnetic ballast), it's a light bulb swap like any other. At Sitler’s, we believe in bypassing the ballast, further reducing your energy and maintenance costs. The ballast itself can go bad, which causes lights to flicker or even appear to be burnt out, when in fact they aren’t. If you walk into a building, whether it’s an office, school, library, or store, you are likely to see fluorescent lighting if you look up. Jamie Graham (author) from Ladysmith, BC on January 30, 2018: Did you bypass the ballast in the light fixture? If the ballast in your light fixture burns out, Ballast Bypass LED tube lights can still operate, once the light fixture ballast is removed or bypassed. When an LED bulb does burn out (between 15-20 years in most cases) you simply replace the bulb, which is much more cost-effective and less time consuming than replacing an entire ballast. For more details, please see the video on my article under the "How to remove or bypass ballast" heading: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/Everything-... Bypassing the ballast in a tube light fixture has the advantage of being more energy efficient - you can expect to save another 5 - 10% of energy use per fixture. Any ideas? However since then it works very intermittently and seems to be getting worse, sometimes it will come on if you tap the tube but most times only after you've switched it off/on a few times. A 4 lamp fixture with two rapid start ballasts can be replaced with one 4 lamp instant start ballast. 89 Choose a Ballast Compatible LED fluorescent tube replacement for a direct swap, plug and play led tube light. If you have the skills to remove and bypass the ballast, and if your LED tube lights are the type that will work without ballast in addition to being ballast compatible, that might be worth a shot! The fluorescent fixture has now been converted to LED light. Question: In the paragraph under ballast compatible LED tubes heading, you used ballast bypass in the paragraph body. Just make sure to bypass the ballast system or remove it altogether to enjoy hassle-free service for a … Not getting the lamp’s shoes all wet. Great work, most clear, complete, safe, explanation-instructions i have found anywhere. You will simply need to remove your fluorescent bulb and plug in your LED replacement. Since one LED tube seemed as bright as two fluorescents, in the end I decided to install my second LED tube in my second fluorescent light fixture, replacing the two tubes that you see on the right hand side of the picture above. Keep reading to discover why we think it’s the best option for you! 4 foot LED tube light price, in particular, is lower than it's been in years, thanks to the popularity of 4 foot fluorescent ceiling fixtures in office and commercial buildings. Jamie Graham (author) from Ladysmith, BC on April 30, 2018: Sorry to hear you're having a frustrating experience. Do you have any electrician friends who could take a look at the wiring in person? LEDS in and of themselves are much more efficient than fluorescent bulbs. If it's still under warranty, I'd recommend seeking a replacement. Overall, I do highly recommend getting the ballast removed, for the extra energy savings, but I agree it is definitely best to have an electrician carry out the work. RE your question about whether your light fixtures are too old to use, I think that even an old fixture will work as long as the ballast is bypassed, and the pin size of your LED tube lights matches the pin size of the fixture. Understand that the ballast is responsible for providing a fluorescent lamp with an initial spike of high voltage. The LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are arranged on one side in LED tubes, directing the light downwards, whereas fluorescent tubes project light from all angles, even towards the ceiling, almost wasting the light. The house wiring that comes to the fixture should have two wires (white and black, or both white - since they are AC, there is no difference between them). Without seeing it in person, I can't say what the exact issue might be, but if I were in this situation I would probably think it was due to a faulty ballast. Jamie Graham (author) from Ladysmith, BC on June 25, 2018: Hi MarieHub, thanks for reading my hub and for your eagle eyed editing! For almost all cases, Ballast Compatible LED tube lights are a better choice, due to their extremely easy installation. To determine whether you need a T8 or T5, either measure the diameter of the tube, or remove the bulb and measure the distance between the pins. Read on to learn how LED retrofitting is a simple DIY project. However, LED fixtures to replace four-bulb (8-foot-long) fluorescent fixtures (common in farm … Ballast Bypass LED tube lights are slightly lower cost than Ballast Compatible LED tube lights, but require the light fixture ballast to be removed or bypassed before they can be used. Jamie I've read a lot of articles that make this look really simple and it is if you have a good basic understanding of electricity. The good news is, the ballast can be removed and the LED tube lights can be used without a ballast (plus, it's actually more energy efficient without the ballast). This option allows the user to bypass the use of a ballast circuit as the wiring passes through the line voltage instead. Material. This can be used as either plug and play or direct wire. However they flickers after turned off for few seconds. Older T10 and T12 fixtures always require ballast to be bypassed, even when using a Ballast Compatible LED tube light. Most fluorescent ceiling fixtures in modern buildings are compatible with T8 pins: however, newer or recently retrofitted buildings may have the more modern T5 fixture. With a ballast bypass, you are only paying for the energy the LED lights use, which is up to 70% less than traditional bulbs! Title 24 requirements In California, there are new Title 24 requirements that need to be met when you retrofit existing fixtures by replacing the ballast. I reread and assume the ballast compatible are the ones that work with and without the ballast. Note: The attachment method for ballast covers varies widely among manufacturers. If you installed direct fit LED lights and kept the ballast intact, what you are seeing is in fact a bad ballast, not a bad bulb. So, if you've ever wondered "Can you replace fluorescent tubes with LEDs?" The difference is the mechanism they use to transform the incoming voltage. Some companies will direct fit the lights to the ballast, essentially just replacing the tube. Thanks for answering the questions and trying to steer folks in the right direction when you dont have the answer. But, the LED tube will save about $5 / year in electricity cost. I have several ceiling lights in my garage that are plugged into ceiling outlets. We have everything you need to replace your fluorescent lighting with LED and start enjoying both energy savings and a long break from having to replace your bulbs. Turn the lights on to test them. Unlike fluorescent tubes, LEDs don’t require a ballast to regulate current. As far as I know, ballast compatible LED tube lights will NOT work with a burnt out ballast, only with a working ballast. Do you know if both types of bulbs work in a fixture that is not direct wired but plugged in instead? Hybrid Type A & B. Lifespan – A LED lights tube can last up to 30,000 hours which is three times longer than a standard fluorescent tube (10,000 – 12,000 hours), this can help to save the money you had to spend to maintain or replace the lights. You can replace fluorescent T8 tubes with three types of LED T8 tubes, known as Type A, Type B, and Type C. Here’s the lowdown on each so you know which type of LED T8 to use for your next project: Type A LED T8 Tubes. I did some research and learned that, although the bulbs probably needed to be replaced, the ballast in our fluorescent light fixture was burnt out and also needed to be replaced. However, I can't seem to find the double "ballast bypass", could you please copy / paste the entire sentence with the grammatical error? Fortunately, you don’t need to go for much trouble installing this LED light fixture to replace fluorescent tubes, as it fits easily in the place of T8, T10 and T12 fluorescent lamps. This is why they're sometimes called Universal - they work with a working ballast in place, or with the ballast removed, and powered directly by household wiring. The replacement ballast would cost $30, and two new T8 fluorescent tube lights would cost $10. T8 led tube light benefits. Direct wire (ballast bypass) Type B. Wires are disconnected from the ballast, line and neutral wires are connected directly to the lampholder wires. If you havn't bypassed the ballast, the issue could be that the ballast is burnt out. So what is the issue with ballasts? New linear LED tube bulbs are simple plug and play and ballast compatible. Question: After installing the compatible LED in a shop light, the LED light goes out after about 10 minutes and the ballast metal box is hot to the touch. Unplug the fixture or turn off the power at the main panel. I replaced old bulbs with T8 LED and saved money and energy. Thank you! You will be happy to hear that there are ways that you can convert fluorescent lights to LED. Step 7. This sounds intimidating, but is actually quite simple and can be done with common tools. Despite fluorescent being efficient themselves, T8 LEDs hold a number of advantages when comparing the two. When you purchase LED linear lights from Sitler’s, we bring in electricians to rewire the ballasts before installing the new lights to make sure you receive the best lighting and the best energy savings possible. Jamie, your page is excellent. in the "Ballast Compatible" section, you've inadvertently written 'ballast bypass' twice. think my lights are to old thanks for your help. Once the light is on, the ballast acts as a current regulator. Electricians/Contractors: Start Evolving Your Lighting Design, We Partner With Electricians To Make Installation Easy, We Take Care Of Your LED Lighting Finances So You Don't Have To, Meet Our Customers And See Their Projects, We pride ourselves in helping businesses save money and decrease energy usage. They are necessary for fluorescent lighting, but also cause issues of their own. UL Type B tubes have an internal LED driver that performs many of the same functions that a ballast performs for fluorescent tubes, limiting the flow of current into the lighting elements. Even just one LED tube light is brighter than both the fluorescent tubes. Answer: It sounds like there is something faulty going on here. The connector pins on each end of a T5 fluorescent tube are 5mm apart. It may be attached with nuts or clips or simply snapped into place. What must I do? To determine your LED tube light pin size, measure the diameter of the fluorescent tube, or remove the tube from the fixture and measure the distance between the pins. 2 – Check whether your fluorescent ballast is Instant Start or Program Start if it is Program Start there is only one option. Converting 4ft Fluorescent Light To LED. Jamie Graham (author) from Ladysmith, BC on February 01, 2018: Sorry, I don't quite understand your question about the shunted fluorescent lights. There are many LED fluorescent tube replacement benefits, including lower energy consumption, longer bulb life, and brighter, flicker-free light. As long as the bulb is compatible with the existing fluorescent ballast in the fixture, you simply remove the fluorescent and replace it with the LED tube light. Best of luck and please come back if you have more questions. Fluorescent was once the cost-effective and environmentally preferred lighting solution. LED tube light installation before / after. Type B LED PL lamps bypass the ballast and wire direct to line voltage within the fixture. Answer: It's hard to say without seeing the application in person, but the fact that tapping on the LED tube seems to help it work might indicate a fault with the particular LED tube light that you purchased. Fluorescent light fixtures have a lot going for them. Reduce total energy consumption and running costs by about 50%. Removing or bypassing the ballast involves some simple re-wiring of the light fixture. However, there are only three steps to choosing the right LED tube light: To choose the right LED tube light, you'll need to know the pin size of your light fixture: T5, or T8. LED tube lights come in many variations, and looking through all the options available can seem daunting. Flickering on their last legs eating into your possible energy savings after replacing florescent! Tried to sell me ballast compatible ( i.e advantages when comparing the two put bulbs in his lights work... 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