Shannon, Great video! Yours is the clearest how-to video I've seen on converting florescent tubes to LED tubes. One thing that should be noted is that, if you are using three-way switches and have multiple fixtures wired in parallel, the wiring will be different, depending on whether the power source is coming from one of the switches or first goes to a fixture. I haven't seen this covered anywhere.
Shannon, I can’t tell you how much your videos have helped me. Thank you for doing it. Every project I take on I always check to see if you’ve covered it yet, usually you have. Thanks again!
Thank you, thank you for showing how to convert an 8' florescent to LED. I spent an exorbitant amount of time attempting to learn how to & was about to throw in the towel. You made this so simple & easy to follow. Again, my heartfelt thanks. Dale L Charpentier
Appreciate the video, I watched another one that wired up the ballast for dual pin bulbs and that didn't work out too well for single pin bulbs. This was very easy, thank you.
This is probably one of the BEST tutorials for doing this. I mean I watched about 10 of these things trying to answer varying questions I had and it wasn't until this one that I was like "JFC, that's it?!" Dude know how to explain things great. Easy up vote from me.
Great video. As mentioned need to be careful with which bulbs are purchased, especially with T8 or T12 types if just doing a ballast removal. Many Direct Wire LED T8/T12s on Amazon are 'only for non-shunted' meaning that both the hot at neutral are at the same end. If a bulb type says "either shunted or non-shunted" the setup in this video will work (as in hot one side, neutral on the other). Also make sure to by bulbs designed for direct wire, most ones sold as stores are compatible with ballasts, not direct. If you end up buying T8 bulbs for direct wire, i've found GE LED Type B have worked well.
I’ve got 8’ light I redid like this. Only one side is working. The bulb itself says double end powered. I did hot on one side and neutral on other. What did I miss?
recently a businessman I know asked me about converting to LED. I explained I recommended bypassing the ballast or removing it completely. He wanted to use the electronic ballasts his lights have but I explained the ballast uses power and when they fail he would have to convert to no ballast or buy another on to replace the bad one. when I gave him the breakdown on the cost of use for LED versus Fluorescent he was astounded. He later had all his lights converted and the light output in his store is at least as bright if not brighter than before and the operating cost is about 20% of the old ones. by the way only very old ballasts contain PCB's so that is not a very big problem .
Live to neutral, just remember that! One end of the bulbs stays live and one end stays neutral :) I had a mess of wires in my fixture, so I had to make sure that I followed the live wire correctly, and since it was a dual bulb fixture, I had one bulb with live wire at one end and neutral at the same end on the other bulb. I kept re-checking to make sure everything was perfect before I closed the fixture up and turned on the power. It turned out perfect 👍🏼
I installed the same brand in my kitchen (Hyperikon). I purchased on Amazon. All the LED replacements bulbs at the local home centers required that the ballast be left in place because they were design for direct replacement by home owners. Much (much!) better to remove the ballast. I used a dimmer on my bulbs. There is a little bit of flicker at some (not all) dimmer levels. That's my only complaint.
Not sure what is involved in the "kit" you were talking about.. Aren't you just cutting out the ballast and reconnecting wires? Also, is there any energy savings or performance enhancements from removing the ballast?
Stephen Hill “Bypass ballast” conversion may involve rewiring and replacing tombstone and it looks like the kit includes new tombstones in case you need replacing. Ballasts are really needed only for fluorescent lights so they contribute nothing when led converted.
Is there any other lights (more visually appealing) that install similarly with the wire pulling through the light fixture? I have a wire stubbed out of the wall with no junction box or ceiling box in a closet. My initial intention was to do one of these but not sure if its going to be appealing enough to buyers.
the power consumed on each tombstone is usually less than 9 watts so you will never exceed the power rating of them. It is important though to label them as 120v so that in the future they can be change if necessary without danger to the maintenance person.
So if my tombstones already match the LED format, (I have doubles on my fixtures and Costco sells doubles on LEDs) then I shouldn't need a kit right? Also, and more importantly, would I be wasting my time to go in and rip out my ballasts if everything is working already? I'm totally interested in saving electricity, and would much prefer to not hear the soft "hum" from my lights.
I had my fluorescent box removed and have a led vanity light. The electrician said because the bulbs are too wide to sit in new light. So, I need to cut some wood with 4 inch hole to allow new light fixture to set out a few more inches....can you pls advise how to do this. Thxs
Well it's not straight 120v power per se, there is a internally powersupply as LED's don't work on AC. Given the tombstones aren't proprietary, sticking any other bulb in that requires a ballast or power supply in the future would have bad results. A label might be wise to add.
How do you convert a 4 tube fixture to LED if it is a night light (not controlled by switch) in a office building when it has 3 wires: red, black, and white. I have been using the same method you used in this video when I am doing regular lights that turn off and on with a switch (they only have black and white)
Or just clip the wires off of the ballast. Connected two wires on one end to the neutral. Connect the two wires on the other end coming out of the sockets to the hot. Replace the covers and install the light bulbs. And if there's a wrong PIN go get the right pin... two pin or one pin. You're welcome.
The single ended replacement bulbs seem to be getting harder to find. The two big box stores I checked with only carried the plug-and-play double-end LED tubes. If I want to remove my ballast can I wire the double end up directly to the 120v line circuit with hot at one end and the return at the other?
Love your videos. Going to build a deck for my grandma but she wants it enclosed with screen doors and windows. Any chance you can show how to do that?
i've watched several of these videos. the only thing missing is handling old ballasts that leak oil. this oil contains pcb's which have been outlawed because of the danger of cancer. wear surgical or other non-absorbent gloves when handling these ballasts. newer ballasts are o.k.
Are LED'S suitable for use in a UNHEATED Space? Like a unheated garage, shop, shed, crawlspace? Also will they take time to come on? As in the Canadian Prairies Winterpeg is colder than Mars. Man, Sask, Alberta we get temps down to -25c to -40c. Don't get me started with WINDCHILL. Lol.
In and 8' fixture 2 lamps you dont have that kind of a diagram for the wiring all you do is disconnect the live wires cut the wires from the ballast at one end where the spring tombstone is tie the wires together the hot wire will go to those wires at the other end time those wires together then tire your neutral wire to those wires and then you tie your hot wire to the other end and your done
Great technology these LED retrofit tubes but OMG, check out how expensive those tubes are! At about $0.15/kWhr (on peak) assuming 4 hours of use per day for two bulbs and a 30,000 hour life for the bulbs, it'll take the average homeowner over 10 years to beak-even in the hydro savings and by then the price of these will be more inline with the garden-variety fluorescent tubes. This retrofit is only viable for commercial, industrial and institutional building owners and operators.
I just bought a set of LED's to try. Mine are 36" t8's and the price difference between flourescent replacements and these was just a couple of dollars. Also, some of my ballasts were burned out, and those cost WAY more than a whole new fixture would have been worth.
@@dart70ca LED T8s can be economical when bought in bulk but I agree that if you have to replace a ballast, go LED and save the fixture if you still like it. Recently, I fitted my garage with some free troffers that had noisy and inefficient magnetic-type ballasts. Bought new electronic ballasts from a supplier who bought the ballasts in bulk and sold them to me for $6 each and threw in several free FL T8s. Good for five years or so. By then, LED T8s will be totally mainstram and affordable.
Andrew Macdonald Nice! Certainly way more expensive here (Vancouver). My LED's were the Hyperikon 36” ones and I installed them yesterday. Jury's still out. I think the light from the fluorescents is still better; more spread and softer shadows. Probably due to the 360 degree nature of the fluorescent bulbs and getting reflections off the ceiling. These were $54 CAD for 4 and a 10% discount kicked in after that (Amazon). Finding 36” tubes locally has been challenging and 36” LED's a total failure. The two fixtures they went into had dead ballasts.
This is a very basic video that only shows how to remove the ballast for ballast bypass TUBES. My research is coming up with limited results for T12 LED tubes (1.5 diameter) and most have very poor ratings. How about a professional opinion an options for people who do have a old fixture that is an 8 foot T12 fixture with the Fa8 single pin base. Best led tubes, single row LED, double row LED, V Shaped LED. Would it be better to convert the two row 8 foot length tube fixture a 4 tube T8 configuration? There is a lot missing here unless you only want to know how to take out the ballast.
I normally like your videos but this doesn’t help me at all I have a total of four tombstones which has two wires on each one of them how do i by pass the ballast to straight wire them to led thanks
I write this review to warn those intending to convert fluorescent to LED tubes in ceiling fixtures that all is not as simple as portrayed in videos and literature on Amazon, Hyperion, and Utube. During 1/2020, after studying Amazon literature, UTube videos, and Hyperikon literature and videos regarding the replacement of fluorescent with LED tubes, I purchased 16 Hyperikon T8 LED Bulbs 4 Foot, 40 Watt Replacement (18W), T10 Light Tube, 5000K, Dual End Ballast Bypass, Direct Wire, UL, DLC, Clear, 12 Pack ($131.55) and 4 Pack ($39.80), 130 Lumens per Watt, 45,000 hour life rating, 5 year warranty from Amazon. I had 4 fixtures in my home, each with four T12 tubes and double ballasts. All the literature and videos led me to believe that the conversion was relatively simple which I could do myself. I opened one fixture, removed the cover housing the wires and ballasts, and quickly realized that things were not as simple as I was led to believe. After hiring an electrician who worked for 3 hours removing the ballasts and rewiring the tombstones where needed (at a cost of $688), the tubes were bright and all I had expected in terms of brightness and CFI. Beware, those who sell LED tubes are in the business of selling tubes! They do not always tell you all the information necessary to complete the conversion. I would recommend you contact an electrician and seek their expertise before purchasing LED conversion tubes.
This entire video is obsolete! All of the LED tubes they have at Home Depot have the power at both ends and are designed to work _with a ballast!_ They don't even make LED bulbs that can work with this wired configuration anymore.
Willie D. You're messing with so called "Plug and Play" tubes that ONLY work with ballasts. They are the lazy way to "convert" to LED. When the ballast fails your tubes don't work either and you will curse the day you bought those P & P tubes. They are type A tubes. Instead get the type B tubes that get hot lines on one end and neutrals to the other. I been fooling with these convertions since before Christmas,. I've learned a lot, mostly the hard way (and lots of youtube tips and vids). Look for type B tubes, if it even says on the box. Good luck
This is incorrect. You can for sure bypass ballasts and really it will save you more money energy wise with the ballasts not being used. The "plug and play" LED bulbs is just a quicker way to use an editing fixture but not saving you as much on utility costs.
Shannon, Great video! Yours is the clearest how-to video I've seen on converting florescent tubes to LED tubes. One thing that should be noted is that, if you are using three-way switches and have multiple fixtures wired in parallel, the wiring will be different, depending on whether the power source is coming from one of the switches or first goes to a fixture. I haven't seen this covered anywhere.
Shannon, I can’t tell you how much your videos have helped me. Thank you for doing it. Every project I take on I always check to see if you’ve covered it yet, usually you have. Thanks again!
With LED you save a lot of energy / electricity. Its very clear the way you explain, the details and everything. Thanks for sharing !
Thank you, thank you for showing how to convert an 8' florescent to LED. I spent an exorbitant amount of time attempting to learn how to & was about to throw in the towel. You made this so simple & easy to follow. Again, my heartfelt thanks. Dale L Charpentier
I have watched a few of these how to vids on converting to LED and you have so far made the best, most easy to understand video. Thank you!
I love the realistic process of your videos. Problems and solutions.
This video was very helpful. I rewired two old fixtures to accept the same bulbs you guys have. Thanks so much for making this video!
Good timing for this video. I wish you had gone over these 8 foot stick lights that were wired in a series. I have this system in my basement.
Appreciate the video, I watched another one that wired up the ballast for dual pin bulbs and that didn't work out too well for single pin bulbs. This was very easy, thank you.
This is probably one of the BEST tutorials for doing this.
I mean I watched about 10 of these things trying to answer varying questions I had and it wasn't until this one that I was like "JFC, that's it?!"
Dude know how to explain things great.
Easy up vote from me.
Great video. As mentioned need to be careful with which bulbs are purchased, especially with T8 or T12 types if just doing a ballast removal. Many Direct Wire LED T8/T12s on Amazon are 'only for non-shunted' meaning that both the hot at neutral are at the same end. If a bulb type says "either shunted or non-shunted" the setup in this video will work (as in hot one side, neutral on the other). Also make sure to by bulbs designed for direct wire, most ones sold as stores are compatible with ballasts, not direct. If you end up buying T8 bulbs for direct wire, i've found GE LED Type B have worked well.
I’ve got 8’ light I redid like this. Only one side is working. The bulb itself says double end powered. I did hot on one side and neutral on other. What did I miss?
Thank you. Best video and instructions. Once u covered the wiring which most people dont. It was a walk in the park
recently a businessman I know asked me about converting to LED. I explained I recommended bypassing the ballast or removing it completely. He wanted to use the electronic ballasts his lights have but I explained the ballast uses power and when they fail he would have to convert to no ballast or buy another on to replace the bad one. when I gave him the breakdown on the cost of use for LED versus Fluorescent he was astounded. He later had all his lights converted and the light output in his store is at least as bright if not brighter than before and the operating cost is about 20% of the old ones. by the way only very old ballasts contain PCB's so that is not a very big problem .
Great video and tutorial. Some of these fly by so fast it's not clear. I like your explanation about ignoring the color.
Love your videos. The consummate professional. I learn so much from you. Thank you!
Live to neutral, just remember that! One end of the bulbs stays live and one end stays neutral :)
I had a mess of wires in my fixture, so I had to make sure that I followed the live wire correctly, and since it was a dual bulb fixture, I had one bulb with live wire at one end and neutral at the same end on the other bulb. I kept re-checking to make sure everything was perfect before I closed the fixture up and turned on the power. It turned out perfect 👍🏼
Thank you Shannon. Lots of wires. Lots and lots.
Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge. Great video
Very clear explanation, thank you! J.R.
Perfect and I greatly appreciate your video with your explanation of what you are doing. I just started replacing mine and it’s so easy. Thank you 👍
I installed the same brand in my kitchen (Hyperikon). I purchased on Amazon. All the LED replacements bulbs at the local home centers required that the ballast be left in place because they were design for direct replacement by home owners. Much (much!) better to remove the ballast. I used a dimmer on my bulbs. There is a little bit of flicker at some (not all) dimmer levels. That's my only complaint.
As always thanks for the great video. You explained things so well and in laymen terms.
Was very informative and instructive helped alot
Good idea. Good explanation.
Informative video. The only input I offer, is always tape your wire nuts.
Shannon, can you please write out a diagram of the wire configuration
Great video Shannon
I know you have hot on one end and neutral on the other. Does it matter which way the bulb is installed?
Exactly what I needed to see .thank you
Great job
Thanks for the video. I didn't see the link to the kit you were demonstrating. Also, what do they call the lights with one pin on either end?
awesome video Shannon you did a great job!
Thanks!
Keep up the great work! love your channel.
Excellent video. Thanks
Not sure what is involved in the "kit" you were talking about.. Aren't you just cutting out the ballast and reconnecting wires? Also, is there any energy savings or performance enhancements from removing the ballast?
Stephen Hill “Bypass ballast” conversion may involve rewiring and replacing tombstone and it looks like the kit includes new tombstones in case you need replacing. Ballasts are really needed only for fluorescent lights so they contribute nothing when led converted.
Is there any other lights (more visually appealing) that install similarly with the wire pulling through the light fixture? I have a wire stubbed out of the wall with no junction box or ceiling box in a closet. My initial intention was to do one of these but not sure if its going to be appealing enough to buyers.
Good video. Have you ever used the wago wire connectors.
Yes I have
FYI some tombstone manufacturers have not approved the direct line voltage method.
the power consumed on each tombstone is usually less than 9 watts so you will never exceed the power rating of them. It is important though to label them as 120v so that in the future they can be change if necessary without danger to the maintenance person.
So if my tombstones already match the LED format, (I have doubles on my fixtures and Costco sells doubles on LEDs) then I shouldn't need a kit right?
Also, and more importantly, would I be wasting my time to go in and rip out my ballasts if everything is working already? I'm totally interested in saving electricity, and would much prefer to not hear the soft "hum" from my lights.
This is a great discussion for our forum and that really is the place to ask questions. www.house-improvements.com/forums/
I had my fluorescent box removed and have a led vanity light. The electrician said because the bulbs are too wide to sit in new light. So, I need to cut some wood with 4 inch hole to allow new light fixture to set out a few more inches....can you pls advise how to do this. Thxs
Well it's not straight 120v power per se, there is a internally powersupply as LED's don't work on AC.
Given the tombstones aren't proprietary, sticking any other bulb in that requires a ballast or power supply in the future would have bad results. A label might be wise to add.
Good job
How do you convert a 4 tube fixture to LED if it is a night light (not controlled by switch) in a office building when it has 3 wires: red, black, and white. I have been using the same method you used in this video when I am doing regular lights that turn off and on with a switch (they only have black and white)
Wondering after watching this if your light system already came with the Tombstone fittings?
Or just clip the wires off of the ballast.
Connected two wires on one end to the neutral. Connect the two wires on the other end coming out of the sockets to the hot. Replace the covers and install the light bulbs. And if there's a wrong PIN go get the right pin... two pin or one pin. You're welcome.
What would happen if someone put a standard fluorescent bulb in a bypassed fixture?
So it is like a battery now? I remove the ballast. Make one side positive and the other ground?
The single ended replacement bulbs seem to be getting harder to find. The two big box stores I checked with only carried the plug-and-play double-end LED tubes. If I want to remove my ballast can I wire the double end up directly to the 120v line circuit with hot at one end and the return at the other?
What about shunted versus non-shunted tombstones?
Remember to recycle the fluorecent lamps they are mercury filled and the ballast contain PCB' s
i realise this is an old video, but if you get a notification, i would like to know the brand, etc., of the fancy dancy stripper you used.......g
This link shows you many different kinds including the type used in our video.www.amazon.com/s?k=wire+strippers&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
Love your videos. Going to build a deck for my grandma but she wants it enclosed with screen doors and windows. Any chance you can show how to do that?
dont they make ballast free led bulbs with 4 pins (2 on each end of the bulb)?
Just curious ,,,,,, how is this fixture doing ? Do these bulbs last ? I hear they are expensive and some blink and some just do not work.
So far these are still working perfectly. No failures yet.
@@HouseImprovements Thank you .
Thank you, this helped a lot.
Where is the link for product manufacturer?
My thoughts while watching, repeatedly: "Well I'd just... oh, yup, you did."
i've watched several of these videos. the only thing missing is handling old ballasts that leak oil. this oil contains pcb's which have been outlawed because of the danger of cancer. wear surgical or other non-absorbent gloves when handling these ballasts. newer ballasts are o.k.
My Fluorescent only has power at one end but uses a 2 pin each side tube
What is your kit brand and where did you buy it? Thanks!
If you had cleaned up all the old trash wires before filming this would be a lot clearer for the viewer.
Are LED'S suitable for use in a UNHEATED Space? Like a unheated garage, shop, shed, crawlspace? Also will they take time to come on? As in the Canadian Prairies Winterpeg is colder than Mars. Man, Sask, Alberta we get temps down to -25c to -40c. Don't get me started with WINDCHILL. Lol.
LEDs will start right up at full lumens in the cold.
Thanks, i was always wondering as i don't want to waste my money on something that won't work in the cold. problem solved.
Nice it
In and 8' fixture 2 lamps you dont have that kind of a diagram for the wiring all you do is disconnect the live wires cut the wires from the ballast at one end where the spring tombstone is tie the wires together the hot wire will go to those wires at the other end time those wires together then tire your neutral wire to those wires and then you tie your hot wire to the other end and your done
Great technology these LED retrofit tubes but OMG, check out how expensive those tubes are! At about $0.15/kWhr (on peak) assuming 4 hours of use per day for two bulbs and a 30,000 hour life for the bulbs, it'll take the average homeowner over 10 years to beak-even in the hydro savings and by then the price of these will be more inline with the garden-variety fluorescent tubes. This retrofit is only viable for commercial, industrial and institutional building owners and operators.
I just bought a set of LED's to try. Mine are 36" t8's and the price difference between flourescent replacements and these was just a couple of dollars. Also, some of my ballasts were burned out, and those cost WAY more than a whole new fixture would have been worth.
@@dart70ca LED T8s can be economical when bought in bulk but I agree that if you have to replace a ballast, go LED and save the fixture if you still like it. Recently, I fitted my garage with some free troffers that had noisy and inefficient magnetic-type ballasts. Bought new electronic ballasts from a supplier who bought the ballasts in bulk and sold them to me for $6 each and threw in several free FL T8s. Good for five years or so. By then, LED T8s will be totally mainstram and affordable.
Andrew Macdonald Nice! Certainly way more expensive here (Vancouver). My LED's were the Hyperikon 36” ones and I installed them yesterday. Jury's still out. I think the light from the fluorescents is still better; more spread and softer shadows. Probably due to the 360 degree nature of the fluorescent bulbs and getting reflections off the ceiling. These were $54 CAD for 4 and a 10% discount kicked in after that (Amazon). Finding 36” tubes locally has been challenging and 36” LED's a total failure. The two fixtures they went into had dead ballasts.
This is a very basic video that only shows how to remove the ballast for ballast bypass TUBES. My research is coming up with limited results for T12 LED tubes (1.5 diameter) and most have very poor ratings. How about a professional opinion an options for people who do have a old fixture that is an 8 foot T12 fixture with the Fa8 single pin base. Best led tubes, single row LED, double row LED, V Shaped LED. Would it be better to convert the two row 8 foot length tube fixture a 4 tube T8 configuration? There is a lot missing here unless you only want to know how to take out the ballast.
I normally like your videos but this doesn’t help me at all I have a total of four tombstones which has two wires on each one of them how do i by pass the ballast to straight wire them to led thanks
The answer to this is in the wiring guide diagram shown at 2:18
Read the instructions!!!
3:30 The other thing you'll need is to TURN OFF THE POWER !!!
I write this review to warn those intending to convert fluorescent to LED tubes in ceiling fixtures that all is not as simple as portrayed in videos and literature on Amazon, Hyperion, and Utube.
During 1/2020, after studying Amazon literature, UTube videos, and Hyperikon literature and videos regarding the replacement of fluorescent with LED tubes, I purchased 16 Hyperikon T8 LED Bulbs 4 Foot, 40 Watt Replacement (18W), T10 Light Tube, 5000K, Dual End Ballast Bypass, Direct Wire, UL, DLC, Clear, 12 Pack ($131.55) and 4 Pack ($39.80), 130 Lumens per Watt, 45,000 hour life rating, 5 year warranty from Amazon. I had 4 fixtures in my home, each with four T12 tubes and double ballasts. All the literature and videos led me to believe that the conversion was relatively simple which I could do myself. I opened one fixture, removed the cover housing the wires and ballasts, and quickly realized that things were not as simple as I was led to believe. After hiring an electrician who worked for 3 hours removing the ballasts and rewiring the tombstones where needed (at a cost of $688), the tubes were bright and all I had expected in terms of brightness and CFI.
Beware, those who sell LED tubes are in the business of selling tubes! They do not always tell you all the information necessary to complete the conversion. I would recommend you contact an electrician and seek their expertise before purchasing LED conversion tubes.
It does completely require the proper tubes for the situation you have. Some tubes do not need the ballast and some tubes will work with a ballast.
Which kit. Link?
'
why why this man use a cap cap on the head
This entire video is obsolete! All of the LED tubes they have at Home Depot have the power at both ends and are designed to work _with a ballast!_ They don't even make LED bulbs that can work with this wired configuration anymore.
Willie D. You're messing with so called "Plug and Play" tubes that ONLY work with ballasts. They are the lazy way to "convert" to LED. When the ballast fails your tubes don't work either and you will curse the day you bought those P & P tubes. They are type A tubes. Instead get the type B tubes that get hot lines on one end and neutrals to the other. I been fooling with these convertions since before Christmas,. I've learned a lot, mostly the hard way (and lots of youtube tips and vids). Look for type B tubes, if it even says on the box. Good luck
This is incorrect. You can for sure bypass ballasts and really it will save you more money energy wise with the ballasts not being used. The "plug and play" LED bulbs is just a quicker way to use an editing fixture but not saving you as much on utility costs.
Your wires are to long you should have cut some of the wires off.
just for the money ??? man man
Bulbs, bulbs?? How about tubes, tubes are the correct terminology.