It's been almost 4 years since this video posted. Here's a new updated version. Hybrid LED tubes make this even easier! ruclips.net/video/VKEQ1HCLW5c/видео.html
I have an 8 ft shop light. Uses 4 ft bulbs. Have blue and red wires in the middle and yellow running to the end. I have double ended LED bulbs. How do I remove the ballast and wire that?
as a maint. man for H.U.D. for 20 years , I have done this many times and still find useful tips in watching these vids regardless if they are directed to the novice. Sometime they will show a cool retrofit or new tool or hardware that I have not seen before . It's all good . you are never done learning . Lighten up !
Converted my kitchen tubes to LED about 5 yerars ago, and been very happy. Since converted my small workshop. It was shadowy under my cabinets, so I made some under-cabinet lights. I bought 4 of the 48" 5000K tubes. Used round connectors to plug thin power cords to the prongs on the tubes, hung them up with rubber bands on magneitic hooks. Happy camper.
I recently bought LED tubes for the kitchen that work with a ballast, I wish I had seen this video first. I have two florescent fixtures in the garage, in one the ballast died this week. I’m switch to direct wired LEDs as things die out. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for showing people the right way to convert to LED. Most people think you save money by just installing direct replacement LED bulbs that run off of the existing ballast. That will not save any money. You have to do the conversion the way the video depicts in order to save money. Nice job
I TOO MISSED THE PART ABOUT THE YELLOW WIRE. i SAW YOU ROLL UP THE RED WIRE AND TIE IT WITH A ZIP TIE. REAL CLEAN JOB. THIS IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN REPLACING THE WHOLE FIXTURE AS ONE PERSON RECOMMENDED. GREAT VIDEO.
The yellow wires only went to the far end tombstones - the ones that don't do anything other than hold that end of the tube in place. I bundled those up much like I did the red wire. However, there is one yellow wire that goes from one end all the way to the other. l just left it in place since it isn't doing anything and does not get energized at all. You could also completely cut this wire out, if you choose.
Here’s a little tip before you spend extra money for non shunted tombstones. Some holders have a fiberboard cover on the back side. Gently pry off the staple and cover and look for a clip connecting the two pin tabs. Remove that clip (it should lift right out) and you now have a non shunted tombstone.
I recently converted 31 6 & 8 tube units. I did not need to change the tombstones. I used 5000K bulbs. The shop now is like working out side on a sunny day. A plus to LED is no or very little heat is generated, so in my shop with saw dust it’s a nice perk. From my days of wiring homes we did not bundle wires and tie them up because of heat build up we would let them just be loose. I do realize with LED there’s not much amp draw so probably not any heat buildup in your bundles but if it was for another heavier amp draw item it may make a difference. Nice video I’m sure it helps people that are wandering through the LED maze.
4-5 years ago, I converted the one in my garage to LED and so glad I did. Although it took a bit longer than your demonstration--first time and I left the fixture mounted--it worked out fantastically. Now, I have such clear, white light in there whenever I need it without the hassle of having to replace the tubes so often.
Converted to LED years ago, bought an LED tube from amazon, came with a special replacement starter to replace the fluorescent tube one. LED will light up only if plugged in the right way round but that was it. Job done and still working. No more flashing tube lights.
I did try this 8 months ago, bought two LED tubes with the connectors on both end. Instruction shows very easy to take out the old connectors and put in these new ones. That is the hard part, I could not even get this going so I returned them. Then I bought LED tubes which include metal housing from Amazon for the same cost,. These LED tubes come in as complete unit. Take off the entire old tube fixtures, then install these in (only two screws needed to attach it to the ceiling or wall), then do the standard 3 wires connection to the old wires (black, white and ground) that feed the old tubes. This is simpler. REMOVE OLD ONE COMPLETELY , INSTALL NEW ONE.
Finally seen a very informative video. Using meter to determine what tombstone fixture has. Single sided bulb is definitely the way to go. Very neat installation with zip ties etc. Class A job.
You seem to be putting the cart before the horse. You have no idea about the longevity because you just got them. Come back in 15 years and if they still work, THEN you have a valid claim. If you think you can trust the cheap ("affordable") LED light lifespan ratings, I have bad news for you.
@@stinkycheese804 Fluorescents lose their brightness rather quickly, LED's dont. That right there justifies the "longevity" comment as far as I'm concerned.
I’m knowledgeable around electricity and converted a Lifelite unit last night. What a different setup! Transformers, capacitors, and startup circuitry instead of your typical ballast. Another difficulty is removing the tombstone holder. Manufactured to be a “one-time”install, it’s a pain to unclip it and get it apart. It took four hands to do it but opened with patience and didn’t break the plastic molded clips. I also found a never soldered wire... no wonder it flickered. My helper was confused but I understand shunted/nonshunted. He wanted to insert a replacement tombstone. But Lifelite doesn’t use the standard snap-in units. So, as you showed, I used my VOM to verify the existing tombstones were non-shunted because we had to use the existing tombstones. You were smart in your video to teach that. We cut out all electronics; two transformers, two capacitors and resistors and the startup circuitry and reduced it to simple 120 VAC hot/neutral at one end for both bulbs. The only thing we left in place was the power ground connection. Snapped the tombstone units back together, inserted the single-ended LED while paying attention to which end power goes in, and it worked perfectly. Only eight more of these to go!
This was one of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. You, sir, are a professional presenter. Thanks for giving me all the information I need to do this in my shop where I am always replacing Fluorescent tubes or ballasts or stumbling around in the dark. Make more instructional videos.
Thanks for the instructional video! I replaced the ballast fluorescent lights in our kitchen with the non-ballast LED lights. Easy-peasy, and we'll save on energy usage!
I needed to watch because I have a mounted kitchen light that is fluorescent and the ballasts failed. Therefore, decided to change it over to LED istead of replacing ballasts..specially since the lumens on LEDs is so much brighter than fluorescent. I love my 4 ft kitchen fixture and can't find a replacemet....and the LED fixtures I've seen to match are hundreds of dollars. So this is worth it to me. Thanks.
I'am a professional electrician and i do recommend single ended led lamps cause are lot of easy to fix them, by the way rarely seen shunted lamp holders unless they are electronic ballast driven. ( wired ballasts or choke coils are more common in my country since they more reliable and long lasting)
This work as described in the video is also illegal in many western countries unless you are an electrician. For most people its better to just buy a light that is designed for LED tubes, although its more expensive.
I have seen a LOT of vids explaining various thing. YOUR'S sir has to be the MOST simple and Direct instructional vid to date. No stories about how Aunt Hilda stubbed her toe because of bad light or the time you and a friend made your dog Bark at the light. I like that..when I look for an Instructional Vid I want Instruction and NOT Stories of relatives no one ever heard of..thanks for being so Direct. Be safe and have a Great Week.
Just some legal info... If you change the construction of a fluorescent fixture the fixture needs to be recertified in Canada. If it causes damage to a person or property you will be held liable. Plus, the tombstones are not rated for 15 amps, so this retrofit does not meet Canadian code.
Well worth the conversion, my home is 100 percent LED for about 8 years, I have integrated Alexa and motion sensors (Insteon) when you walk into a room the light will come on for a pre etermined time or on my steps I have the LED 35 ft light strip, no more turning on and off the lights, its a wonderful thing.
My electricity bill is about 100$ a month with all the CFLs in my house. Not changing anything else in the house except for the light bulbs. I managed to save an average of $25-30 a month in my home. This is a 4 month average. I didn't tell the family anything. We used the same amount of light but got billed for way less each month. I think it's worth it in the long run.
@ki0ng That's apparently a real issue... rats tested with LED's demonstrated measurable destruction on retina cells, at domestic lightning levels ! Don't look at those lights ! The worst issue is maybe on the road, though... much brighter. The light they diffuse is also quite cold, I need to find warmer color temps (couldn't find incandescent bulbs anymore last time, only cold white or colored LED's, not what I was looking for) Maybe some day LED's will end like fluorescent lights, limited to kitchen and public spaces ?
Perfect. You covered everything I needed to know and then some. Learned more than I bargained for. Feeling pretty confident in upgrading the lights in our deli now. Thank you so much.
My hero. Those flourescent lights make me dizzy and fatigue me. Make me sick. I hate being around them. Grocery stores and companies that use fluorescents make me mad. So glad you made this video. You are up with the times. Those flourescents are just ancient history. It is a part of history that needs to be retired to history and never used again. Lots of people are effected by flourescents. They just don't know why they feel the way they feel. You are helping lots of people. I wish companies would get the hint and drop their tubes. LED is the way of the future. Saves lots of money. I cut my electric bill in half by just using LED over those curly lights. LED good for your health. Good for your wallet. They do last a long time. Keep up the good videos. I just subbed. You are the MAN!!!
This was an very good class on how to convert over from Florescent to LED! You made it look so easy to the average home owner do it yourself guy or gal!! Thx for posting your informative video!!😋
as a maintenance man I cant begin to tell you on a room change out for bulbs how many ballsts I changed in twenty years for multistory buildings. my partner and I would take turns climbing the ladder when relamping a floor.I like the idea NO ballasts involved. Wiring by someone else caused havoc on some nonworking fixtures. I enjoy your knowledge on the show I subscribed to. Verizon now retired.
For the cost of the bulbs and conversion you can just about buy a nice led fixture you can drop in and connect wires. Much easier quicker looks bettet and gives better light
Thank you soooooooooo much! We just moved into a new place and the fluorescent lighting in the kitchen was loud, flickery and giving me a headache. Following your instructions I've successfully converted to LEDs. They're easier on the eyes and don't make that head-splitting buzz! Much appreciated :D
Thank you so much for this video. My walk-in closest have been a nightmare for us. The contractor put in fluorescent lights, but cheap ones. So it is constantly going out. When I saw this video, I thought what have I got to lose. It was so simple and easy to do. The lights are so much brighter in both closet. I can actually see clothes and shoes well to see if they goes together or not. Thank you, thank you.
Outstanding tutorial. Well spoken, clearly stated and technical without being too difficult. Your bundling all the excess wire begs the question, "why not just cut off all the excess so that you don't have to bundle it"?
I felt it was unnecessary to cut all those wires off. If I cut them, then I have to strip 12 wire ends. Since I knew that the bundle would be hidden behind the reflector, I just thought it was easier to bundle. Also, those wires carry very little current so heat build up was not a concern.
I've been encouraging my corporate customers to do this for decades. Basically since these tubes became available. For those that balk at the capital outlay of a full conversion (especially in areas without green incentives on them) I tell them to simply convert a fixture each time a ballast inevitably fails.
A T8 Florescent bulb is costing me $3 in packs of 10. The Hyperikon T8 LED's I get cost about $11 each. These are 120-277 Volt. I need 277 volt!!! Not a normal Home Depot LED replacement unless I got one that needed the ballast. I've replaced them to LED's in a couple offices. I've like to convert more as the bulbs or ballast go bad. Havn't made that move yet to do the rest. The front office wants to do their own thing, and plan things, and then it never gets done, instead of myself just doing it.
thank you. I watched a bunch of videos that kept telling me to connect all the positives on one side and the negatives on the other, thinking that made no sense. Your video was what I needed and made me realize that those other videos were all for double ended tubes. Made sense immediately.
When combining groups of wires give the groups several twists and the lengths will merge into tighter group which is neat and easy to fold and zip tie.
At the beginning, 4:03 in, you say to use shunted lamp holders, but later you say you have to use non shunted lamp holders. I know which is right. I just thought you shuold know.
Great video. Now...do it on an 8' ladder, overhead, in a row that goes to the other end of the building. Then, start on the next row. When you're done, go up to the next floor and start over. I understand, it's a helpful video for novices. Keep 'em coming.
I'm confused...I'm not sure if you are aware of it but you contradicted yourself at 3:57 in the video. You described the lamp holders that were already in the fixture and that you needed to replace as non-shunting when you previously (and later towards the end of the video) described them as shunting lamp holders. You did state correctly in other parts of the video that the fixture in which you were replacing the lamp holders, require non-shunting lamp holders on the power end of the lamp.
I have already changed mine to LEDS, On some of the 4 light fixtures I changed the one end blub did not fit. I had to use the pin cap to wedge the cold end without the tombstone. Your presentation is the only one I found using the single ended LEDs.
Replacing fluorescent bulbs with LED is only about 50% more energy efficient, depending on what type of fluorescent bulbs you have. The mail reason I converted was because of the noise the ballasts make. Late at night it drove me crazy. Also, in a cold basement or garage, fluorescent bulbs may flicker until warmed up. LED's won't do that. Note: some (not all) LED bulbs are not instant on and may take a second or two to light up. This may take a little while getting used to. I don't recommend doing the conversion unless you have basic electrical wiring knowledge and skills. You'll want to look for 4000K color temperature LED's to achieve the same exact color as fluorescents.
Glenn Watkins Glenn my Fluorescent ballasts drive me crazy with the noise as well. And when it's cold the noise is worse and the light output is crappy and flickers! What brand LED conversion tubes did you use?
There are way better colours than 4000k out there. I used specific colours for specific applications when I was an electrician with degrees in lighting engineering. In dairies I could get the cows to produce 17% more milk by useing certain colours and in classrooms for kids with ADHD or ADD certain colours have a calming effect. Plus, who wants to duplicate the colour of fluorescent bulbs anyways. Good video though he did leave out some important info
Way better colors ? Color temperature is a personal taste when it comes to home lighting. Not everyone likes soft white (2700K) or ultra-white (5000K up). Most schools and homes use standard 4000K fluorescent bulbs.
Just bought a two pack of LED tubes from costco and put them right in..... they worked like a charm!! Not sure why the fuss over opening up the fixture and re-wiring things 🤪
I just put the new type bulbs in my light without removing the ballast, didn't know to remove it, But, it works great and it's been over a year, so far no problem.
Jake Jones - That’s the proper method on a double ended bulb but as was stated in the video, some bulbs are single ended. One pin is marked L1, the other N. The ETI retro fit kit from Home Depot is configured this way. The pins on the other end are not connected to the internal strip. They are just there to hold the lamp in place.
You said that you replaced the NON-shunted holders with shunted holders. But from what I can tell, you actually did the opposite. 3:53 Perhaps it was just an accidental mix-up of terms? Guess I was lucky in that every fixture had TWO wires into each holder on one end of the fixture. But yeah, I understand that there is no way to attach two wires (hot & common) to the holder, that the electrical end of the LED tube connects to, if there is only one wire coming out of it.
Thank for the diy fluorescent to led conversion. I'm in the UK so we have diffrent wiring, colours, fixtures and connectors. Nice at the end that you explained the light o/p in lumins and the colour. I refitted my lights when thay came out in the UK with Lidl ones bacically reducing my light if all on from 2500 watts to 175 Watts about 10 to 15 years ago. The rule of thumb is you will save approximate 90% of power used. Unfortunately they were 3000 lumins warm colour, so very yellow over the years changing them to 6000 lumins daylight colour. Just subscribed to your channel. Thanks.
I recently converted my fixture to the LED tubes before I saw this. I never knew LED tubes they came in single ended. The local hardwares store by me only had the double ended tubes. I decided to keep the ballast in place in case I decided to go back to fluorescent tubes. There have been complaints about LED's not lasting very long. Also with mine I had the non shunted tombstones and I had to make them shunted in order to make my LED tubes work. Thank you for putting this video out, but people should do there home work before taking on this retro fit. One important thing to note is to make sure your ballast is compatible, mine wasn't. Best to call the manufacturer of the LED tubes to find out for sure. The people at my local hardware store didn't have a clue as to what ballast to use.
Excellent point about checking ballast compatibility! I overlooked this since I was removing the ballast altogether. I think it's a great idea to keep the ballast if it's good, but bypassing it will prolong it's life if you ever decide to go back to fluorescent bulbs. Out of curiosity, do you know why your fixture already had non-shunted tombstones? Does the fixture have a starter in addition to the ballast?
Ballasts compatible LED tube must come with a compatibility list, local hardware store should check the ballast for its customer before selling out the tubes, this is responsibility. Ballast compatible LED tube is a way for fast retrofitting, and another way for fast rewiring is to get a double ended type B LED tube.
Some of the tombstones he had in the fixture had two wires and were probably non-shunted. He replaced them to show how to do it. Actually many fixtures have non shunted tombstones that are wired as shunted. Some of these lamp holders have the wires 'back stabbed' in (like switches do) and can be rewired either way. Costco is selling replacement LED tubes that are double ended and are meant to be used with ballasts. I've used these to upgrade existing fixtures, it's easier to do as there is no rewiring. Also, since the LED tubes draw less power, the ballasts are likely to last longer as they will not get as hot. Also most of the LED tubes are T8's, but they can replace T12 bulbs. One problem with the LED's (especially the 6 and 8 foot ones) is that they are not as rigid as the glass tubes and will sag in the middle. Not a problem if you have a lens in the fixture covering the lights, but if not you might need to add a support clip in the middle of the tube.
I replaced my fluorescents with LEDs without replacing the ballasts. The 8 tubes use a total of 240 Watts. I think they would use much much less if I got rid of the ballasts. I am looking for ways to get rid of power drain, so this video was helpful in understanding how the LED's work. I will get my multimeter out and take some measurements as well as look up the LED tube specs to understand what I'm dealing with.
You have contradicted yourself, You said at the beginning you said you need non shunted lamp holders and then said that you need to replace the pre existing non shunted lamp holders with shunted ones. Did you mean that you need to replace the pre existing shunted ones with non shunted ones? And to fully clarify, do I need shunted or non shunted if a am replacing with a single ended lamp like yours?
Great video. Not sure if anyone noticed but there is a glaring error at the 3:55 minute mark of the video where you state you need to "replace these non-shunted lampholders with shunted lampholders". It's actually the opposite. You need to replace shunted lampholders with non-shunted lampholders"
I have replaced fluorescent tubes with two different LED tubes in our house. One required rewiring to eliminate the ballast., the other just plugged in with no modifications. Obviously the ballast draws power so it is good to eliminate it. In both cases the LED bulbs are performing perfectly. The come on instantly, don't flicker, are brighter than the bulbs they replaced, and none has failed after a year.
The drop-in replacement I can find almost every Home Improvement store and cheap. Around $6 a bulb. But the ones that where you take the ballast out are four times as much. Even on Amazon more expensive.
7 лет назад+1
Another benifit is they work in a cold environment. fluorescent lights HATE the cold and take forever to warm up and give useful light. The colder it is the worse they are. LED is unaffected by cold and you have instant light.
The ballast is just something more that could go wrong. They can also cause buzzing sounds. They also do FAIL. For me I feel it's just better to toss them. So I replaced the fluorescent T8 bulbs in the owner's office and the HR's office. using LED bulbs that work over 120-277 volts. All the lights in the factory are powered by 277 volts. There's so many more lights I could do also. Some also are connected to a battery backup system that's in them. I've had to replace a few ballasts and battery backup systems. It's not hard, you basically rip the ballast out and all the wiring going everywhere. You replace the Keystone on 1 side with a new one. One that allows a black wire connection on one side and a White Wire connection on the other side. Normally both those pins on a florescent Keystone are the same and linked together. That wouldn't work for getting power directly. It's a simple wire hookup. The other side of the fixture there's no wires at all, the only thing it's now doing is holding up that side of the T8 bulb. I also put a label in them that saw 277V Power end, LED Conversion. Just in case it's not me that's doing something with them. These things should last for YEARS and YEARS, and use a fraction of the power. There's no ballast in them to ever have to deal with either now. If I used the lights in my garage a whole lot more, I would start switching them out. Hell I may do that once the bulbs start to fail. The cost of LED keep dropping. Most of the bulbs in my house these days are LED's.
You can use those LED bulbs straight out from the box without rewiring the lamp and without disconnecting the ballast. We used those led bulbs different ways, with an ballast and straight powered to the socket. We found out that if you use the ballast method that the brightness will vary from ballast to ballast even though the same brand /kind is/was used. Rewiring and putting power straight on the sockets will give you the same light output from lamp to lamp. We started out 2 years ago with different locations from cold to hot environment and so far so good with no bad bulb yet.
J & B Homeliving No You Can Not! Unless the LED lamp is specifically made for direct/ ballast operation.... And a great deal of these LED lamps will not work on the old magnetic ballasts!!!! You have to know which type of lamp your are buying.
Very nice and knowledgeable for non technical person. In home where single fluorescent is in use there old fitting doesn't match because the length of LED tube is shorter.
Here in the UK older fittings using a passive ballast and a glow-starter are very common. Single-ended tubes are supplied with a starter that has a 2A fuse in it, so there's nothing to do except replace the old starter with the new one and plug in the tube. 30-second job! For double-end tubes the starter is simply removed and the tube installed. The power is running through the ballast, but the current is low and the power loss pretty small. LEDs still end up taking half the power of the equivalent fluorescent tube. Mine haven't faded at all in two years, unlike standard tubes which steadily fade and also flicker.
Many 4 foot T8 fluorescent tubes use 32 watts of electricity. 4 foot LED replacement tubes use anywhere from 12 to 24W. You'll find most of them are about 18W. So the savings is 14w per bulb.
Might be a good idea to mention how incredibly sharp the edges of sheet metal light fixtures are. Everybody does things different, but using the internal wiring to bundle itself makes for easier troubleshooting if required. And I would always use wirenuts for wire connection. I just don't trust those "push and pray" gizmos. At least I worried about that kind of stuff before I retired ;-)
Sharp sheet metal-- same on computer cases! Mfrs used to tumble in walnut shells, knock off edges, but no more! I call it A FOREST OF RAZOR BLADES! Bring Band-Aids and Neosporin when you open all these things, and if you'll be back in there (or it's your own toy) take a file to accessible edges, then clean up steel dust with a magnet and tack cloth (before it gets between fine traces). Do it right, the first time. Did my shop a couple years ago, no regrets; removed ballasts, cleaned and repainted white inside surfaces.
My experience is that most of those metal cases are apparently made by Wilkinson Sword. Just like the warning on food products about peanuts they should have a warning that "These cases are made in a factory that also makes razor blades."
I hate that! I'm an electrician and I've cut my hands on quite a few sharp fluorescent fixture edges. It's like a papercut, it sucks! I always used wire nuts for a while when wiring ballasts and such but after doing it for so long and the time saved using the push-in connectors are well worth it. I only use the ideal brand which I've never had a failure on. Also gotta use some common sense like don't use them for anything but ballast wiring, always do a quick "tug" test. If the connection doesn't hold up to being given a good tug then the connection is not made in my eyes. Amazing how many helpers I've worked with who were never taught the good 'ol tug test. Can save you a lot of troubleshooting down the line bc a connection will look like it's good up until someone pulls it out of the box
Not only are most modern sheet metal assemblies nothing but assemblages of razor blades, but by cutting those zip-ties that way you are adding even more flesh rending points. Use a flush-cutter and cut flush to the zip-tie head. (Your wire cutters are diagonal cutters. Flush cutters have the outside of the blades ground such that the cutting edges are flush with the outside face of the blades. Your knuckles will thank you next time you need to work on these.)
Flush cut plyers aren't part of your average electrician or homeowner's tool chest, BUT if you have a pair of linesman plyers you can twist the 'lil buggers til they snap off. The result is a nice soft nubbin of broken plastic. If I'm using the big thick tie wraps I'll usually cut little chamfers on those sharp edges if cutting into hands or other wires is a concern
I installed a new 24" fluorescent F20T12CW undercounter lamp fixture in my kitchen about a year ago. The bulb draws 20 watts of power. I checked on a LED tube to replace the older style fluorescent bulb and found it draws 16 watts of power. For a savings of 4 watts, it's hardly worth the effort or cost effective to replace the 24" fluorescent lamp. The lamp assembly cost $30 to begin with, and at a savings of only 4 watts, not worth replacing. That said, I've replaced all my incandescent bulbs with LED's all over the house and in the front and back entryways outside. At a cost of $.95 for each LED bulb (subsidized by the government) it was indeed cost effective: equivalent 40, 60, 75 & 100 watt replacement (in Lumens) LED's draw 6, 9, 11 & 15 watts respectively. Now THAT is a savings I can see over time on my electric bill. But replacing a year old 24" fluorescent fixture with a LED to save 4 watts? Forget it.
utubetommy , your old flourecent bulb loses about half its lighting power after about a year (it consumes the gas)and needs to be changed, even though it loses lighting power it still consumes the same. The LED will also lose power but slightly less than 1% per year.
The LEDs SHOULD last much longer. If the fixture is in a hard to reach position that's a good reason to switch to LEDs when your current tubes or ballast fail.
Derek Greenhalgh, you’re talking rubbish. I’ve had the same fluorescent tube in my kitchen for 15 years and it hasn’t lost any lighting power. Going by your analogy when I turn my light on at night it should still be dark. I was thinking the same thing, that it isn’t cost effective to even replace with a LED fixture never mind convert it. Both ways uses more Watts. Also we are led to believe that modern LED bulbs should last around 25 yrs. this is obviously non tested as the current versions haven’t been around long enough to test that theory. I think 15 years from my 11 watt lamp is good going. I could replace with LED that will fail in a week. That’s the reality is they have a much higher fail rate than any bulb out there. This is down to the power supply transformers within and not the diodes themselves so technically the diodes could last 25 years however the transformers won’t.
Idk about half its light output, maybe a quarter. Also, magnetic fluorescent ballasts themselves as used by most T12 fixtures are very inefficient. The lamp may typically draw X watts but the actual input power draw may be more (or less) depending on the ballast driving it.
I have upgraded a few hundred at our school. I have only found one shunted tombstone. If you are installing shunted tombstones,you will have a direct short. LEDs only mostly use non shunted tombstones.
Thank you for your DYI. I have 12 florescent old style double ended overhead lights that I want to convert to LED. I haven't investigated how much this will cost me, though I have purchased LED lights for my fish tank. Your video gives me options that I didn't know I had!
around minute 3:55, you talk about replacing the non-shunted wire holders with shunted wire holders. Isn't it the other way around? I believe minute 11:47 has it right, so I understand the concept. Very informative video. Thanks for the info.
Nice catch, Michel! You are correct, that was stated backwards. For a conversion to single ended LEDs, you are replacing shunted lamp holders with non-shunted.
Plug and play, type A for use with ballasts, Type B are for direct 110V wiring, Type C for remote driver. I prefer the double end 4 pin tubes, easy rewiring, I use Type B 99% of the time.
What this shows is correct for single ended led tubes. On thing that wasn’t mentioned is the tubes are only powered from one end. The tubes are labeled.
no need to replace tombstones... use one of each wire on one side & plugged into 4 holes connector with wires & also input wire.... do the same for opposite side..... quick & easy. on the ceiling conversion, I used a wire or rope to hold the middle & the lower part would fall down....now I can do it about 15 minutes each......practice make perfect.
This video demonstrates the conversion using single ended LED tubes. Most fixtures that use an electronic ballast use shunted tombstones which will not work with a single ended LED tube. Non-shunted tombstones must be used.
I bought T-8 fluorescent fixtures for my garage about 2 years ago. Earlier this month, bought 2 LED tubes. Popped them into one of the fixtures and they work just fine. Must be comparable with solid state ballast.
the easy way is to go to home depot buy led tubes that work in your current fixture thats all i did and it worked perfectly just like i was replacing normal bulbs
This is more for those interested in upgrading their fluorescent lights to remove a broken or damaged ballast. This also reduces the power consumption as the old ballast when left in still has the same amp draw.
I have converted 5 or so 2 bulb fixtures to LED. I was able to "de-shunt" my original tombstones. Made the mistake of using 5K or 6K bulbs in my office. Tried 3K bulbs, too homey, so settled on 4K color, perfect. I ended removing 1 bulb in several of the fixtures to tone down the lumens. Did all mine overhead. Bulbs have lasted very well at a fraction of the energy. I absolutely would not use fluorescents ever again, anywhere at anytime. A 2 bulb lamp would have been less confusing for demonstration purposes. If you don't have a lens on your fixture, highly recommend frosted bulb tubes, to avoid bright pin point light.
Generally, yes. I have yet to come across an LED replacement tube that *requires* a ballast. Many require removal of or bypassing the ballast while some will work with or without the ballast. Just be sure to check the tube manufacturer's instructions. I highly recommend removing or bypassing the ballast for one simple reason...that ballast will eventually fail so why not just remove that possibility when you have the fixture open!
Some LED units still use the ballast. Makes them simple to install. Remote old Fluorescent light, pop in new LED light and done!!! It's that simple. Other LED bulbs use no ballast and are powered on either just the 1 end or both ends. The ones I've installed at work, I used the single end ones and replaced the Tombstones. They're called that because that is what they look like. Mini Tombstones!!! I think it's worth the little extra effort to toss the ballast and never have to deal with it again. It's something that could fail a year or 5 down the road. Why not take it out of the picture. They also have making buzzing type noises. It really is pretty simple to convert. After you do the first one, the following fixtures will be even easier. It's 3 wires, Black, White and Green/Bare-Ground. It's not rocket science. It's one of the most basic things you can do in home repair.
At one point you said we needed non-shunted lamp holders for the LED bulbs. Then, at 3:57, you said we need to replace the non-shunted holders with shunted holders. A bit confusing, but I think your first statement is the correct one.
@@ToolboxDIY I get it: the first statement was correct and the second statement was not. BTW, I just got done converting the first of many fixtures to use the LED tubes. Took an hour, mostly because I soldered all the wire connections. Thanks for the video, it gave me confidence to finally tackle the job.
Good Video! 6 LED Bulbs is over kill. One bulb on each end will put out plenty of light, as bright as 6 florescent s did, plus 2 is 1/3 the cost. Double ended LED Tubes have a tiny schematic diagram that shows to wire one side BLK other side WHT (using shunted tombstones). Definitely take out that old ballast and recycle. They also get very hot so let them cool down before removing.
Another 2 cents. For work get the higher Kelvin, closer to day light tubes. The bluer light makes details a bit sharper. Grandma might prefer the warmer light, it'll show fewer wrinkles. And don't listen to anyone saying "Daylight fluorescent? those things are terrible!!" That person will be at least 50 years old. There used to be a 'daylight fluorescent' in the 50s and 60s (maybe earlier) that flickered and gave off a really ugly greenish light (not at all daylight). It was supposed to be a cheap and efficient solution for lighting up passages and stairways. They noticeably flickered. If you've ever wondered what a migraine headache is like, find one of those old fixtures and spend an hour reading under it's light. Daylight (the temperature of the sun's surface after it passes through our atmosphere) is 5500 degrees Kelvin and the best light to work under (so long as it isn't flickering), shows colors the best. (Yes I know our eyes adjust, but I can prove this). LEDs really are wonderful.
@@irishguy200007 LED light emitting diode uses a sine wave through drivers (like a ballast in non tech talk), there is no arching inert gas such as fluorescent plus your dealling with half the wattage with LED then 40 w att or higher flourscent that the drivers can control with lower wattage. If you were to put a LED driver bulb in a flourscent system with out removing ballast the arch charge would destroy the drivers instantly- possibly electrical fire.
I wish I saw this video 3 years ago. I had shop fluorescent fixtures. I wanted to rewire them but I was to nervous because there was not enough information on how to do it. Instead I did what I know how to wire. I put 12 incandescent fixtures in with LED incandescent bulb type that just screw in. I think I paid a lot more for installing the old fixtures plus LED type that screws in.
Personally, I would not use that type of wire connector. The contact area between wires is significantly smaller than using traditional wire nuts. It is a similar connection to the push in connections on light switches and receptacles which I have seen others use many times and I have seen fail over and over again. The fix for them is to use the screws on the sides.
fbeckman, can you provide a pic or link for the kind of connector you are referring to? Thank you in advance! I'm getting ready to do this change over and if a better part is out there, I'd like to have a look.
It's not always possible to replace as shown because LED tubes are different lengths compared to old tubes. I find it easiest to replace fitting once and for all. Also if you do get tubes right lengths all you need to do is rewire 2 leads to one side of fitting per tube. No need to replace receptacle on ends of fitting.
I did replace the whole light fixtures as I hate the look of neon tube fixtures. A couple of $3 light bulb holders from Home depot to go along with LED light bulbs
I understand you misspoke and said shunted instead of non-shunted, but this is such a huge error that you should really reshoot this portion of the video and take this one down. This error could be dangerous and result in a direct short if someone follows this wrong instruction.
Yes!! VERY irresponsible to leave this video as is ...he has people buying shunted tombstones to replace non shunted ones which is RIDICULOUSLY STUPID! You only need to buy ONE non shunted tombstone IF there is not one available for each tube in the fixture....DUHH!! FIX the video! Don't just leave it all confusing!
@@dougiequick1 how do I know if mine is shunted or not? I have 4 bulbs in a 2×4 foot fixture recessed into my ceiling tile ceiling. I understand (some?) LEDs only need power on one side? Watched a few videos and its confusing. I've seen some people kerping like colors connected, and others mixing colors
@Todd R if you currently have ballasts you can buy led bulbs that use a ballast or bulbs that don't require ballasts. Ideally it's best to go non-ballast then you never have to worry about ballast failure or ballast start up in cold temps.
I was at Lowes today and I was told I would need to install a T8 ballast if I remove the T12 ballast otherwise the their bulbs would not work, I need clarification. All they sell are replacement T8 4' tubes . I was told by the time I buy a new T8 ballast and bulbs for $6.50 each I could buy a complete work light assembled. Thoughts, Thanks, Tim
It's been almost 4 years since this video posted. Here's a new updated version. Hybrid LED tubes make this even easier! ruclips.net/video/VKEQ1HCLW5c/видео.html
I have an 8 ft shop light. Uses 4 ft bulbs. Have blue and red wires in the middle and yellow running to the end. I have double ended LED bulbs. How do I remove the ballast and wire that?
Hi, how do I do the opposite? I want to put fluorescent tubes inside a LED fixture... Please advise!!
Thanks
Will hybrid tubes work with this conversion?
as a maint. man for H.U.D. for 20 years , I have done this many times and still find useful tips in watching these vids regardless if they are directed to the novice. Sometime they will show a cool retrofit or new tool or hardware that I have not seen before . It's all good . you are never done learning . Lighten up !
Viet Namese
Converted my kitchen tubes to LED about 5 yerars ago, and been very happy. Since converted my small workshop. It was shadowy under my cabinets, so I made some under-cabinet lights. I bought 4 of the 48" 5000K tubes. Used round connectors to plug thin power cords to the prongs on the tubes, hung them up with rubber bands on magneitic hooks. Happy camper.
I recently bought LED tubes for the kitchen that work with a ballast, I wish I had seen this video first. I have two florescent fixtures in the garage, in one the ballast died this week. I’m switch to direct wired LEDs as things die out. Thanks for the video.
Plus leaving the ballast insures greater electric usage! Go bypass and save
Thanks for showing people the right way to convert to LED. Most people think you save money by just installing direct replacement LED bulbs that run off of the existing ballast. That will not save any money. You have to do the conversion the way the video depicts in order to save money. Nice job
Ballasts are quickly disappearing. Home Depot only has one type and plan to have none by next year
Did three fluorescent lights today...took about 15-20minutes each. Thanks for the vid.
I TOO MISSED THE PART ABOUT THE YELLOW WIRE. i SAW YOU ROLL UP THE RED WIRE AND TIE IT WITH A ZIP TIE. REAL CLEAN JOB. THIS IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN REPLACING THE WHOLE FIXTURE AS ONE PERSON RECOMMENDED. GREAT VIDEO.
The yellow wires only went to the far end tombstones - the ones that don't do anything other than hold that end of the tube in place. I bundled those up much like I did the red wire. However, there is one yellow wire that goes from one end all the way to the other. l just left it in place since it isn't doing anything and does not get energized at all. You could also completely cut this wire out, if you choose.
Here’s a little tip before you spend extra money for non shunted tombstones. Some holders have a fiberboard cover on the back side. Gently pry off the staple and cover and look for a clip connecting the two pin tabs. Remove that clip (it should lift right out) and you now have a non shunted tombstone.
When I opened mine, there was just a wire on bottom between the two sides. I cut that and voila, non-shunted.
Make your own video thanks GOD bless you
I recently converted 31 6 & 8 tube units. I did not need to change the tombstones. I used 5000K bulbs. The shop now is like working out side on a sunny day. A plus to LED is no or very little heat is generated, so in my shop with saw dust it’s a nice perk. From my days of wiring homes we did not bundle wires and tie them up because of heat build up we would let them just be loose. I do realize with LED there’s not much amp draw so probably not any heat buildup in your bundles but if it was for another heavier amp draw item it may make a difference. Nice video I’m sure it helps people that are wandering through the LED maze.
4-5 years ago, I converted the one in my garage to LED and so glad I did. Although it took a bit longer than your demonstration--first time and I left the fixture mounted--it worked out fantastically. Now, I have such clear, white light in there whenever I need it without the hassle of having to replace the tubes so often.
Converted to LED years ago, bought an LED tube from amazon, came with a special replacement starter to replace the fluorescent tube one. LED will light up only if plugged in the right way round but that was it. Job done and still working. No more flashing tube lights.
I did try this 8 months ago, bought two LED tubes with the connectors on both end. Instruction shows very easy to take out the old connectors and put in these new ones. That is the hard part, I could not even get this going so I returned them. Then I bought LED tubes which include metal housing from Amazon for the same cost,. These LED tubes come in as complete unit. Take off the entire old tube fixtures, then install these in (only two screws needed to attach it to the ceiling or wall), then do the standard 3 wires connection to the old wires (black, white and ground) that feed the old tubes. This is simpler. REMOVE OLD ONE COMPLETELY , INSTALL NEW ONE.
Finally seen a very informative video. Using meter to determine what tombstone fixture has. Single sided bulb is definitely the way to go. Very neat installation with zip ties etc. Class A job.
I've been converting all my lights to LED. At first it was cost prohibitive, but now it's affordable. I love the longevity.
You seem to be putting the cart before the horse. You have no idea about the longevity because you just got them. Come back in 15 years and if they still work, THEN you have a valid claim. If you think you can trust the cheap ("affordable") LED light lifespan ratings, I have bad news for you.
@@stinkycheese804 Fluorescents lose their brightness rather quickly, LED's dont. That right there justifies the "longevity" comment as far as I'm concerned.
@@stinkycheese804 Not having a ballast makes it worthwhile to me right off the bat.
I’m knowledgeable around electricity and converted a Lifelite unit last night. What a different setup! Transformers, capacitors, and startup circuitry instead of your typical ballast. Another difficulty is removing the tombstone holder. Manufactured to be a “one-time”install, it’s a pain to unclip it and get it apart. It took four hands to do it but opened with patience and didn’t break the plastic molded clips. I also found a never soldered wire... no wonder it flickered. My helper was confused but I understand shunted/nonshunted. He wanted to insert a replacement tombstone. But Lifelite doesn’t use the standard snap-in units. So, as you showed, I used my VOM to verify the existing tombstones were non-shunted because we had to use the existing tombstones. You were smart in your video to teach that. We cut out all electronics; two transformers, two capacitors and resistors and the startup circuitry and reduced it to simple 120 VAC hot/neutral at one end for both bulbs. The only thing we left in place was the power ground connection. Snapped the tombstone units back together, inserted the single-ended LED while paying attention to which end power goes in, and it worked perfectly. Only eight more of these to go!
This was one of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. You, sir, are a professional presenter. Thanks for giving me all the information I need to do this in my shop where I am always replacing Fluorescent tubes or ballasts or stumbling around in the dark. Make more instructional videos.
Thank you for talking on bolts nuts parts n techniques of conversion. Great hands on workshop.
Thanks for the instructional video! I replaced the ballast fluorescent lights in our kitchen with the non-ballast LED lights. Easy-peasy, and we'll save on energy usage!
I needed to watch because I have a mounted kitchen light that is fluorescent and the ballasts failed. Therefore, decided to change it over to LED istead of replacing ballasts..specially since the lumens on LEDs is so much brighter than fluorescent. I love my 4 ft kitchen fixture and can't find a replacemet....and the LED fixtures I've seen to match are hundreds of dollars. So this is worth it to me. Thanks.
I'am a professional electrician and i do recommend single ended led lamps cause are lot of easy to fix them, by the way rarely seen shunted lamp holders unless they are electronic ballast driven. ( wired ballasts or choke coils are more common in my country since they more reliable and long lasting)
This work as described in the video is also illegal in many western countries unless you are an electrician. For most people its better to just buy a light that is designed for LED tubes, although its more expensive.
I have seen a LOT of vids explaining various thing. YOUR'S sir has to be the MOST simple and Direct instructional vid to date. No stories about how Aunt Hilda stubbed her toe because of bad light or the time you and a friend made your dog Bark at the light. I like that..when I look for an Instructional Vid I want Instruction and NOT Stories of relatives no one ever heard of..thanks for being so Direct. Be safe and have a Great Week.
Just some legal info...
If you change the construction of a fluorescent fixture the fixture needs to be recertified in Canada. If it causes damage to a person or property you will be held liable.
Plus, the tombstones are not rated for 15 amps, so this retrofit does not meet Canadian code.
Exactly. And where is the disconnect?
Well worth the conversion, my home is 100 percent LED for about 8 years, I have integrated Alexa and motion sensors (Insteon) when you walk into a room the light will come on for a pre etermined time or on my steps I have the LED 35 ft light strip, no more turning on and off the lights, its a wonderful thing.
My electricity bill is about 100$ a month with all the CFLs in my house. Not changing anything else in the house except for the light bulbs. I managed to save an average of $25-30 a month in my home. This is a 4 month average. I didn't tell the family anything. We used the same amount of light but got billed for way less each month. I think it's worth it in the long run.
Replaced every bulb in my house. Now with outside lights on all inside lights on total of 190 watts. 3 bedroom home
But what was the capital cost to covert those? Did you include those costs?
@ki0ng That's apparently a real issue... rats tested with LED's demonstrated measurable destruction on retina cells, at domestic lightning levels !
Don't look at those lights ! The worst issue is maybe on the road, though... much brighter.
The light they diffuse is also quite cold, I need to find warmer color temps (couldn't find incandescent bulbs anymore last time, only cold white or colored LED's, not what I was looking for) Maybe some day LED's will end like fluorescent lights, limited to kitchen and public spaces ?
What a great video! Clear explanations, no background "music," no wasted time. Many thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
Perfect. You covered everything I needed to know and then some. Learned more than I bargained for. Feeling pretty confident in upgrading the lights in our deli now. Thank you so much.
My hero. Those flourescent lights make me dizzy and fatigue me. Make me sick. I hate being around them. Grocery stores and companies that use fluorescents make me mad. So glad you made this video. You are up with the times. Those flourescents are just ancient history. It is a part of history that needs to be retired to history and never used again. Lots of people are effected by flourescents. They just don't know why they feel the way they feel. You are helping lots of people. I wish companies would get the hint and drop their tubes. LED is the way of the future. Saves lots of money. I cut my electric bill in half by just using LED over those curly lights. LED good for your health. Good for your wallet. They do last a long time. Keep up the good videos. I just subbed. You are the MAN!!!
This was an very good class on how to convert over from Florescent to LED! You made it look so easy to the average home owner do it yourself guy or gal!! Thx for posting your informative video!!😋
as a maintenance man I cant begin to tell you on a room change out for bulbs how many ballsts I changed in twenty years for multistory buildings. my partner and I would take turns climbing the ladder when relamping a floor.I like the idea NO ballasts involved. Wiring by someone else caused havoc on some nonworking fixtures. I enjoy your knowledge on the show I subscribed to. Verizon now retired.
For the cost of the bulbs and conversion you can just about buy a nice led fixture you can drop in and connect wires. Much easier quicker looks bettet and gives better light
And send the old ones to the landfill???
Not as easy if your in a shop or commercial building where you have conduit running to each fixture with wires from one to the next.
Thank you soooooooooo much! We just moved into a new place and the fluorescent lighting in the kitchen was loud, flickery and giving me a headache. Following your instructions I've successfully converted to LEDs. They're easier on the eyes and don't make that head-splitting buzz! Much appreciated :D
Great informative video.
I was considering replacing my florescent lights in my shop. Now I will just convert them.
Thank you so much for this video. My walk-in closest have been a nightmare for us. The contractor put in fluorescent lights, but cheap ones. So it is constantly going out. When I saw this video, I thought what have I got to lose. It was so simple and easy to do. The lights are so much brighter in both closet. I can actually see clothes and shoes well to see if they goes together or not. Thank you, thank you.
At home I just replace it with $10 LED sets from Walmart. Left old transformer in. Works fine. Plug and play.
Some bulbs are direct replacement but the ballast sucks too much power, inefficient, puts out a lot of heat.
Outstanding tutorial. Well spoken, clearly stated and technical without being too difficult. Your bundling all the excess wire begs the question, "why not just cut off all the excess so that you don't have to bundle it"?
I felt it was unnecessary to cut all those wires off. If I cut them, then I have to strip 12 wire ends. Since I knew that the bundle would be hidden behind the reflector, I just thought it was easier to bundle. Also, those wires carry very little current so heat build up was not a concern.
I've been encouraging my corporate customers to do this for decades. Basically since these tubes became available. For those that balk at the capital outlay of a full conversion (especially in areas without green incentives on them) I tell them to simply convert a fixture each time a ballast inevitably fails.
A T8 Florescent bulb is costing me $3 in packs of 10. The Hyperikon T8 LED's I get cost about $11 each. These are 120-277 Volt. I need 277 volt!!! Not a normal Home Depot LED replacement unless I got one that needed the ballast. I've replaced them to LED's in a couple offices. I've like to convert more as the bulbs or ballast go bad. Havn't made that move yet to do the rest. The front office wants to do their own thing, and plan things, and then it never gets done, instead of myself just doing it.
Have never known a balast to fail but granted they could but they also draw some power so best to get rid
pChristopher Gaul ‘h. Hi 51’/
@@jbdragon3295 $11each ? The T8 tube 18W 1800lm ,pf0.9, we ship to US just cost 2.3$
@@gowdsake7103
They fail all the time
thank you. I watched a bunch of videos that kept telling me to connect all the positives on one side and the negatives on the other, thinking that made no sense.
Your video was what I needed and made me realize that those other videos were all for double ended tubes. Made sense immediately.
This information will save me several hundred on my shop lighting conversation
When combining groups of wires give the groups several twists and the lengths will merge into tighter group which is neat and easy to fold and zip tie.
Good tip. Thanks!
At the beginning, 4:03 in, you say to use shunted lamp holders, but later you say you have to use non shunted lamp holders.
I know which is right. I just thought you shuold know.
Great video. Now...do it on an 8' ladder, overhead, in a row that goes to the other end of the building. Then, start on the next row.
When you're done, go up to the next floor and start over.
I understand, it's a helpful video for novices. Keep 'em coming.
I'm confused...I'm not sure if you are aware of it but you contradicted yourself at 3:57 in the video. You described the lamp holders that were already in the fixture and that you needed to replace as non-shunting when you previously (and later towards the end of the video) described them as shunting lamp holders. You did state correctly in other parts of the video that the fixture in which you were replacing the lamp holders, require non-shunting lamp holders on the power end of the lamp.
I have already changed mine to LEDS, On some of the 4 light fixtures I changed the one end blub did not fit. I had to use the pin cap to wedge the cold end without the tombstone. Your presentation is the only one I found using the single ended LEDs.
Replacing fluorescent bulbs with LED is only about 50% more energy efficient, depending on what type of fluorescent bulbs you have. The mail reason I converted was because of the noise the ballasts make. Late at night it drove me crazy. Also, in a cold basement or garage, fluorescent bulbs may flicker until warmed up. LED's won't do that. Note: some (not all) LED bulbs are not instant on and may take a second or two to light up. This may take a little while getting used to. I don't recommend doing the conversion unless you have basic electrical wiring knowledge and skills. You'll want to look for 4000K color temperature LED's to achieve the same exact color as fluorescents.
Glenn Watkins like LED bulbs, fluorescent lamps also come various color temperatures, not just 4000k.
Glenn Watkins Glenn my Fluorescent ballasts drive me crazy with the noise as well. And when it's cold the noise is worse and the light output is crappy and flickers! What brand LED conversion tubes did you use?
There are way better colours than 4000k out there. I used specific colours for specific applications when I was an electrician with degrees in lighting engineering. In dairies I could get the cows to produce 17% more milk by useing certain colours and in classrooms for kids with ADHD or ADD certain colours have a calming effect. Plus, who wants to duplicate the colour of fluorescent bulbs anyways. Good video though he did leave out some important info
I converted 4 dual tube ceiling mount fixtures using these bulbs: www.ebay.com/itm/161612851107
Way better colors ? Color temperature is a personal taste when it comes to home lighting. Not everyone likes soft white (2700K) or ultra-white (5000K up). Most schools and homes use standard 4000K fluorescent bulbs.
Just bought a two pack of LED tubes from costco and put them right in..... they worked like a charm!! Not sure why the fuss over opening up the fixture and re-wiring things 🤪
Ballasts put out high voltage, some LED's need that, others are designed for 120VAC which is typical house voltage, so you have to know the difference
Very good and very clear i must said everything is very simple thank you
I just put the new type bulbs in my light without removing the ballast, didn't know to remove it, But, it works great and it's been over a year, so far no problem.
I have done several conversions and never changed the ends. You simply connect the hot to one wire and the common to the other.
Jake Jones - That’s the proper method on a double ended bulb but as was stated in the video, some bulbs are single ended. One pin is marked L1, the other N. The ETI retro fit kit from Home Depot is configured this way. The pins on the other end are not connected to the internal strip. They are just there to hold the lamp in place.
You said that you replaced the NON-shunted holders with shunted holders. But from what I can tell, you actually did the opposite. 3:53 Perhaps it was just an accidental mix-up of terms?
Guess I was lucky in that every fixture had TWO wires into each holder on one end of the fixture. But yeah, I understand that there is no way to attach two wires (hot & common) to the holder, that the electrical end of the LED tube connects to, if there is only one wire coming out of it.
Thank for the diy fluorescent to led conversion.
I'm in the UK so we have diffrent wiring, colours, fixtures and connectors.
Nice at the end that you explained the light o/p in lumins and the colour.
I refitted my lights when thay came out in the UK with Lidl ones bacically reducing my light if all on from 2500 watts to 175 Watts about 10 to 15 years ago.
The rule of thumb is you will save approximate 90% of power used.
Unfortunately they were 3000 lumins warm colour, so very yellow over the years changing them to 6000 lumins daylight colour.
Just subscribed to your channel.
Thanks.
I recently converted my fixture to the LED tubes before I saw this. I never knew LED tubes they came in single ended. The local hardwares store by me only had the double ended tubes. I decided to keep the ballast in place in case I decided to go back to fluorescent tubes. There have been complaints about LED's not lasting very long. Also with mine I had the non shunted tombstones and I had to make them shunted in order to make my LED tubes work. Thank you for putting this video out, but people should do there home work before taking on this retro fit. One important thing to note is to make sure your ballast is compatible, mine wasn't. Best to call the manufacturer of the LED tubes to find out for sure. The people at my local hardware store didn't have a clue as to what ballast to use.
Excellent point about checking ballast compatibility! I overlooked this since I was removing the ballast altogether. I think it's a great idea to keep the ballast if it's good, but bypassing it will prolong it's life if you ever decide to go back to fluorescent bulbs.
Out of curiosity, do you know why your fixture already had non-shunted tombstones? Does the fixture have a starter in addition to the ballast?
Ballasts compatible LED tube must come with a compatibility list, local hardware store should check the ballast for its customer before selling out the tubes, this is responsibility. Ballast compatible LED tube is a way for fast retrofitting, and another way for fast rewiring is to get a double ended type B LED tube.
Some of the tombstones he had in the fixture had two wires and were probably non-shunted. He replaced them to show how to do it. Actually many fixtures have non shunted tombstones that are wired as shunted. Some of these lamp holders have the wires 'back stabbed' in (like switches do) and can be rewired either way.
Costco is selling replacement LED tubes that are double ended and are meant to be used with ballasts. I've used these to upgrade existing fixtures, it's easier to do as there is no rewiring. Also, since the LED tubes draw less power, the ballasts are likely to last longer as they will not get as hot.
Also most of the LED tubes are T8's, but they can replace T12 bulbs. One problem with the LED's (especially the 6 and 8 foot ones) is that they are not as rigid as the glass tubes and will sag in the middle. Not a problem if you have a lens in the fixture covering the lights, but if not you might need to add a support clip in the middle of the tube.
I replaced my fluorescents with LEDs without replacing the ballasts. The 8 tubes use a total of 240 Watts. I think they would use much much less if I got rid of the ballasts. I am looking for ways to get rid of power drain, so this video was helpful in understanding how the LED's work. I will get my multimeter out and take some measurements as well as look up the LED tube specs to understand what I'm dealing with.
Costco has Feit LED tubes that fit 4 foot T8 or T12 fixtures for about $12. Pop 'em in, you're done and they are MUCH brighter and instant on.
You have contradicted yourself, You said at the beginning you said you need non shunted lamp holders and then said that you need to replace the pre existing non shunted lamp holders with shunted ones. Did you mean that you need to replace the pre existing shunted ones with non shunted ones? And to fully clarify, do I need shunted or non shunted if a am replacing with a single ended lamp like yours?
If they’re single ended led bulbs. You can simply disconnect the other end and use it as a holder because there is no current running them.
He did misspeak and say he was going to install shunted tombstones but of course he installed non-shunted.
Great video. Not sure if anyone noticed but there is a glaring error at the 3:55 minute mark of the video where you state you need to "replace these non-shunted lampholders with shunted lampholders". It's actually the opposite. You need to replace shunted lampholders with non-shunted lampholders"
I have replaced fluorescent tubes with two different LED tubes in our house. One required rewiring to eliminate the ballast., the other just plugged in with no modifications. Obviously the ballast draws power so it is good to eliminate it.
In both cases the LED bulbs are performing perfectly. The come on instantly, don't flicker, are brighter than the bulbs they replaced, and none has failed after a year.
The drop-in replacement I can find almost every Home Improvement store and cheap. Around $6 a bulb. But the ones that where you take the ballast out are four times as much. Even on Amazon more expensive.
Another benifit is they work in a cold environment. fluorescent lights HATE the cold and take forever to warm up and give useful light. The colder it is the worse they are. LED is unaffected by cold and you have instant light.
Dug Bard
The Ballast dont draw power, it is just a length of wound wire.
The ballast is just something more that could go wrong. They can also cause buzzing sounds. They also do FAIL. For me I feel it's just better to toss them. So I replaced the fluorescent T8 bulbs in the owner's office and the HR's office. using LED bulbs that work over 120-277 volts. All the lights in the factory are powered by 277 volts. There's so many more lights I could do also. Some also are connected to a battery backup system that's in them. I've had to replace a few ballasts and battery backup systems.
It's not hard, you basically rip the ballast out and all the wiring going everywhere. You replace the Keystone on 1 side with a new one. One that allows a black wire connection on one side and a White Wire connection on the other side. Normally both those pins on a florescent Keystone are the same and linked together. That wouldn't work for getting power directly. It's a simple wire hookup. The other side of the fixture there's no wires at all, the only thing it's now doing is holding up that side of the T8 bulb. I also put a label in them that saw 277V Power end, LED Conversion. Just in case it's not me that's doing something with them.
These things should last for YEARS and YEARS, and use a fraction of the power. There's no ballast in them to ever have to deal with either now. If I used the lights in my garage a whole lot more, I would start switching them out. Hell I may do that once the bulbs start to fail. The cost of LED keep dropping. Most of the bulbs in my house these days are LED's.
You can use those LED bulbs straight out from the box without rewiring the lamp and without disconnecting the ballast.
We used those led bulbs different ways, with an ballast and straight powered to the socket.
We found out that if you use the ballast method that the brightness will vary from ballast to ballast even though the same brand /kind is/was used.
Rewiring and putting power straight on the sockets will give you the same light output from lamp to lamp.
We started out 2 years ago with different locations from cold to hot environment and so far so good with no bad bulb yet.
In this case he mentioned that the ballasts were broken.
J & B Homeliving No You Can Not! Unless the LED lamp is specifically made for direct/ ballast operation.... And a great deal of these LED lamps will not work on the old magnetic ballasts!!!!
You have to know which type of lamp your are buying.
OMG!!! I just did it!!! I LOVE it...thank you for such a detailed video! Woooohooo...Light again..:)
Awesome! Nice work.
Very nice and knowledgeable for non technical person. In home where single fluorescent is in use there old fitting doesn't match because the length of LED tube is shorter.
I watched the whole video, now I'm a certified LED technician. When do I get my diploma? LOL! Good video...thanks!
Same place he did. LOL
From Trump University! Your diploma will be as worthless as Trump himself. LOL!!!
🤣
Here in the UK older fittings using a passive ballast and a glow-starter are very common. Single-ended tubes are supplied with a starter that has a 2A fuse in it, so there's nothing to do except replace the old starter with the new one and plug in the tube. 30-second job! For double-end tubes the starter is simply removed and the tube installed. The power is running through the ballast, but the current is low and the power loss pretty small. LEDs still end up taking half the power of the equivalent fluorescent tube. Mine haven't faded at all in two years, unlike standard tubes which steadily fade and also flicker.
Good afternoon, I like your video, I was wondering how much electricity do I save if I change to led from Florence lamp
Many 4 foot T8 fluorescent tubes use 32 watts of electricity. 4 foot LED replacement tubes use anywhere from 12 to 24W. You'll find most of them are about 18W. So the savings is 14w per bulb.
Concise. Safe. Did it the right way. Great editing - didn't show redundant parts we didn't need to see. Great job, sir! Loved the video.
Thanks so much. That explained the issue perfectly.
I just bought led bulbs that worked in my florescent fixture. Boom done.
Might be a good idea to mention how incredibly sharp the edges of sheet metal light fixtures are. Everybody does things different, but using the internal wiring to bundle itself makes for easier troubleshooting if required. And I would always use wirenuts for wire connection. I just don't trust those "push and pray" gizmos. At least I worried about that kind of stuff before I retired ;-)
Sharp sheet metal-- same on computer cases! Mfrs used to tumble in walnut shells, knock off edges, but no more! I call it A FOREST OF RAZOR BLADES!
Bring Band-Aids and Neosporin when you open all these things, and if you'll be back in there (or it's your own toy) take a file to accessible edges, then clean up steel dust with a magnet and tack cloth (before it gets between fine traces). Do it right, the first time.
Did my shop a couple years ago, no regrets; removed ballasts, cleaned and repainted white inside surfaces.
My experience is that most of those metal cases are apparently made by Wilkinson Sword.
Just like the warning on food products about peanuts they should have a warning that "These cases are made in a factory that also makes razor blades."
I hate that! I'm an electrician and I've cut my hands on quite a few sharp fluorescent fixture edges. It's like a papercut, it sucks! I always used wire nuts for a while when wiring ballasts and such but after doing it for so long and the time saved using the push-in connectors are well worth it. I only use the ideal brand which I've never had a failure on. Also gotta use some common sense like don't use them for anything but ballast wiring, always do a quick "tug" test. If the connection doesn't hold up to being given a good tug then the connection is not made in my eyes. Amazing how many helpers I've worked with who were never taught the good 'ol tug test. Can save you a lot of troubleshooting down the line bc a connection will look like it's good up until someone pulls it out of the box
Not only are most modern sheet metal assemblies nothing but assemblages of razor blades, but by cutting those zip-ties that way you are adding even more flesh rending points. Use a flush-cutter and cut flush to the zip-tie head. (Your wire cutters are diagonal cutters. Flush cutters have the outside of the blades ground such that the cutting edges are flush with the outside face of the blades. Your knuckles will thank you next time you need to work on these.)
Flush cut plyers aren't part of your average electrician or homeowner's tool chest, BUT if you have a pair of linesman plyers you can twist the 'lil buggers til they snap off. The result is a nice soft nubbin of broken plastic. If I'm using the big thick tie wraps I'll usually cut little chamfers on those sharp edges if cutting into hands or other wires is a concern
I retrofitted many of these fixtures with LED. They had a high failure rate. I only replace the whole fixture now with much more success.
Interesting. Used direct replacement LED tubes that are powered by the ballast?
@@fredsinfield5648 No they were wire directly to 120 volts. By passing the existing ballasts.
Excellent tutorial, covers everything you would need to know.
Thanks for the info
Thanks for the video and I agree 86ing the ballast and extra junk is the best way to go.
I installed a new 24" fluorescent F20T12CW undercounter lamp fixture in my kitchen about a year ago. The bulb draws 20 watts of power. I checked on a LED tube to replace the older style fluorescent bulb and found it draws 16 watts of power. For a savings of 4 watts, it's hardly worth the effort or cost effective to replace the 24" fluorescent lamp. The lamp assembly cost $30 to begin with, and at a savings of only 4 watts, not worth replacing. That said, I've replaced all my incandescent bulbs with LED's all over the house and in the front and back entryways outside. At a cost of $.95 for each LED bulb (subsidized by the government) it was indeed cost effective: equivalent 40, 60, 75 & 100 watt replacement (in Lumens) LED's draw 6, 9, 11 & 15 watts respectively. Now THAT is a savings I can see over time on my electric bill. But replacing a year old 24" fluorescent fixture with a LED to save 4 watts? Forget it.
utubetommy , your old flourecent bulb loses about half its lighting power after about a year (it consumes the gas)and needs to be changed, even though it loses lighting power it still consumes the same. The LED will also lose power but slightly less than 1% per year.
utubetommy Stihl chain saw repair
The LEDs SHOULD last much longer. If the fixture is in a hard to reach position that's a good reason to switch to LEDs when your current tubes or ballast fail.
Derek Greenhalgh, you’re talking rubbish. I’ve had the same fluorescent tube in my kitchen for 15 years and it hasn’t lost any lighting power. Going by your analogy when I turn my light on at night it should still be dark. I was thinking the same thing, that it isn’t cost effective to even replace with a LED fixture never mind convert it. Both ways uses more Watts. Also we are led to believe that modern LED bulbs should last around 25 yrs. this is obviously non tested as the current versions haven’t been around long enough to test that theory. I think 15 years from my 11 watt lamp is good going. I could replace with LED that will fail in a week. That’s the reality is they have a much higher fail rate than any bulb out there. This is down to the power supply transformers within and not the diodes themselves so technically the diodes could last 25 years however the transformers won’t.
Idk about half its light output, maybe a quarter. Also, magnetic fluorescent ballasts themselves as used by most T12 fixtures are very inefficient. The lamp may typically draw X watts but the actual input power draw may be more (or less) depending on the ballast driving it.
I have upgraded a few hundred at our school. I have only found one shunted tombstone. If you are installing shunted tombstones,you will have a direct short. LEDs only mostly use non shunted tombstones.
3:57, don't you mean you'll be replacing the shunted with non-shunted? Sorry, I only saw your correction above now. :)
Thank you for your DYI. I have 12 florescent old style double ended overhead lights that I want to convert to LED. I haven't investigated how much this will cost me, though I have purchased LED lights for my fish tank. Your video gives me options that I didn't know I had!
around minute 3:55, you talk about replacing the non-shunted wire holders with shunted wire holders. Isn't it the other way around? I believe minute 11:47 has it right, so I understand the concept.
Very informative video. Thanks for the info.
Nice catch, Michel! You are correct, that was stated backwards. For a conversion to single ended LEDs, you are replacing shunted lamp holders with non-shunted.
Michel Dumas n
Chinese cucumber salad
Replaced my 6ft dual neon lights in garage with led units. Came with fittings and cheaper than replacing ballasts. Big plus is power saving.
Solid well done video, thanks for your time & solid method to teach, share.
Plug and play, type A for use with ballasts, Type B are for direct 110V wiring, Type C for remote driver.
I prefer the double end 4 pin tubes, easy rewiring, I use Type B 99% of the time.
I enjoyed this very informative video. You explained it well and I understand lighting much better now. Thanks for sharing.
Mm
Lol. It's an uncle reunion
What this shows is correct for single ended led tubes. On thing that wasn’t mentioned is the tubes are only powered from one end. The tubes are labeled.
Single vs double ended are discussed at about 9:00
If you reverse install they simply won't work!
Thank you Sir, you've been helpful. Keep up the good work
no need to replace tombstones... use one of each wire on one side & plugged into 4 holes connector with wires & also input wire.... do the same for opposite side..... quick & easy.
on the ceiling conversion, I used a wire or rope to hold the middle & the lower part would fall down....now I can do it about 15 minutes each......practice make perfect.
This video demonstrates the conversion using single ended LED tubes. Most fixtures that use an electronic ballast use shunted tombstones which will not work with a single ended LED tube. Non-shunted tombstones must be used.
Put in a "dummy starter" or "led starter" and the led bulb. No cutting of wires or ballast removal needed.
Can you please link me to a video or website with what you are referring to?
I bought T-8 fluorescent fixtures for my garage about 2 years ago. Earlier this month, bought 2 LED tubes. Popped them into one of the fixtures and they work just fine. Must be comparable with solid state ballast.
very professional easy to understand instructions!
THIS was the explanation I needed. It wasn't even explained in the instructions that came with my GE bulbs (double ended) Thank you so much! 😀
Glad it helped
5 Ohms on a short shunt!!!!!
must be a multi-meter precision problem.
It was a super cheap MM! I dropped the Fluke the week before this and destroyed the screen :(
Very informative, especially when describing shunted v non-shunted lamp holders and which LED bulbs are compatible with which setup
the easy way is to go to home depot buy led tubes that work in your current fixture thats all i did and it worked perfectly just like i was replacing normal bulbs
This is more for those interested in upgrading their fluorescent lights to remove a broken or damaged ballast. This also reduces the power consumption as the old ballast when left in still has the same amp draw.
I have converted 5 or so 2 bulb fixtures to LED. I was able to "de-shunt" my original tombstones. Made the mistake of using 5K or 6K bulbs in my office. Tried 3K bulbs, too homey, so settled on 4K color, perfect. I ended removing 1 bulb in several of the fixtures to tone down the lumens. Did all mine overhead. Bulbs have lasted very well at a fraction of the energy. I absolutely would not use fluorescents ever again, anywhere at anytime. A 2 bulb lamp would have been less confusing for demonstration purposes. If you don't have a lens on your fixture, highly recommend frosted bulb tubes, to avoid bright pin point light.
When switching to LED you don't need to use the ballast anymore am I correct?
Generally, yes. I have yet to come across an LED replacement tube that *requires* a ballast. Many require removal of or bypassing the ballast while some will work with or without the ballast. Just be sure to check the tube manufacturer's instructions. I highly recommend removing or bypassing the ballast for one simple reason...that ballast will eventually fail so why not just remove that possibility when you have the fixture open!
I fully agree with you. My ballasts are dead, that is why I want to change to LED. Don't waste money on replacing ballast.
Some LED units still use the ballast. Makes them simple to install. Remote old Fluorescent light, pop in new LED light and done!!! It's that simple. Other LED bulbs use no ballast and are powered on either just the 1 end or both ends. The ones I've installed at work, I used the single end ones and replaced the Tombstones. They're called that because that is what they look like. Mini Tombstones!!!
I think it's worth the little extra effort to toss the ballast and never have to deal with it again. It's something that could fail a year or 5 down the road. Why not take it out of the picture. They also have making buzzing type noises.
It really is pretty simple to convert. After you do the first one, the following fixtures will be even easier. It's 3 wires, Black, White and Green/Bare-Ground. It's not rocket science. It's one of the most basic things you can do in home repair.
@@jbdragon3295 Tubestones.. get it? The pun? ;))
Some are designed to work with the original ballast : Very good for cold weather and more light. But convert if your goal is to save most energy,
At one point you said we needed non-shunted lamp holders for the LED bulbs. Then, at 3:57, you said we need to replace the non-shunted holders with shunted holders. A bit confusing, but I think your first statement is the correct one.
The first statement was a mistake and incorrect! These tubes need non-shunted holders. See description for the correction.
@@ToolboxDIY I get it: the first statement was correct and the second statement was not. BTW, I just got done converting the first of many fixtures to use the LED tubes. Took an hour, mostly because I soldered all the wire connections. Thanks for the video, it gave me confidence to finally tackle the job.
In an LED light, the driver is the first to fail, for this reason buy LED with separate driver. Best option.
Dixie Lough has a
Good Video! 6 LED Bulbs is over kill. One bulb on each end will put out plenty of light, as bright as 6 florescent s did, plus 2 is 1/3 the cost. Double ended LED Tubes have a tiny schematic diagram that shows to wire one side BLK other side WHT (using shunted tombstones). Definitely take out that old ballast and recycle. They also get very hot so let them cool down before removing.
Another 2 cents. For work get the higher Kelvin, closer to day light tubes. The bluer light makes details a bit sharper. Grandma might prefer the warmer light, it'll show fewer wrinkles.
And don't listen to anyone saying "Daylight fluorescent? those things are terrible!!" That person will be at least 50 years old. There used to be a 'daylight fluorescent' in the 50s and 60s (maybe earlier) that flickered and gave off a really ugly greenish light (not at all daylight). It was supposed to be a cheap and efficient solution for lighting up passages and stairways. They noticeably flickered. If you've ever wondered what a migraine headache is like, find one of those old fixtures and spend an hour reading under it's light.
Daylight (the temperature of the sun's surface after it passes through our atmosphere) is 5500 degrees Kelvin and the best light to work under (so long as it isn't flickering), shows colors the best. (Yes I know our eyes adjust, but I can prove this). LEDs really are wonderful.
I appreciate this video sir. Thank you. Mistake or no mistake. You covered your arse on this one. Soon farward...
He joined the bulb directly to the mains power?
How come they don't use a balast or such.
@@irishguy200007 don't need a ballast for these bulbs. The required electronics is inside the bulb end.
@@irishguy200007 LED light emitting diode uses a sine wave through drivers (like a ballast in non tech talk), there is no arching inert gas such as fluorescent plus your dealling with half the wattage with LED then 40 w att or higher flourscent that the drivers can control with lower wattage. If you were to put a LED driver bulb in a flourscent system with out removing ballast the arch charge would destroy the drivers instantly- possibly electrical fire.
I wish I saw this video 3 years ago. I had shop fluorescent fixtures. I wanted to rewire them but I was to nervous because there was not enough information on how to do it. Instead I did what I know how to wire. I put 12 incandescent fixtures in with LED incandescent bulb type that just screw in. I think I paid a lot more for installing the old fixtures plus LED type that screws in.
Where did you find multi wire snap together connectors?
Amazon. The brand is Wago.
Lars Eckman
Personally, I would not use that type of wire connector. The contact area between wires is significantly smaller than using traditional wire nuts. It is a similar connection to the push in connections on light switches and receptacles which I have seen others use many times and I have seen fail over and over again. The fix for them is to use the screws on the sides.
Yeah those push in receptacles are used traditionally in single wide mobile home manufacturing.
fbeckman, can you provide a pic or link for the kind of connector you are referring to? Thank you in advance! I'm getting ready to do this change over and if a better part is out there, I'd like to have a look.
Probably a good idea to mark the Live end of fixture with a Sharpie ,maybe on the tombstones itself.
excellent vid -- thank you.
It's not always possible to replace as shown because LED tubes are different lengths compared to old tubes. I find it easiest to replace fitting once and for all. Also if you do get tubes right lengths all you need to do is rewire 2 leads to one side of fitting per tube. No need to replace receptacle on ends of fitting.
I did replace the whole light fixtures as I hate the look of neon tube fixtures. A couple of $3 light bulb holders from Home depot to go along with LED light bulbs
I understand you misspoke and said shunted instead of non-shunted, but this is such a huge error that you should really reshoot this portion of the video and take this one down. This error could be dangerous and result in a direct short if someone follows this wrong instruction.
Yes!! VERY irresponsible to leave this video as is ...he has people buying shunted tombstones to replace non shunted ones which is RIDICULOUSLY STUPID! You only need to buy ONE non shunted tombstone IF there is not one available for each tube in the fixture....DUHH!! FIX the video! Don't just leave it all confusing!
@@dougiequick1 how do I know if mine is shunted or not? I have 4 bulbs in a 2×4 foot fixture recessed into my ceiling tile ceiling. I understand (some?) LEDs only need power on one side? Watched a few videos and its confusing. I've seen some people kerping like colors connected, and others mixing colors
@Todd R if you currently have ballasts you can buy led bulbs that use a ballast or bulbs that don't require ballasts. Ideally it's best to go non-ballast then you never have to worry about ballast failure or ballast start up in cold temps.
@Todd R He already explained the practical reason for swapping holders on one end with non-shunted.
He explained how to determine shunted and no shunted. Watch the full video..
@@JM-nh8yp
I was at Lowes today and I was told I would need to install a T8 ballast if I remove the T12 ballast otherwise the their bulbs would not work, I need clarification. All they sell are replacement T8 4' tubes . I was told by the time I buy a new T8 ballast and bulbs for $6.50 each I could buy a complete work light assembled. Thoughts, Thanks, Tim