LED flourescent tube replacements?

[rodekyll]

I'm looking to maybe replace some fluorescent tubes (T8, 2' and 4') with LED.  I see types that plug in to existing ballasts, types that are convertible, and types that run directly off A/C .  I prefer a warm white; this is for inside the house.  I've got no real world experience with this conversion, so I'm asking you folks who've done it what you used and how it's working out for you?

[Crosspug]

At work we've moved to LED "tube" and they look and feel excellent. No difference "feel" wise compared to the T5 tubes they replaced. We found it so much easier to NOT retrofit but just replace the fitting. Straight plug in to a/c makes life easy.

Definitely do not go daylight or cool white for a home. Warm all the way, in a nice diffused fitting.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[chuck peterson]

In the small LED bulbs, I've found a huge range of color temperatures, even when they spec a certain temp say, 2700 degrees Kelvin...purchase ten bulbs, three of them will be a different color

2700 is a warmer more yellow red color, but only next to a neutral bulb.
3000 is very neutral
4000-5000 is a cool blue, if they make them.
All of them will "look" white when your eye adjusts if the bulbs match

I find it's more important to get them all matched to the same color temp, otherwise that one bulb that is different throws off all the others

Color temps of the reg fluorescent tubes are available in a huge range of color temps, and over the years they get replaced with "a tube", and not one that matches the other color temps. For an example, look at a skyscraper or office building at night and notice just how many shades of white (yellow, warm, green, blue, etc) are glowing thru the windows. Newer LEED buildings are better at this.

A tru neutral of 3000 looks great when all of them are the same.  Throw in one bulb at 2700 and it'll look ugly. All 2700, looks great, but throw in one 3000 and it'll look ugly. Your eye adapts to brightnessto make it white. If you have windows with daylight coming in? Definitely try some 3000 bulbs

Once you start looking for the color temp differences, a light bulb will go on.....snort! Id suggest almost any workshop could use a move to more neutral lighting, rather than the warm whites...all 3000 can look amazing...we replaced 400 fluorescent tubes with a neutral version, and thru out green, blue, warm, cool versions....noticea ble difference in people's attitudes around work...everyone was a lot more comfortable

Brightness is a different subject...

[Triple Jim]

Be aware that there have been some problems including overheating and fires, and recalls.  At the time, I remember the problems being with the type that simply replaces the original fluorescent tubes, and leaves the original ballast in the fixture.  A couple years have gone by, so it may all be old news, but I'd still want to be sure I wasn't buying recalled LED tubes if I wanted to convert.

http://www.cree.com/t8-recall-2015

https://www.getdeco.com/deco-lighting-steps-assist-victims-t8-led-recall

https://www.osram-americas.com/en-us/about/legal/recall/Pages/SubstiTUBE-IS-T8-LED-Recall.aspx

[not-fishing]

I put fluorescent lights in my house when I built it in 2004.

I've had to replace most of the ballasts in the fixtures.

Now I just replace the entire fixture.  The savings on just doing the tubes is not worth it to me.

Mark

[rodekyll]

Good information.

Any recommendations on dies or tube mfgrs?

I put fluorescent lights in my house when I built it in 2004.

I've had to replace most of the ballasts in the fixtures.

Now I just replace the entire fixture.  The savings on just doing the tubes is not worth it to me.

Mark

That's my situation.  If I have to replace ballasts I replace the fixture.  The cost is the same.  But I'm tired of it.  So I want to try LED this time around.

[lti_57]

At work every time a lamp goes out we replace with LED tubes and by-pass the ballast
The light is great  usually wind up only putting two LED lamps  in a 4 lamp fixture.
we buy all our stuff from 1000 bulbs great people to work with.

https://www.1000bulbs.com/

[Lesman]

I am slowing converting to LED. Do not use the LED to Ballast bulb setup. You want direct LED cut the wires to ballast. I'm running 22 watts bulbs.I felt 18 watt bulbs were a tad dim. A buddy is running 25watts. It's almost too much.
If you do not have existing fixtures buy LED fixtures. If you are just converting bulbs. Amazon is in the $7.50+/- range when you buy 10,  22 watt bulbs. I've done 15 fixtures. I have 12 more to go. Only piece of advice. Wire all the fixtures the same way. Properly mark Load and Neutral on the fixture.

[rodekyll]

I am slowing converting to LED. Do not use the LED to Ballast bulb setup. You want direct LED cut the wires to ballast. I'm running 22 watts bulbs.I felt 18 watt bulbs were a tad dim. A buddy is running 25watts. It's almost too much.
If you do not have existing fixtures buy LED fixtures. If you are just converting bulbs. Amazon is in the $7.50+/- range when you buy 10,  22 watt bulbs. I've done 15 fixtures. I have 12 more to go. Only piece of advice. Wire all the fixtures the same way. Properly mark Load and Neutral on the fixture.

At work every time a lamp goes out we replace with LED tubes and by-pass the ballast
The light is great  usually wind up only putting two LED lamps  in a 4 lamp fixture.
we buy all our stuff from 1000 bulbs great people to work with.

https://www.1000bulbs.com/

This is exactly the kind of advice I need.   

[Chuck in Indiana]

David.. you may not have noticed when you were here, but all the shop and Guzzi Garage (tm) lights are LED. I converted them last year. They are all wired direct.. no ballast to deal with.. and the wiring is simple, even for the 8 footers in the shop.
I gave $6.99 each for the units, all worked out of the box and continue to work. I went with the bright white because it is a workplace..and you can't have too much light.

[Lesman]

I have an uneasy relationship with the electron.  Nice fixtures are super easy to work on. Cheap, crappy fixtures need finesse.
Cut the ballast wires. Tie them off. Buy bulbs that are load one side and neutral on the other side. There are some new bulbs that wire the ends with load and neutral. "Most" LED bulbs are marked which way to install. Every manufacture is different. If you want everything to match. Buy from one supplier/manufacturer.
If you do a bunch of conversions. The first might take you 20-30 minutes. The second and then on might take 5-10 minutes per unit. I will promise you that you will never miss a ballast again or CF bulbs.

[rodekyll]

David.. you may not have noticed when you were here, but all the shop and Guzzi Garage (tm) lights are LED. I converted them last year. They are all wired direct.. no ballast to deal with.. and the wiring is simple, even for the 8 footers in the shop.
I gave $6.99 each for the units, all worked out of the box and continue to work. I went with the bright white because it is a workplace..and you can't have too much light.

Chuck, I did notice.  They were the first I've seen and my motivation to look into it for home use.

[Orange Guzzi]

I bought direct replacements on the advise of a big box store.  With in a couple of minutes of installation, the ballast blew and fire came out.  Landing on my desk covered in papers.  I installed some in another fixture also.  I turn the light on, it worked and I turned it off.  After the first fixture blew, I went back to see what would happen to the fixture I turned on and off.  With in a short time, the ballast blew also.  I took the fixture and  lights to the store for replacement of the damaged fixtures and return the bulbs.  Store told me to contact the manufacture regarding a claim on the fixture.  They gave me a refund on the bulbs.  I contacted the local fire department and showed them the damage prior to returning the bulbs.  I filed a claim and was paid for the damaged fixtures and installation cost.  The Store, fire department and the manufacture all said the ballast were correct.  I found there had been a recall on the bulbs in the past.  The "new" bulbs had the last digit different from the recall bulbs. 

I purchased bulbs from Amazon that require the ballast to be  remove.  They came with "tombstones".  Making the change out easy.  I replace 50 bulbs at my home.  Another 50 at my store.  Cost around $10 each.  My electric bill drop $100 at each location.  Worth the investment.

My primary reason for changing them is because it cause sensory epilepsy.  The flickering drives my brain crazy. 

Fixture with built in power cords/shop lights are easier to change out on a work bench.  They fall apart when the screws are removed.  Difficult to reassemble when hanging from the ceiling.  I have hard wired shop lights attached to my shop ceiling I found that the light diffuse's differently if the bulbs are put in with the LED's pointing up.  The fixtures in recessed fixtures and covers are put in facing down.  The covers knock the brightness down. 

[Orange Guzzi]

Be aware that there have been some problems including overheating and fires, and recalls.  At the time, I remember the problems being with the type that simply replaces the original fluorescent tubes, and leaves the original ballast in the fixture.  A couple years have gone by, so it may all be old news, but I'd still want to be sure I wasn't buying recalled LED tubes if I wanted to convert.

http://www.cree.com/t8-recall-2015

https://www.getdeco.com/deco-lighting-steps-assist-victims-t8-led-recall

https://www.osram-americas.com/en-us/about/legal/recall/Pages/SubstiTUBE-IS-T8-LED-Recall.aspx

The osram/sylvania brand are what caused fires in my fixtures. 

[not-fishing]

Good information.

Any recommendations on dies or tube mfgrs?

That's my situation.  If I have to replace ballasts I replace the fixture.  The cost is the same.  But I'm tired of it.  So I want to try LED this time around.

I don't have any real history or advice for LED's.  I just go to the Big Box Home Improvement Store (Lowes, Home Depot) and buy what's on the shelf.  I'm putting my house up for sale so I don't really care.  Construction outside of SF and LA has been bad in California for the last 8 years so I have to downsize.....

[Groover]

I don't have any real history or advice for LED's.  I just go to the Big Box Home Improvement Store (Lowes, Home Depot) and buy what's on the shelf.  I'm putting my house up for sale so I don't really care.  Construction outside of SF and LA has been bad in California for the last 8 years so I have to downsize.....

I also just learned that T-8 bulbs from Lowes or Home Depot is the quick swap on these. Some bulbs (not sure which) include instructions on how to bypass the ballast as they are not needed with some bulbs, but supposedly the T-8 for around $10 is the no-rewiring option.

I have not tested this, just talked to someone at work who said that's what he did and it worked.

I believe also most recent LED bulbs are also dimmable, but you'll need the LED type dimmer switch - just incase you can't find the color temp you are looking for, at least you can dim them to your liking.

[not-fishing]

Butt  snapping the red suspenders

Fluorescent bulbs need ballasts (transformers) that boost voltage up to 240 or so volts.

LED's operate at 1.5 or so volts so they also need transformers.

Every time a transformer works there is a loss and it this case it's doubled -- one for up-voltage, one for down-voltage.  Here in California we have a pretty steep stepped electrical rate so those few extra kw become very expensive fast.

That's why I just replace the fixture with LED's.. Also when your ballast goes out on your Fluorescent light you'll have to replace it or chuck the whole mess and put in an LED light.

Mark

[Groover]

After reading the replies again, I would also opt for the ballast removal option. I replied quickly after lunch, and just regurgitated what I had learned a few minutes earlier. Great advice here from others.

[cookiemech]

I don't have any experience with the retrofit of "warm" color tubes in the house, but a couple of years ago I replaced all 20 of the 96-inch T-12 fluorescent bulbs in my garage with LEDs (bright, or "cold" color). These required removal of the ballasts and direct wiring of 120 volts to the "tombstones". Total cost was $600, delivered.

The light quality and intensity are so much better now that they ever were previously. I measured current draw before and after, and the new setup uses 37% as much power as it did before. Very happy with the results.