T8 fluorescent to led conversion

Jabroni

Jabroni

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Anyone here make the conversion of existing fixtures to the led tubes? Looking at this option for my basement vs replace all fixtures.. any gotchas or reccomendations? Yarding out the ballast is going to make me smile..hate the buzzing. Lol.
 
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Replacement was cheaper for me. Got mine at Sam’s a while back. I got plug ins and added outlet boxes where the fluorescent lights were.


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What kinda replacement? Shoulda noted..these are 2x4ft for a drop ceiling..
 
I had to buy fixtures for my basement and they were cheaper than some of the retro kits but not much to a fixture just tombstones and metal housing. At the time they came from Bee’s lighting but other options now as well probably cheaper but the led tubes are worth it and great if you are getting rid of ballast. You may be able to just take ballast out of circuit and get the led bulbs with it built in.
 
10,000 bulbs dot com (or whatever their site is) is a good source for led fixtures, bulbs, etc. You may find an led fixture cost isn’t that much different than a conversion kit, which is basically the tombstones and you bypass the ballast.
 
The direct plug tubes use the existing tombstones of your old lamps. You just pull the ballast and wire the hot leg of your house power to one end and the neutral leg to the opposite. If you have access to the ballast then you can doe the direct wire job.

I’ve gotten tubes from a couple of vendors on Amazon.

CHRIS
 
Replacement fixtures were more cost effective last time I replaced a couple...and the replacements had a longer warranty.
 
I had single pin 8 footers in my shop. Deleted the ballast and wired one end to load and the other end to neutral. No tombstone replacement just a re-wire. CAUTION: The replacement tubes are marked "this end to load, this end to neutral" so pay attention to polarity...

Green Electrical Supply .com was the best price with excellent CS....
 
jimmyjames8 said:
Replacement fixtures were more cost effective last time I replaced a couple...and the replacements had a longer warranty.
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looking like opposite here.. I can do new bulbs for all for 80 bucks.. which is about same cost as a new fixture.. not to mention less work. :) Hopefully they'll last a few years..eventually I think I'll end up going dimmable, but don't really need that immediately.
 
Bailey Boat said:
I had single pin 8 footers in my shop. Deleted the ballast and wired one end to load and the other end to neutral. No tombstone replacement just a re-wire. CAUTION: The replacement tubes are marked "this end to load, this end to neutral" so pay attention to polarity...

Green Electrical Supply .com was the best price with excellent CS....
Click to expand...


awesome thx!
 
The LED's at Battery Oaks made a huge difference. Now, when we drop something we have a much better chance of finding it.
 
Jabroni said:
looking like opposite here.. I can do new bulbs for all for 80 bucks.. which is about same cost as a new fixture.. not to mention less work. :) Hopefully they'll last a few years..eventually I think I'll end up going dimmable, but don't really need that immediately.
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Id suggest ballast remoof our val and SAVE THE RECEIPT, 12 out of 16 Sylvania direct replacement LED replacement bulbs failed within a year.
 
Bailey Boat said:
I had single pin 8 footers in my shop. Deleted the ballast and wired one end to load and the other end to neutral. No tombstone replacement just a re-wire.
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, how expensive were the 8' tubes? It may have changed, but they used to be ungodly expensive but instead you could get a kit that would substitute two four foot sections with tombstones in the middle. A local company called Fintronix used to make them, but I wouldn't know where to get them at.
 
noway2 said:
Out of curiosity, how expensive were the 8' tubes? It may have changed, but they used to be ungodly expensive but instead you could get a kit that would substitute two four foot sections with tombstones in the middle. A local company called Fintronix used to make them, but I wouldn't know where to get them at.
Click to expand...
We work with FintronX
(919) 324-3960
 
noway2 said:
Out of curiosity, how expensive were the 8' tubes? It may have changed, but they used to be ungodly expensive but instead you could get a kit that would substitute two four foot sections with tombstones in the middle. A local company called Fintronix used to make them, but I wouldn't know where to get them at.
Click to expand...

From Green Electrical 12, 8 footers were 312.00 shipped.... Cost to install was $00.00, just wire nuts.....
 
Bailey Boat said:
From Green Electrical 12, 8 footers were 312.00 shipped.... Cost to install was $00.00, just wire nuts.....
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BatteryOaksBilly said:
My guy brought them here from his supplier. 16 8 foot bulbs were $300 delivered to the Gun Room.
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Neither of those sound like a bad price relatively speaking given how long they should last and the energy savings.

I forget how much they used to be, but it was in the silly territory.
 
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