I just went through this exercise. There's a bunch of stuff on YouTube, but it just adds to the confusion; people making the simple complicated. Single end LED tubes take power from only one end, not both like regular fluorescents. They also don't need ballasts, starters or any of that junk. On a regular fluorescent tube, there are two pins on each end and the current flows from one end to the other. With a single-ended LED one pin is "in" and the other is "out". The regular fluorescent "tombstone" (the thing the bulb pins fit into) is "shunted" (the two sides are connected together electrically). Obviously, these don't work with the single-end tube. You replace the "tombstones" on one end with "Non-shunted" ones, remove all the other bullshit parts, throw them away and connect "in" to "in" and "out" to "out". I could use the proper electrical terms, "power" and "neutral", but I think you get what I mean. You can get "non-shunted" tombstones on Amazon in packs of 10, 50 or whatever. They're pretty cheap. They are easy to change out (how many times have you had one just fall out when originally installing florescent fixtures?). You remove the wires from the "tombstones" on the other end because all they do is hold the bulb in place. I suppose you could also by complete new LED light assemblies, but converting what you have is easy-peasy.
Just finished doing the change over at the shop. Since my units were hardwired in, did not want to change over to complete new units, so for the first series were 4ft 2prong bulbs 4 to a unit and ballast compatable, a 10 pack at HD $50 ($5ea for the math challenged) but I had to buy a different ballast then (ok because some of them were shot anyway) for $10.50 ea. The other units 7 were 2 bulb 8 footers single pin type and the ballast bypasted, Those were $17.50 each (free shipping and no tx). The lighting is amazing and now I am forced to keep the shop clean, the only hassle was climbing up and down the 12ft ladder a gazillion times. I have 4 dbl pin 4ft bulbs left over if anyone want to swing by the shop, HAMB discount $4.50 ea Gardena/Los Angeles area
Hell yeah, I switched the fluorescents in my garage to LEDs a couple months back. Crazy difference and not affected by the cold at all. Can't recommend them enough, especially in places were it's cold.
The strange think with my florescent lights is the colder it is the better they work,yesterday the temperature hit 75degrees and only 4 of the 15 lights came on. Yeah,it's time to upgrade the lighting in my garage. HRP
Walmart has 25 tubes for $127 with free shipping. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yescom-1...e-Replacement-Lamp-Bulb-Milky-Clear/104669279
I've been considering changing my 4' and 8' T-12s to LEDs and the options available, (plug and play, electronic ballast, remote driver, and simply bypassing the old ballast) but one thing has me puzzled, and that's the lumem output. All that have converted state brighter light, yet published LED lumem output is lower that T-12. So how can the LED be brighter? I have switched all my 100 watt-equivalent florescent bulbs to LEDs in the cold section of my barn and noticed no real difference in light, just instant full brightness, compared to the minute or so time the old bulbs needed.
Put your four extra on a wall somewhere convenient with a plug. I mounted my extra on my shop door. If the door is down, I have a bit extra light under an open hood. Also have a few extra set aside on a couple fixtures. If I am painting something. I can put the fixtures on the floor to illuminate the rocker panels and other low spots to avoid missing areas. I don’t have a booth so make do with what I have. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The other thing I recommend every shop have is a furnace or wood stove! If your building a shop then radiant heat. Who cares how bright it is if your too cold to get anything done a few months out of the year! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
13 years ago when I built my garage,I insulated the ceiling & walls to the max,I used sheet rock on all the walls & ceiling and painted them white semi-gloss paint, I have a electric heat pump & air I installed electrical outlets every 6 foot and installed 15 florescent lights. At one time it was well lite and comfortable in all weather conditions,it's like a tomb now, HRP
I replaced my eight 4 bulb 4' fluorescents few weeks ago what a difference..... 4500 lumens each so much more light got mine at sams club 8 lights about 300.00 and can run 10 linked in a row with only one plugged in a outlet if needed. (These do not have or take a plastic diffuser cover over the lights. I tried one of those from menards and did not like it even though it was 4800 lumens was not as bright with the cover on) I tried to sell my old lights for 20 bucks local for all and nobody wanted them ended up scrapping them and giving the bulbs away.
Thanks but at my age, working that low is never going to happen. looking at what I work on--Whats a hood?
That has to do with how your eyes perceive light. Our eyes evolved under sunlight with its full spectrum, artificial light doesn't reproduce all of it. So lamps are designed with trade-offs in the spectrum to produce either maximum perceived light but a narrow spectrum, or 'color corrected' to emulate 'natural' light. My beef with LEDs is they have a very narrow spectrum and color rendition is usually poor. Want to piss off SWMBO? Install narrow spectrum lamps where she puts on her makeup; you can get some very interesting effects that way....
Just doing the led thing now..Replaced the 4' shop lights over my machines and is big, big difference in my cellar with 40 watt fixtures ..Out in garage I changed the 8' bulbs in the fixtures removing ballasts and easy rewire 65 watt equivalant..Again really great difference..Got got 20 more 4' shop lights coming for the rest of the garage/cellar...24 x 4' shop lights and 20 x 8' bulbs was about $750.00..
We got some for the bathroom for $4, now I can't use the lights in the morning Sent from my XT1254 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I really need some lighting in my garage. I have one 300w cfl in the center and a 150w cfl over the workbench. They put out decent light but too many shadows. I'm convinced on these LED's now.
I just replaced the tubes with LEDS in the kitchen (been dead now for about 3-4 years wife is now happy!!!) I used the 3000K bulbs for the warmer light spectrum, but it's not brite enough for the garage , so I ordered the 4000K LEDS to replace the tubes out there.I got the LEDs from the place Gimpy suggested and by-passed the ballasts.I ordered the non-shunted tombstones cause I didn't feel like converting what was there.....bag of 20 (just need them for one end) was only $11.99 delivered. Pleased with the effect, and should have some energy savings (although the dead lights actually weren't using any energy!!!LOL)
Having just converted the fixtures in my kitchen, I'd suggest you either get the ones that you just "plug and play" replacing the tubes, or get some friend over for beer & pizza (after) to re-do the wiring and eliminate the ballast. It's not hard, but lots of overhead reaching and putting the covers back on the fixtures was a bitch , so it may be a little much for your shoulder. I thought of you as I was fighting those covers
not a big deal to run incandescents, if you put a couple solar panels on the roof Interesting how many guys like the LEDs in the shop, I may have to give it a try. I have about a dozen 8 ft two tube fixtures. They buzz and require occasional upkeep with bulbs and the odd ballast replacement.
Thats a good idea squirrel, except at my size getting on the roof isn't such a good idea! Might find some skinny little dude to do it for me!
I had these installed...there is qty 8 - 4' led single strip lights in total split into groups of 2 each group daisy chained to one 3 prong plug. I am very happy with them. The Garage shop is 27' x 23'. More than enough light with much less energy used than T8 lighting. The other set of lighting is parallel to these approx. the same distance from the wall which is 5-6 ft away. Cool Light and approximately 4000-4500k...Stogy's happy...
I just finished replacing 6 of my 12 florescent light fixtures with the LED bulbs. Easy peasy. Just snipped out the ballast, connected the wires directly to one side of the tombstones and installed. Man, with just half of them done, its so much brighter. This should have been done a long time ago. I highly recommend it to anyone with florescent bulbs. No flickering, instant on, twice the brightness. Plus its supposed to be cheaper in the long run.
Perhaps there are to many...LED is bright I only have 8 single 4 footers (1 strip of lights each). I thought they were going to be doubles 4' strips. Lumens, type of light, location and that how many K are all factors. There was a Garage Journal light specialist doing Shop Light layouts and his had far more fixtures than my layout but I did space the ones I used similar to one he did. Take some down save some money.
I'm happy to see that some of you know how to spell fluorescent. Camouflage is another one that really gets butchered. And both are traditional.
So let me get this right: get some of the non-shunted tombstones and replace at one end of fixture, cut the wires off the tombstone at the other end, junk the ballast (environmentally of course), install led tube (?), and done? Would installing four leds in the fluorescent fixture be ok?
As long as they are wired correctly. The other thing is 2 bulbs may throw out the same or more light than 4 tubes....I think the lights I used have come down in price so it may be a better option...
Used the alone time in the shop during the Christmas break to replace 67 eight foot and 38 four foot fluorescent bulbs with no ballast LED's. Huge difference and these bulbs are guaranteed for 50,000 hrs. The eight footers sagged in the middle so put a zip tie around the fixture and the tube at the halfway point. LED's run so cool the ties should last a very long time. Also replaced 25 incandescent 60 watt screw in bulbs with the regular looking (non curly cue) shaped LED's. When I flip a switch there is instant light in any temp or humidity and no buzzing, flickering, or warm up required. Tried both daylight and coated bulbs in the paint booth and the painter prefers the coated. Total wiring for an LED is the black wire at one end and the white wire at the other.
The Jalopy Journal
