Table of Contents
Can you convert a fluorescent fixture to LED?
If you have fluorescent fixtures and are eying the cost- and energy-savings of switching to LED lighting, you’ll find there are two paths you can take: convert your existing fixtures to work with LED or replace those fixtures with new LED fixtures.
Do I need to remove the ballast to use an LED bulb?
A plug and play LED is a fixture where you can install LED bulbs to what was once a fluorescent bulb. This is an easy solution and requires minimal effort on your part. Since it works with the existing ballast, there is no need for rewiring or ballast removal.
Can I bypass the ballast for LED lights?
Since LED lights work on low DC voltage, they need a driver. Most T8 LED tubes do not need a ballast. So, if you are going to install a T8 LED tube light, it will require a ballast bypass unless you choose a ballast compatible T8 LED tube.
How do you wire LED tubes without ballast?
How to Bypass A Ballast Step 1: Disconnect All Power So There is No Electrical Current. Step 2: Find the Ballast. Step 3: Locate and Cut Only the Hot and Neutral Wires. Step 4: Cut the Socket Lead Wires. Step 5: Remove the Ballast (if you wish) Step 6: Connect the Wires. Step 7: Reattach Any Coverings and Turn On.
How do I know if my ballast is compatible with LED?
You can determine whether you have a compatible fixture in seconds. Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that will work with direct drop-in LED tubes.
Can I replace a fluorescent tube with an LED tube?
Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.
What is the yellow wire on a ballast?
The two yellow wires complete the circuit through the fluorescent tube back into the ballast. The red and blue wires energize the pins the fluorescent tube is attached to, the yellow wires connect to the pins on the opposite ends of the fluorescent light tubes completing the circuit.
What is a direct-wire LED tube?
Direct-wire LED tubes are installed without a ballast and instead requires a direct connection to line voltage. Cut the wires leading to the ballast. Remove the ballast. Install new lampholders (tombstones) that create a direct connection to the line voltage.
Can you put LED bulbs in regular fixtures?
When it comes to LED light bulbs, they will turn on and work in any light fixture that provides them at least the minimum wattage they’re specified for. Some LED bulbs may even be tolerant of too little or too much wattage, to a certain point. This is yet another thing they share with incandescent and halogen bulbs.
Is my ballast T8 or T12?
Replace Current Lamp You will see either T8 or T12 stamped on one side near the end with the prongs. You also will see the lamp’s rated wattage, usually 32 watts for T8 and 40 watts for T12. Measure the diameter of the lamp. T12 lamps are larger than T8 lamps, with a 1 ½-inch diameter.
How do I know if my ballast is T8 or T12?
If no markings are available, the size in diameter of the tube is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch.
How do you know if it’s the bulb or ballast?
Take out your current bulbs and replace them with the new bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit. If the ballast is good, an analog multimeter has a needle that will sweep to the right across the measuring scale. If the ballast is bad, then the needle won’t move.
Do I still need a starter with an LED tube?
Conventional fluorescent tubes need a starter. This starter provides ignition voltage. Naturally, this isn’t necessary for LEDs, so the ignition voltage is superfluous. If you want to replace a traditional fluorescent bulb with an LED, then you must install a dummy starter or bypass the standard starter manually.
What happens if you wire a ballast wrong?
It will overheat, possibly starting a fire, and then burn out, usually disrupting current flow. Until it does, due to the inductance and resistance, the current will be not quite 90 degrees out of phase with the voltage. Electronic ballasts are 4 or 6 wire devices.
What are the blue wires on a ballast?
There are many types of ballasts, but the simplest one is usually found in two-tube light fixtures. The ballast has a hot and neutral wire at one end to receive power, and two blue wires a red one at the other end to supply power to the lights.
How do you wire up LED tubes?
How to Install LED Tubes Step 1: Remove the old tube. First things first: disconnect the lighting fixture you are replacing from the power supply. Step 2: Check and remove the ballast. Step 3: Connect the new tube. Step 4: Reconnect the fixture to the power supply. Step 5: Dispose of your old tubes.
