20 replies to this topic

[Phil Smith]

In the back of my pawn shop I have several 8 foot T12 light fixtures that I need to bypass the ballast ,so I can install LED T12 bulbs that don't use ballast. The T12 bulbs are the type that have one large pin on each end.

 

There are several fixtures on a single circuit, so AC has to be able pass through the fixture even if there are no bulbs installed.

 

If someone doesn't mind, could they draw on a napkin how to wire this?

 

 

[Paul Menkens]

This link may give you the info you need.  
 
T8, 8ft, Type B, double-end install guide

[John Streisguth]

You will need to wire them in parallel, instead of series. One leg of the voltage to one end of each fixture, the other leg to the other end. 

[Phil Smith]

Paul, I need it dumbed down more than that. Being a bonehead and all.

 

John, I'll draw what i think I need to do when I get home and y'all can tell me if I'm on the right track or not.

[John Streisguth]

Trying to post a drawing, but the forum doesn't allow that type of extension. Oh, well.

[Eddie Fleming]

John, can you save the drawing as a JPG and then post that?

[Paul Menkens]

There are quite a few videos on YouTube showing how to do this, some are good, some, not so much. I suggest you watch several and decide for yourself how you want to proceed.

 

You do not have to run the power through each fixture, just run a buss wire and tap each fixture into it.

[Phil Hackett]

Lowes has Feit brand LED bulbs that work with ballasts. No rewiring required. $40/box of six (yes, I know the link says $12.xx each but the box quantity was, for me, $40)
 
The bulbs aren't 8 feet long but are 2 four-footers that have a twist connector. Above the connector is a neo magnet that holds the middle of the bulb to the fixture.
 
Assemble bulb, take out old flourescent, put in new bulb. Done.
 
LED bulbs

[Phil Smith]

I already bought a box of 12 so I'm already committed.

 

How about this? Will this work?

 

[John Streisguth]

Yes and no. It will work, but if one bulb goes out, the other won't be lit. I'll do a drawing when I get to work.

 

I tried saving the drawing as a JPG, but the forum still wouldn't allow me to upload it.

 

I've replaced about 200 bulbs in our shop with LED, in about four different types of fixtures. Yours are very simple being single pin. The ones that are a PIA have shunted tombstones; those you have to replace with non-shunted ones.

 

I prefer to take out the ballasts, for two reasons: first, they use a lot of power, even when the bulbs are burned out; second if the ballast goes out, you are forced to replace it. If you're going through the trouble to convert to LEDs, IMO leaving the ballasts in is counterproductive.

[John Streisguth]

Here's the diagram. You can use one or two wires connecting the bulbs (I did it a different way for each end).

 

[Phil Smith]

Thanks, John! That's easy enough. Even I can do it.

[John Streisguth]

     Do you know what kelvin rating you got?  A higher number (more "bright white) makes a huge difference in a shop.  I get 4100K or 5000K.

 

I found it interesting that your trusses look exactly like ours...same color even!  LOL

[Phil Smith]

I don't know the Kelvin rating. We're closed today. I'll find out tomorrow.

 

That's actually the warehouse part of the shop. The front has T8 fixtures with fluorescent bulbs.

 

Something most people probably don't know. The warehouse part of a pawn shop is usually much bigger that the front room that the public sees. I our case it's 3 or 4 times bigger. You have to have room to store pawned items and layaways.

[MG Brown]

The LED tube retrofit kit that I bought for our condo had well written and easy to follow printed instructions and a handy dandy installation video.

Toggled LED Retrofit Installation Video
 
The diagrams by Dallas Racer and John Streisguth were NOT how the kit that I used were wired.

[Thom]

 
The diagrams by Dallas Racer and John Streisguth were NOT how the kit that I used were wired.[/quote]


That may be because the tubes you have are two pin tubes, the end that is marked has a plus and a minus pin. The two pins on the other end are dead and only used to hold the tube in the fixture. Phil’s tubes only have one pin on each end, so power must pass through it from one end to the other.

[John Streisguth]

Some double pin LED tubes are single ended, as you described.  The trick with those is marking which end of the fixture is "hot".  But some double pin tubes are double ended, where you feed the line voltage from both ends.  And since only one pin actually takes the voltage, you have to make sure the tombstones are wired mirror image. Plus with single end tubes, you only have to replace one tombstone.

[Phil Smith]

     Do you know what kelvin rating you got?  A higher number (more "bright white) makes a huge difference in a shop.  I get 4100K or 5000K.

 

I found it interesting that your trusses look exactly like ours...same color even!  LOL

 

The bulbs are 6000K. I bought them a year ago and an old employee installed 2 pairs at that time. I don't think I thought to check the kelvin rating. I just bought the cheapest ones that had a good rating on Amazon.

[John Streisguth]

They should be extremely white light...good for a shop.  Do they have a frosted covering?  We have a few lights that have naked LEDs chips...they hurt my eyes if I accidently look up at them

[Phil Smith]

No covers. They're in the warehouse area of the building.

 

We don't have covers in the store part either. I copied my local Harbor Freight, which tuned out to be too much lighting. We only turn on every other row..

 

[John Streisguth]

I meant the tubes themselves.  Most of them have a frosted tube over the LEDs, but some have clear.

 

Looks good!  And since you have more light than you need, even more money saved on electricity