4 foot LED'S

[mikester]

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07G2Q4VZN

I bought these T8 replacements 3 years ago and they are still going strong, very bright and no flicker or buzzing. Cheaper than replacing my failed cheapo T8 ballasts. One single tube replaces the double tube T8 fluorescents.

Reminds me I need to order some more!

 

[John T]

I agree with ditching the ballasts.

About 7 years ago I replaced all my garage and basement 4' T12 florescent tubes with LED tubes (110v)
I haven't had a lick of problem with any of them. They are super bright and turn on instantly ...

I think I went with 5 or 6000K ... whatever "daylight" color is....
you don't want to go too high in temp color or they have a blue tint... I'm sure you have seen cars going down the road light that.
but I digress...

Anyway, It's an easy swap.
Cut the wires to the ballast ..... either remove them or just leave them.

Wire 110v directly to the tombstones per directions.

DONE.

I wrote "110v" in black marker on the bottom of the housing..... just in case I have a brain fart I won't knock myself for a loop.

Not only are they brighter, they will save electricity also. Those old oil filled ballasts are power hogs.
The old ones have big capacitors in them.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

1. The keep-the-ballast style are a homeowner item - just change bulbs. That's probably why it's what the big box stores carry. But they only work with electronic ballasts.

Home Depot and Lowe's carry both styles. Choose your poison. But I"m with you - why mess with a ballast?


The wiring is pretty simple. When I bought my bulbs the box had instructions for several layouts. No biggie.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Prioritize quality over price, get another 20 years from your LED lighting.

Preach it!

Cheap tools are false economy.

• LEDs need a steadier, higher voltage power supply than incandescent bulbs. If the power supply fluctuates or isn’t strong enough, it can damage them.

I'm thinking the bulbs that are commonly available to replace florescent bulbs must have their power supply built into the bulb, because they are just straight wired to 110v. No external power supply needed.

(Except for the kind that keep the original ballast.)

 

[Bee-Positive]

I'm thinking the bulbs that are commonly available to replace florescent bulbs must have their power supply built into the bulb, because they are just straight wired to 110v. No external power supply needed.

Exactly - and because they have electrical components built-in they can be affected by a "dirty power supply". A dirty power supply is typically seen in a manufacturing environment rather than a residential one. I've been on project where we had to install systems to correct this issue for lighting and computer networks.

Side note - in the way back (before LEDs) the way lighting was tested for life expectancy was 100's of bulbs were set up and turned on for 3 hours / off for 20 minutes repeatedly until 50% of the bulbs failed. The hours it took to hit 50% failure rate was then the "Life" of the bulb. Some bulbs failed in a matter of just a few hours while others would be good for 10x the "rated" life.

LED's are tested differently such that when they reach 70% of initial light output (30% reduction) then that is the life expectancy. Here's a good semi-nontechnical explanation. I like their analogy of a car with bad breaks.