LED Tube Light Conversion - Easy non-shunted ballast bypass method.

I was frustrated with the lack of florescent to LED tube light conversion information available, so while doing my own DIY LED tube light retrofit after lots of research, I decided to share the process in hopes it may help you with your own LED bulb conversion.

Let's face it, this has been a rapidly changing market and a rather costly upgrade if you have lots of florescent tubes to change over to LED tubes. However, over the past few years, LED tubes have not only gotten much better, their prices have dropped substantially and are not much more than old T12 or T8 florescent bulbs.

I'll show you why I chose ballast bypass LED bulbs, why they are preferred, and how easy it is to perform a simple DIY ballast bypass LED tube installation using my old T12 fluorescent fixtures with non-shunted tombstones as examples.

IMPORTANT! If you have shunted tombstones, you will have to wire the bulbs end to end, not single end as I have done with my non-shunted tombstones. YOU CAN ONLY WIRE SINGLE END WITH UN-SHUNTED TOMBSTONES!

We will then measure the increase in light output and look at before and after power usage to help you calculate the energy savings. Using your own kWh power rate, you can then easily figure out the time required to recuperate your LED tube light conversion investment while enjoying all the other benefits of LED tube lights such as:

- longer lasting bulbs
- no more annoying flicker
- no more ballast hum
- LED's work in sub zero temperatures & provide instant brightness
- possible rebates from the power company

Video Chapter Time Index:
0:00 Intro
2:26 Parmida Type B LED T8 Bulbs
4:44 T8 LED bulb connectivity
6:25 Fluorescent light measurement
6:59 How to install ballast bypass LEDs
11:42 LED tube light power usage comparison
12:44 LED tube light color comparison
14:11 LED T8 bulb light measurement
14:54 Conclusion

Parmida LED T8 Ballast Bypass (type B) Bulbs:
Another good LED T8 5000K Ballast Bypass Bulb Option:

January 2024 Two Year Update: All these bulbs are still working well with no failures or any LED's out. Still very happy with them, really enjoy the increased light output without flicker & hum, and no question about the noticeable power savings.

DISCLAIMER: This video is for information & entertainment use only! If you are not knowledgeable or skilled enough to perform a DIY LED tube light conversion, or fully understand the various bulb/tombstone connectivity methods outlined & shown on the bulb schematics, or don't know/understand the neutral & hot wire configuration into your florescent fixture/s; hire an electrician to perform the bypass wiring.
Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!

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[Rchelicopterfun]

January 2024 One Year Update: All these bulbs are still working well with no failures or any LED's out. Still very happy with them, enjoying the increased light output. They paid for themselves in power savings within 18 months and are now saving money.

[nathanstokes]

Have watched five other videos on this type of conversion and yours is by far the best and most informative! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[richardbaker]

I got a real education trying to convert to LEDs. First I tried the plug and play but I guess the ballast was bad. Next I tried the Retro bulb, one end hot and requiring un-shunted plugs, couldn't seem to find the bulbs. Finally, after reading Youtube articles, I bought some ballast bypass bulbs and love the installation simplicity, this is the way to do.

[kennycosgrove]

I wish I had found your video first. Bing, bam, boom! Straight to the point. No farting about and simply we'll explained. Tried the other videos with no success and using your tutorial it worked first time.

[marchindy]

Wow I never realized how much power the ballast were drawing on their own. I need to change mine in my shop, thanks for the how to video.

[jdmxxx]

Great video. Now I feel confident upgrading my hall light. Liked your presentation explaining all the details needed. Thanks much

[geneapedaile]

Great video presentation! Very clear and a big help to an untrained electrician to get the job done!

[Surannhealz]

Seeing the light switch inside the utility room arc inside each time I turned on all the fluorescent strips was enough for me to convert to LED.

[HaxrZ]

I've actually has these bulbs in my basement for years and this is the first great video on how to do the bypass. Thank you so much I'm running down to build me some bypass fixures now!!

[rayharris]

...very good tutorial...I've been searching for two days, this is the best I've seen thank you

[ElwoodWall]

just a word of caution though, my led tubes were from Amazon as well, but a different brand and was totally different wiring for bypassing the ballast, so when I followed the method on this video, it immediately blew the breaker. My fault for not checking the instructions included though. In my case it required gathering all the leads from one end, grouping them together and fastening them to either the black or white incoming wire. Then gathering all the leads from the other end, grouping them together and fastening them to the remaining incoming wire.

[robertfossum]

Thank you! Did it your way no more ballasts and everything smoothly! Thank again!!!

[jonhansen]

My garage is 28' X 48'. The back half is my shop area and the front half is garage. I used 5000K bulbs in the garage portion & 6500K in the shop area. I have 10'6" ceilings and the walls & ceilings are all painted in semi-gloss white paint. I have (20) 8' 4 bulb fixtures in the room & the light is absolutely fantastic. Something else to check out for anyone wanting to do this conversion is to check with your local utility company to see if they offer any rebates or incentives for converting to LED. I got nearly $270 for converting my garage & basement lights from our local municipal utility company.

[SLE]

I did the Type A tubes and have lasted over 10 years. 5K works great in a garage.

[kwamedavis]

On the job installing emergency regular l.e.d I had to wire and install the the tubes while the power was still live. It was crazy but I'm still obsessed. Trip city but the buildings needed their power.

[joshuaf]

I did this conversion based on your instructions. Super easy and worked great, thanks!

[myema]

This is exactly the video I needed. Thanks for the info and detail!

[brent]

Great instructional video….Thanks a lot!!!!…You got a new

[agustincarmona]

Informative, clear and concise. Can't wait to do my LED tube conversion. Thanks!

[tinman]

Just did this. Thanks so much. Worked like a charm. Cheers.