How To Convert Your Old T8 and T12 Fluorescent Fixtures to Brighter LED Bulbs

New LED bulbs are greatly superior to the old fluorescent bulbs. They draw far less current per lumen, so you can put a much brighter bulb into the same old fixture. But ... you (generally) need to modify the fixture first!

[yeeeehaaawbuddy]

There are 2 types of LED bulbs like this. One will require power at both ends, and the other only needs power at one end. It's critically important that you always read the instructions that come with the bulbs before going forward with something that you saw on YouTube.

[mobilecomptrek]

I have a fluorescent light with the neutral going to one end and not through the ballast like the one in you have. I couldn't find a video that had that setup until I came across yours. My ballast went bad recently and the manufacturer couldn't advise me on a replacement. Seems like a good time to convert to LED tubes.

[AntonioGarcia-lycp]

thank you very much for this video, Mr miyagi thanks to your video, I got my led lights connected.

[JimE]

Got by looking for fluorescent to led but as soon as I saw Festool in the into I knew I was in the right place.

[akraiders]

Thank you, your video was very helpful. I recently did my garage lights and was really just wanting reassurance that i did it correctly, and would end up with an issue later on. But i did mine the same exact way so i feel a lot better lol

[rrrsss]

Some ballast bypass led replacements bulbs are single ended powered not double ended. Need to make sure you have the correct one for this wiring.

[goforlaunch]

Great video! Easy to follow and it made my conversion and installation simple. Thank you again!

[michael]

Great info and you even showed a strange wiring situation which will likely help the odd person or two in the future.

Only recommendation I have is to throw in some information about shunted vs. non-shunted and single pole vs. double pole LED bulbs.

I'm currently rewiring mine, but I am using single pole LED bulbs so my wiring is different and only one side of my tombstones are wired. It's still the same concept though, all the neutrals together all the hots together and then pigtail to the home wiring.

[elkhair]

Thanks Cliff, I have lots of these to convert to also!

[curistinmatin]

Hi, sir, I really like the video you shot. Could you help us take a video of the installation of our brand's 4-foot led bulb? Looking forward to your reply.

[mrxman]

Can you use LED tubes that say they'll work with an existing ballast in a fixture where you remove the ballast altogether? It wasn't clear from the packaging whether these new LEDs require a ballast. Thanks

[williamkudrna]

Seems like it might just be easier to replace the entire fixture. Thanks for the video.

[kennethpierce]

You fast forward the part someone might actually need to watch. You never explained the second hot wire. Does it connect to the blue and red wires come from the tombstones you pulled free ?

[hermanmoxey]

There are TWO TYPES of led tubes. The led tubes like Cliff has here are DOUBLE ENDED and have a neutral wire going to one end, hot wire to other end. Both end caps on tube are white.

The other type led tubes are SINGLE ENDED and powered only on ONE END. This type tube/bulb usually has a green cap on one end, a white cap on the other end. On this type a lead (hot) black wire goes to one side of each tombstone, a neutral white wire goes to other side of each tombstone. ALL WIRES go to green end of the tubes. There is no wiring on other white end of the tubes. Its only use is to hold the tube in place. (Some single ended led tubes have white caps on both ends so you have to know which type you have before wiring.)

[atbattson]

If you buy a plug and play bulb that works with the ballast, but later the ballast dies can one rewire around the ballast and still keep the plug and play bulbs?

[craigmcluckie]

Hey Cliff, out of curiosity, which T8 LED's did you end up installing? Also, did you notice a difference in the light output of the LED's versus the older florescent bulbs? I'm looking to convert my workshop over in the near future.

[curtdunlap]

Thanks for sharing, Cliff! I have seen two different wiring methodologies for these conversions and really don't know which would be better economically, but I digress. What's your opinion on that anyway?
My real question is that for your conversion, can the tubes be installed in either direction? I know for DC, flow only goes one direction, but with circuitry, does the AC get rectified to that required one direction? And, of course, there are those LED tubes that have the live conductors on one end and dummies on the other. Those definitely need to be installed in only one direction. Thanks for your video!

[gail]

someone said if u have an INSTANT START BALLASt that this wont work....or u have to modify something? I have a three wire BALLAST i removed how do i know if its an instant start, ?? I have ONE long 96 INCH FLORURESCENT BULB..the ballast has two wires on one end, and one blue wire on the other end..i dont have tombstones i dont think..my old buld has one end not two?? I already removed the old BALLLAST

[thelowmein]

Well done but I just want to make sure I understand about the ground wire, you pretty much don’t have to touch it right? Just leave it attached to the fixture from the home wiring?

[hmoobs]

Is it just me not seeing correctly or you actually mixed different color wires together?