Fluorescent tube LED replacment

[AnthonyL]

I have an old 56w 5' fluorescent light and every now and again the tube goes out and then comes back on again all with a bit of a thump and a bang (knocking sound).

The ends of the tube are starting to darken.

Nonetheless if I'm going to replace it I'd like to do so with a LED tube and there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to do this cutting out the connections to the ballast which might be contributing to the problem with mine.

Problem is I don't seem to find the ballast free LED tubes at the regular sites: such as Toolstation, Screwfix.

Pointers please as to what to get and where from.

The light is in a utility room.

[Michael Chare]

We have twin 4' florescent lights in out kitchen. I rewired them to use electronic ballasts. They now switch in instandly.

[AnthonyL]

I'm very pleased for you and am hoping to do the same but your response doesn't assist me in that direction.

[Dave Liquorice]

Most LED tubes are "plug-in" replacements for a normal tube. You just substitute the suplied LED "starter" for the one already in the fitting.

The ballast can stay in the fitting. In some ways that is the better option as altering the wiring of the fitting to accomodate a LED tube means if the LED tube is put in the wrong way round you put a short on the mainsn or if you put a normal tube in the heater gets full mains, not half.

Yes there will be unneccessary losses in the choke and capacitor but it's a bit more fool proof. Only need to match starter to tube type.

[Steve Walker]

If you alter the wiring, you should feed live to one side of one end of the fitting and neutral to one side of the other end and then connect the unused sides of both ends together. As the LED tubes have their circuit connected across both pins of one end and the other end is shorted together, it'll work either way around, as the full circuit is then "into tube>electronics>out of tube>other end of tube> into tube>through short>out of tube" or "into tube>through short>out of tube>other end of tube>into tube>electronics>out of tube".

Removing the ballast (electrically at least) means that there is nothing within the fitting to fail though.

Label the fitting as for LED tubes only.

SteveW

[AnthonyL]

Suppliers? I'm happy with the wiring aspect but everywhere I'm looking I see Fluorescent replacement LEDS requiring the ballast which I'd rather do without not least because mine may be faulty.

[Steve Walker]

Surely they don't need the ballast, it is just that they can tolerate being used in a fitting that still has one and you just need to buy a tube that suits the type of existing ballast or use any tube and bypass the ballast?

SteveW

[AnthonyL]

I don't know. Is that right? I just buy any LED tube and bypass the ballast? Or if I connect using the ballast and the ballast fails the LED will still work?

[Michael Chare]

I take you point. I think my approach was much cheaper and the ballast had the wiring instructions marked on it. I am not sure if all LED tubes use the saem wiring. This is an example:

See

[Chris Green]

Are LED tubes actually more efficient (in Lumens/watt) than fluorescent?

[Fredxx]

I don't think I've ever known a ballast to fail. If still in circuit with an LED tube it's not going to get stressed much.

I simply changed the old tube for an LED one, fitted the LED starter and it all worked without drama, less time than to read this thread!

[Fredxx]

Yes, although may LED tubes may produce a lower output, but then a fluorescent's output fades over time.

[Brian Reay]

I bought one from Screwfix and plan to buy more as the others fail.

You just remove the old tube and starter, insert the supplied starter (a dummy), insert new tube, and enjoy. I was dubious before seeing it working but now I'm more than happy.

(No need to remove ballast but you could.)

[dennis]

The screwfix and toolstation tubes work without the ballast. They also work with it if you don't want to cut the wires.

You take live to a pin at one end. Take neutral to a pin at the other end. Then link between the other two terminals (one at each end.

This way the tube will work either way around.

The tubes have L & N at one end and a short between the pins at the other.

[dennis]

Don't confuse requiring with work with.

[AnthonyL]

Thank you very much.

The fact that they worked with our without the ballast was not clear to me or the specs I read hence my original post.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Isn't it in fact simpler to replace the whole fitting with an LED compatible one.?

[AnthonyL]

Don't know. Fixing holes will be in wrong place or it won't fit into the over artexed ceiling neatly. Anyway, the more DIY the better isn't it?

I'll have a look.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well an artexed ceiling is a pice of cake - just use filler and a finger..

Upgrading to LED is what we are all doing, and sometimes its just easier to get new fittings.

[Tim Lamb]

In message <qe5nd5$qdg$ [e-mail], The Natural Philosopher [e-mail] writes

In my experience, batten fittings are usually connected at the centre (half way along). The LED versions seem to be end coupled.