T12 to LED conversion

[MarkB_MI]

I know this topic has come up before, but I didn't pay much attention then and I know the technology is changing pretty rapidly.

My sister owns a nice all-steel shop building out in CO our dad put up in the seventies. She wants to rent it out, but first has to do something about the lighting. It has the original 8 foot T12 fluorescent light fixtures, and they're in poor shape. It makes sense to switch them to LED. The lights are attached to the roof purlins, and it's a 14 foot sidewall building, so she'll need to hire the work done. Also, there's only one electrical contractor in town, and they think their time is pretty valuable.

I see there's a couple of different ways to go, other than completely replacing the fixtures. There are LED bulbs that use the existing ballast, and there are others where you bypass the ballast. I'm thinking the latter option is the way to go, since I'm sure many of the ballasts are bad and eliminating them should reduce future maintenance.

Which way did y'all go with your conversions, and how did it work out? Or did you completely replace your fluorescent fixtures with something more modern?

 

[drummer481]

I am a retired electrician and cannot believe how LEDs keep improving.Since it is a rental I would take down the old fixtures and put receptacles in appropriate areas, then buy the ones with factory male plugs on them and do it yourself if possible.Actually this is how I am getting ready to do my sons barns soon.He just bought a house with 2 nice barns full of non-working fluorescent lights hanging.

 

[ldj]

(quoted from post at 08:46:20 08/28/22) I am a retired electrician and cannot believe how LEDs keep improving.Since it is a rental I would take down the old fixtures and put receptacles in appropriate areas, then buy the ones with factory male plugs on them and do it yourself if possible.Actually this is how I am getting ready to do my sons barns soon.He just bought a house with 2 nice barns full of non-working fluorescent lights hanging.

Can you tell me what they are called?

 

[Ohio88]

In my shop We removed the ballasts and wired for led type B. Six bulb 4 foot, cost 70 dollars a fixture vs 120 to get the same lumins new, and we would have had to add fixtures. Ours are all plug-ins and I would not do it any other way.

 

[Rustytech]

I have/had t12s in my basement and I went the direct wire method. Cutting out the ballasts and rewiring the tombstones one end wired to (hot) the other end to neutral. Very easy and much brighter than fluorescent could ever dream of being!

 

[dr sportster]

Absolutely bypass ballast If you can eliminate that factor it is good for maintenance

 

[Dave BN]

I got my led replacement tubes from Kendall electric in Muskegon. They were helpful to me. About $24 per tube, that's $48 per fixture. wiring diagram is printed on the tube. Mine are 8 ft also and I eliminated the ballast.
Dave

 

[Jeff NWOH]

I replaced the HO 8 ft bulbs in my barn a few months back. I bought the brightest bulbs I could find. I believe the were 13 or 14,000 lumens each. They are also ballast bypass bulbs. I left the ballasts up there and just wired around them. Probably only took 10 minutes per fixture. More time going up and down the ladder than anything.

It was definitely worth doing. Shop side is at least 4 times brighter. On my storage side , I only put 1 bulb in each fixture and it's still considerably brighter than it was before.

 

[MarkB_MI]

> In my shop We removed the ballasts and wired for led type B.

When I google 'LED type B' I only get candelabra base bulbs. I must be missing something.

 

[jimg.allentown]

For what it is worth, I think you will enjoy the LEDs in the cold weather. They do not need to warm up for half an hour like fluorescents do.

 

[Hay hay hay]

I just completed the conversion in one of my barns. 12 ft ceiling. Took the electrician 2 hours. Decided not to keep the old fluorescent fixtures in place. Took them down threw them away. It only took minutes to put the clips on the Rafters, snap the fixtures into the clips common wire the fixtures to the existing electric. So much cleaner, faster, and cheaper. Glad I went this way. Bought at Amazon,
(6-Pack) FTUBET 8FT LED Shop Light, 100W Linkable 8 Foot LED Lights Fixture, 14000 Lumens, 5000K Daylight White, $158.
I know that's not the question you asked, but when I explored the alternative of replacing the old fluorescent bulbs this seems so much better. Wow, what a difference in light.

I also considered putting a row at the top of a wall, where it hits the roof, but opted for the center of the rafters.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Or did you completely replace your fluorescent fixtures with something more modern?

I'm cheap, I put new 4 ft LEDs in my new pole barn.
I got them on sale from RK for about $12 each.


Instant start
Light Weight: 2.0 lb.
120V 55W 5000K LED with lens cover
5,500 Lumen output
5ft Cord with power receptacle
Fully assembled, easy to Install
$20.

If the lights are on the roof of a pole barn with 14 ft sidewalls, I wouldn't want to remove the old wiring, then take them down to work on them, rewire them and put them back up. They have a heavy ballast and 8 ft long.

I would use the old wiring to install a receptacle to plug the 4 ft LEDs into.
I installed a 4 ft led, skipped 4 ft and installed another 4 ft led at the peak of my pole barn with 14 ft walls.

Easy to install a 2 pound LED.

Keep it Simple..KIS(S)

Plenty of light..

 

[Patsdeere]

I would yank the fixtures out and put new ones in. Not worth fighting old wiring/ballasts and new clean things in a rental are good for business. I've done it in the garage, rentals, side jobs. All goes and it is all new. Cheaper to install and buy.

 

[RandyC]

[quote= There are LED bulbs that use the existing ballast- no you can't use the old ballast. If it were me I would buy 4' new led lights some of them will link together and make them 8'. Also make sure the old lights are 120 volts some of the 8's can be 240 volts. I would borrow or rent scaffolding and do it yourself if you up to doing it..

 

[MarkB_MI]

Thanks everyone for your responses. You've given me a lot of good information.

 

[racered57]

(quoted from post at 21:02:51 08/28/22) Thanks everyone for your responses. You've given me a lot of good information.

might look at this type of replacement, lose the tube and the ballast.
I like mine. A lot more light to work with.
https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/220382/PLT-11904.html?gclid=CjwKCAjw6raYBhB7EiwABge5KqILtPcPBgPLZsrGnBtVmYE4NryF_qIIrS_K5M25x14ABv7EaUpXYBoCCGwQAvD_BwE

 

[stevieb49829]

My electrical inspector informed me that if they are plug-ins, even at the ceiling, they need to be on a GFCI circuit. That might be an Idaho thing, or it might be in the NEC. I cut the plug off and hardwired my UFO's, through a clamp and plate on the ceiling box. It passed the final. steve