Due to its environmental and cost-cutting advantages, LED lighting is becoming more popular. Because of its long lifespan, LED lighting will not need to be updated frequently, saving customers money and reducing waste. Furthermore, because LED lamps use so little electricity, they will drastically reduce electricity bills. LED lighting is gaining popularity around the world as a result of these advantages.
As the number of individuals switching from fluorescent to LED lighting grows, several questions arise. Here is a rundown of clients’ most common questions about switching from fluorescent to LED lighting. To readers understand it easier, let’s use our fluorescent to LED conversion chart to choose the best suitable LED for your place.
LED equivalents to fluorescent tube lights
LED tube lights use between 40 and 50% less energy than fluorescent tube lights, which is of course comparable to CFLs that utilize the same technology.
From Fluorescent Tube Light Wattage to LED Equivalent Wattage. We have a fluorescent to LED conversion chart below:
- 40 Watts is 18 Watts.
- 35 Watts is 15 Watts.
- 32 Watts is 14 Watts.
- 28 Watts is 12 Watts.
Read More: The Best Ideas For Replacing Fluorescent Lighting Boxes
How to Convert Fluorescent Lighting to LED
#1. Take Safety Precautions
When it comes to lighting upgrades, safety is paramount. Use caution when installing LED shop lights, drop lights or wraparound lighting in your space. Working with electrical wiring is required when upgrading a fluorescent lighting unit with LEDs. For a beginner, this can be dangerous.
Consider collaborating with an expert in the field of electrical work. For an LED retrofit project, safety glasses and work gloves are advised.
Homeowners should take it carefully when replacing fluorescent lighting with LED ones. Do take precautions and do not cut corners. If you do the task properly and correctly, your LED retrofit will last for many years.
#2. LED Retrofitting Considerations
Keep these factors in mind when picking an LED retrofitting project for your home.
- LED retrofit kits to allow you to use your existing fluorescent fixtures to install LED bulbs without having to replace them. Retrofit kits, on the other hand, may not work with fluorescent bulb ballast. The ballasts control the current to the bulb and ensure that there is enough voltage for the lights. LED bulbs are a safer option, although they are more expensive upfront. Broken fluorescent bulbs can release mercury, but not LEDs.
- Compared to fluorescent lights, LED lighting produces more heat and lasts longer. LED lights are designed to save up to 75% on energy. An LED bulb’s lifespan may be shortened if it is retrofitted to an existing fluorescent ballast or tombstone.
#3. Shut Off the Power Source
The first step in an LED retrofitting job is turning off the circuit breaker’s power. Turn off the electricity in the room where the fluorescent fixtures are being replaced. The electrical panel, also known as the circuit breaker board, is usually found in a garage or a closet.
- Look for a label or carved marking that identifies the circuit breaker’s matching room or appliance.
- Before continuing with this procedure, turn off the circuit breaker for that room.
- Make sure the electrical power in the room is turned off by flipping the light switch.
- Check the wires with a non-contact voltage tester once the light fixture is open. This is to guarantee that there are no live wires due to faulty wiring.
#4. Replace the Lamp Holders
Disconnect the wiring from the ballast of the fluorescent light fixture. Remove the ballast from the system. If one is present on the fixture, remove it as well.
- Remove any existing tombstones or shunted lamp holders from the fluorescent lighting fixtures you are replacing. When it comes to LED retrofitting, shunted lamp holders or tombstones might cause harm to the bulbs or the fixture itself. Substitute a non-shunted type for them.
- Get the right amount of non-shunted lamp holders. Do this before beginning the fluorescent to LED conversion process.
#5. Wire the Fixture
With a permanent marker, mark the live end of the lighting fixture. This makes it simple to spot. Leave the lamp holders on the fixture’s other end unconnected.
- Connect the positive lead to one of the specified live ends to begin the LED retrofitting wiring.
- Connect the lamp holder’s negative lead to the open lead on the live end.
- Take a few minutes to use wire nuts to secure your connections adequately.
- Reconnect the power to the luminaire.
- At this point, double-check the connections.
#6. Install the New LED Lamps
The lamp holder should be attached to the ceiling box. Tighten the screws that hold the board in place.
Consider putting a warning sticker on the interior of the fixture about lighting replacement. According to the placard, the fluorescent lighting has been rewired with LED bulbs.
#7. Restore the Power
The wiring is now finished. After the LED lamps have been installed, turn the power back on to finish the LED retrofitting. The new LED lights should turn on immediately.
You now know how to transform a space in your house by replacing fluorescent lighting with LED lighting. Download the Home Depot Mobile App and get ready to shop for LED retrofitting supplies. It can be used to find products and check inventory. We will lead you to the aisle and bay you are looking for.
Read More: Can I Leave LED Lights 24/7? – The Great Answer
Can I Use LED Bulbs in Fluorescent Lighting Fixtures?
Usually, LED bulbs can be used in almost any lighting fixture. Look for LED bulbs that are “ballast compatible,” which means they can function with the ballasts already installed in your present lighting fixture, to confirm that they can be used in a fluorescent lighting fixture. You may also do a ballast bypass conversion with a retrofit kit like the Magnilumen kit, which takes as little as 15 minutes to install.
LED lighting is the most acceptable option compared to incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lighting. LED lights will not only save energy and money, but they will also be brighter. The following are comparisons between traditional light sources and LED light sources.
T8 Fluorescent Lighting vs. T8 LED Lighting
When it comes to fluorescent lighting, the letter “T” stands for tubular, and the number after it represents the lamp’s diameter in eighths of an inch. The most common fluorescent lighting size is T8, which refers to a tube eight-eighths of an inch or one inch in diameter. T5 and T12 fluorescent lighting tubes are two more sizes of fluorescent lighting commonly seen in older lighting fixtures.
Regarding the diameter of the tube, the exact measurement applies to LED lighting; however, T8 LEDs do not create UV/IR light in the same manner as T8 fluorescent light does. Because LED T8 lights are the same size as T8 fluorescent bulbs, they can be used in the same lighting fixtures.
The only distinction is in the amount of light produced. T8 fluorescent lighting converts less electricity into light; therefore, LED T8 bulbs are more cost-effective and energy-efficient.
Read More: Choosing The Best LED Color Temperature – 4000k vs 5000k
Options for Converting Fluorescent Lighting to LED
#1. Switch Out the Entire Lighting Fixture
When switching from fluorescent to LED lighting, you have the option of replacing an entire lighting fixture. Almost all modern lighting fixtures on the market today can accommodate LED bulbs, or you can opt for a lighting fixture specifically built to do so.
Changing out a complete lighting fixture, on the other hand, can be pricey. Though a new fluorescent tube is not particularly expensive, having it installed might be costly; this is especially true if you upgrade the lighting across an entire building.
If your lighting fixtures are in good repair and will not need to be replaced anytime soon, it is worth your time to consider using a retrofit kit to change your existing lighting fixture easily.
#2. Modify The Existing Lighting Fixture
Modifying an existing lighting fixture rather than replacing it entirely with LED bulbs is more cost-effective. Converting fluorescent lighting fixtures to LED lighting fixtures can be done in various ways. The most straightforward method is to use a retrofit kit.
These kits attach to existing lighting fixtures and enable the installation of LED bulbs. There are a variety of LED retrofit kits available, with ZLEDLighting’s Magnilumen Retrofit Kit being a suggested option for converting a fluorescent lighting fixture to an LED fixture in roughly 15 minutes.
#3. Different Sockets Present an Issue
When retrofitting an old lighting fixture to accommodate LED bulbs, a common issue is that LED bulbs use non-shunted sockets. In contrast, fluorescent lighting fixtures feature either non-shunted or shunted sockets.
Voltage is received through one set of wires and sent to both contacts in a shunted socket. Non-shunted sockets, on the other hand, receive energy in two different ways. T12 fluorescent lighting fixtures typically have non-shunted sockets, whereas T8 and T5 fluorescent lighting fixtures use shunted sockets (except for those that feature dimming ballasts or employ rapid start).
If the fluorescent fixture you are trying to convert has a shunted socket, altering it can be difficult and may necessitate the purchase of an altogether new fixture. Magnilumen retrofit kits, on the other hand, solve this problem and allow you to preserve existing lighting fixtures. Magnilumen retrofit kits are a magnetic and quick-connecting retrofit system for any lighting fixture.
#4. Ballast Bypass Conversion
The Ballast Bypass Conversion entails completely rewiring the lighting fixture to eliminate the ballast. Changing a fluorescent lighting fixture to an LED lighting fixture has the substantial advantage of eliminating the need to change the ballast.
Magnilumen solutions help customers save time and money by reducing the time it takes to adopt an existing lighting fixture. This is especially useful for large-scale commercial lighting upgrades and remodels.
#5. One-end vs.Two-end Ballast Bypass Tubes
One-end or two-end tubes: conversions are usually simple. However, one common problem is determining whether to use one-end or two-end tubes. When using a single-end bulb, the live and neutral wiring will go to the sockets on one end of the fixture, leaving the sockets on the other end unwired.
When wiring a two-end tube, all neutral wires must be connected to one end, and all live wires must be connected to the other. It takes less time to rewire double-end tubes.
#6. Magnilumen Magnetic Retrofit Kits
Because of the minimal effort required for installation and the numerous benefits they bring, Magnilumen Magnetic Retrofit Kits are an excellent choice for changing an existing lighting fixture. All Magnilumen devices are magnetic, making it simple to connect them to any lighting fixture.
Magnilumen products use half the energy and can last up to 100,000 hours. Magnilumen retrofit kits take roughly 15 minutes to install. Installation of a Magnilumen system, allowing for the use of LED illumination in a fluorescent lighting fixture, is displayed in the featured image below.
#7. Using Magnilumen to Replace Fluorescent Bulbs
Magnilumen devices make it simple to replace fluorescent bulbs. Magnilumen products offer several noteworthy advantages, including:
- A voltage input of 120-305VAC
- Magnetic mounting and quick-connect wiring
- The illumination will last up to 100,000 hours at 150 lumens/watts.
- No need to rewire a fixture.
- A 5-year warrant
- It uses less energy than fluorescent tubes.
Read More: Common Problems With LED Lights And How To Fix Them
Conclusion
We have been buying light bulbs based on wattage. Watts have become an unreliable criterion for selecting bulbs as energy-efficient, low-watt light bulbs such as CFLs and LEDs have become widely accessible.
Rather than focusing on wattage, which measures power or energy consumption, manufacturers are instead showing the brightness of their energy-saving bulbs in lumens, which measures light production. While we are accustomed to purchasing bulbs based on their wattage, lumens are a more accurate indicator of how bright your light will be.
It is easier to identify the optimal energy-efficient bulb for your room if you measure and label light output rather than energy use. Using the fluorescent to LED conversion chart above, calculate how many lumens you will need from your next light bulb.