Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

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Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

January 26, 2021, 04:47:55 pm

I finally swapped out the fluorescents for LED's. I hesitated hoping the price per bulb would come down, but $25 a pop seems to be the price. I used M4 products.

I measured lumens at 10 inches to be 1,700 vice 1,200 for the old tubes. Uses .1 amps

If you use M4, toss their instructions, far too confusing. You just connect one wire from each tombstone from one end of the fixture to one side of the power wire and one wire from each tombstone on the other end of the fixture to the other input power wire. Polarity does not matter. Any other wires and the ballast can be removed.

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #1 – January 26, 2021, 10:37:15 pm

I also just completed this project using the M4 LED product and couldn't be more pleased. There is a very noticeable difference in brightness and Don's calculations confirm in the 40% range. The conversion is very straightforward and Don nailed the description for how to do it. M4 includes a length of wire for the one splice and plenty of wire nuts. The connecting pins on the tubes rotate so you can make some minor adjustments that alter brightness and/or lighting angle. First conversion might take a bit longer but expect to spend about 10-15 minutes per fixture. I ordered twice and received both orders within 3 days. An email to tech support received a helpful and courteous response within a couple hours.

Matt

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #2 – January 27, 2021, 12:45:54 am

Quote from: Don Malpas - January 26, 2021, 04:47:55 pm

I finally swapped out the fluorescents for LED's. I hesitated hoping the price per bulb would come down, but $25 a pop seems to be the price. I used M4 products.

I measured lumens at 10 inches to be 1,700 vice 1,200 for the old tubes. Uses .1 amps

If you use M4, toss their instructions, far too confusing. You just connect one wire from each tombstone from one end of the fixture to one side of the power wire and one wire from each tombstone on the other end of the fixture to the other input power wire. Polarity does not matter. Any other wires and the ballast can be removed.

Don, is the bulb in the M4 link you posted the one you ordered?

Chris

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #3 – January 27, 2021, 07:00:21 am

Yes, Chris, in the middle of the color scale. Some like a warm tone, others bright white. I like down the middle. Should be a knob that would allow it to be changed from one extreme to the other.

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #4 – January 27, 2021, 09:12:23 am

Hi Don,

Our 2003 is still equipped with the fluorescent tubes. Frankly, I always thought they were too bright above the dinette and rear sofas. When you measure 1700 lumens with the leds and 1200 lumens for the fluorescent tubes, was that with 2 tubes of leds or just 1? How would you rate the output with just one tube of leds?

I would love the option of us using two levels of brightness.

Steve k

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #5 – January 27, 2021, 09:41:54 am

Steve,

You have better eyes than we do. We need more light and stronger glasses every year.
The measurement was made with both tubes and the diffuser off.

I would guess one tube would be half, about 850, less two fluorescents.
You could have both, one LED and one fluorescent tube even with separate switches, but you would need to double the wiring as the fluorescents need the ballast and the LED can not use it.

Yes, a dimmer would be nice. I don't know if these tubes could use them. Ask M4.
Would also like to be able to dial in the color on the Kelvin scale.

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #6 – January 27, 2021, 09:42:33 am

Quote from: Steve K. - January 27, 2021, 09:12:23 am

I would love the option of us using two levels of brightness.

It could be done with the LEDs, at least with the Sunray 930 fixtures that we have in our '07 TK. One could change out the existing switch or add a second switch to the fixture with the appropriate wiring changes on the internal circuit so that one or both LEDs would be powered.

Charles

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #7 – January 27, 2021, 12:10:04 pm

Hi Steve,

I thought the same about the Cool White(CW) fluorescents above my dinette. I did not like the brightness there so I switched to the Warm White(WW) led tube from M4 LED and am pleased. It is much more of a golden tone than either the CW or Natural White(NW). You can also make additional minor brightness adjustments by rotating the pins on the tubes to change the angle of the led lighting strip. The CW led is much brighter than the fluorescent CW equivalent. In my opinion, the NW led is approximately the same brightness as the fluorescent CW. I have been pleased with WW in fixtures over dinette and any other sitting areas and CW in ceiling and kitchen fixtures. If you do a lot of reading in one particular sitting area then maybe go with NW instead of WW for more brightness if you need it. M4 ships quickly so maybe get one set of CW and WW to try in different locations, decide, then order additional tubes (worked for me:).

Matt

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #8 – January 27, 2021, 01:49:06 pm

Hi Matt, Steve and others. M4 does make dimmers, maybe they will work for the tubes. PCA Electronics Rotary Dimmer Switch You could install one dimmer per tube, and have a Cool White (6000K) tube in one side and a Warm White (3200K) tube in the other side of each fixture. Tuneable color and brightness. Settings could remain stable, just using the on/off switch as (usual) normal. RonB
edit: an email answered says to use the three wire dimmer. PCA Electronics Rotary Dimmer Switch same cost.

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #9 – January 27, 2021, 02:00:37 pm

One thing to remember when switching from fluorescents to LED tubes is that the former radiate equally in all directions around the axis, and the phosphors additionally spread the illumination axially. This means lumens measured at any one location is only significant for that one spot, for fluorescents. In general, what works best is to switch to the LED tubes for local illumination, such as under the living area cabinets, where you can aim the light exactly where you want it. We use LED strips in all the fluorescent fixtures, but in the kitchen we added another custom one for additional illumination over the 'L'. We also kept the original tubes in the fixture with a selector switch - one or the other.

Steve

Re: Swapping Fluorescents For LEDs

Reply #10 – January 27, 2021, 06:27:08 pm

Don, thanks for clarifying your light measurements. And thanks to all who commented on possible solutions to brightness of the lights. I am a slow adapter...

Steve K

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