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Topic: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's (Read 652 times) previous topic - next topic
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Replacing Fluorescents With LED's

I am finally getting around to replacing all the fluorescents with LED tubes. I added LED strips to three fixtures [retaing the fluorescent tubes] some years back, but as my vision gets worse, I need more light. While fluorescents provide the needed light they eat amps. I want equal lumens to the fluorescents.

My question are they all about the same quality? Just pick one from Amazon.
Amazon.com : f15t8 led

This 10 pack is the lowest price per tube.

However, F15T8's fluorescents are rated at 1000 lumens while the above are rated at 600.

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #1 –
This source has a large variety of high quality LED products and good customer service:

M4 LED Products
2003 TK has a new home
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #2 –
Quote from: Don Malpas  - 
I am finally getting around to replacing all the fluorescents with LED tubes. I added LED strips to three fixtures [retaing the fluorescent tubes] some years back, but as my vision gets worse, I need more light. While fluorescents provide the needed light they eat amps. I want equal lumens to the fluorescents.

My question are they all about the same quality? Just pick one from Amazon.
Amazon.com : f15t8 led

This 10 pack is the lowest price per tube.

However, F15T8's fluorescents are rated at 1000 lumens while the above are rated at 600.
Don, Ron B has posted some helpful messages about tube replacement with LEDs.

Chris
As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Formerly: 2002 30' IB
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #3 –
Hi Don. Most of these require bypassing the ballast, but require 120 VAC to run. Good for a house, but if you want to run on 12Vdc, they won't. I have some LED strips at 5500K. I consider them too glaring. M4 has 4500K tubes.  The Leds only light up half of the bulb, the back half is aluminum heat sink. So rotateable ends are required, so you can position the light emitting part downward.  I have 'gold' cataracts, the common type, but not bad enough to replace the lenses, like my wife has had done already. So I prefer whiter lighting.   Many 12v. LED tubes have a pair of wires that exit the tube and plugin inside where the ballast used to be. The M4 use the sockets for power, so it looks cleaner.    RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #4 –
I've used both and prefer the M4 where the tubes are powered from the ends. As Ron said, cleaner. I've done all of our fixtures and on some had to take a tube out. Too bright at night. In our case we prefer the warmer colors of the 3000, personal preference only, but they do make the wife feel warmer. Anything you use is better than the old fluorescents though.

Jon
1994 MB
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #5 –
Ron, I did not see that the ones on Amazon are for 120v. Don't need that. Good save.

I had also been looking at M4. A friend called me after he saw my post here and recommended them.
I talked with them and was sold on them. And they are 12v.

LED Replacement for 14" T8 Tube Lights F14T8

Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #6 –
Hi Don, if you have the standard Sunray LD light fixtures, you need these: LED Replacement for 18" T8 Tube Lights   The tubes are 17 1/4" long. 17 3/4" with the pins.   
Two per fixture. If too bright you could put a switch in each fixture to turn one off, while leaving the other one on. Not a problem for me, they look just like the original cool white florescent tube fixture.  But instant on, and
 less than half the power.   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #7 –
I guess I am not standard Ron, mine are F14's
Don & Dorothy
Sold our LD in June of 2023

Our boring always non-PC travel blog
Traveling Dorothy
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #8 –
Good to know Don. I thought the Sunray fixture lasted until LD went to LED type lighting inside.  Looking into it, it seems reliability of the Sunray fixture was going down the gurggler about then.   RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB
 
Re: Replacing Fluorescents With LED's
Reply #9 –
Thanks to all, I had just been watching youtube videos about how to do this, and M4 came up repeatedly as a vendor with positive reviews. I need to step on this. Two of my SunRays aren't working at all....
M
Marcia Boynton
2005 26.5 RK
Adrian and Northport, MI