How To Convert 8ft Fluorescent Lights to LED - Ballast Bypass R17D to FA8 

I do this for a living. I keep rolls of solid 18awg black and white on the truck but as long as you keep a consistent wiring scheme it’s not a huge deal as long as you don’t use green. I’m pretty sure the nec only dictates against using green as a current carrying conductor but yes standard field practice is 120volt white and 277v grey.

I see you kept the old cobwebs. I like to remove them and have new ones installed eventually...

I find your page very informative. I’ve never done residential only commercial work. We use MC as a posed to romex and we generally use 12 gauge for our branch circuits! We do tons of conduit bending and 600 kcmil runs! A lot of the things I seen on your page we don’t do out in our field so I’m glad to see different views!

Your video helped us replace 25 ballasts across 5 strings of fluorescents. Saved us $1800 from the electricians quote. Thanks. I’d add a picture of the finished project if I could.

Ben, I used a previous video for guidance on installing a sub panel and I was successful - everything works as it should! Unfortunately, I'm having issues with regular fluorescents so am going to convert to LED. This video is extremely helpful. Thanks, and yep, I'm subscribed!

Man, these videos are great! I'm getting ready to start a whole home remodel. I'm competent in regards to framing and structural work but I've always been intimidated by electrical. These videos are great. I like the level of detail without mind numbing info saturation that is found in most "learn from a pro" videos... Awesome!

finally, the least complicated and a simple explanation for bypassing the Ballast...thanks man

When I do fluorescent to LED tube conversions, I like to apply the labels to warn not to install fluorescent lamps in the fixture, as there is no ballast. In one of the shops I was working at a few years back, a maintenance contractor was injured when a fluorescent tube exploded at the end he was holding, upon inserting the tube which had 277 volts at the tombstone, it had the ballast bypass and was wired for single end power, the other tombstone was used as the support. Just a thought based on my experience working in commercial. In your application not a big deal because 120 volts or even 240 or 277 is not enough to start a fluorescent, wired end to end. If wired single end, definitely should apply the warning label, even more critical at higher voltage like 240 or 277,

Finally, a video that covered all the bases! Well done!

Why not put some white tape on either side of the yellow wire? Calling it off white is like calling blue wire off-red.

Hei Benjamin, I am very interesting to watch all of your videos. Since you are confident in your work your explanation is crystal clear.Keep it up.May God Bless You and Your Family.

According to article 200 of the NEC, you are required to use white or gray for neutral wires #6 and smaller. You can't use phase tape. The only exception would be is for switch loops when 2 wire romex or M/C cables are used. I think that includes fixture wire as well.

Man it bugged me that you kept the wire nuts and hanged the Wagos off of a pig tail. :) I definitely would have cut off the wire nuts and put the power input and output directly into the Wagos. Otherwise, it looks really nice and the light quality improvement is immense!

I love all the extra information. Interesting the 4' bulbs are about $5. I've been buying mostly the cheapie LED fixtures and last paid $15 for a 2pk from Menards. I still admire the Amp tester. Some day, I'll find the cheapest one made as I generally don't need it but just want one. And 100% correct, go with 'off white'. That would be my logic as well.

Another awesome tutorial Benjamin...Thanks👍

This video was extremely helpful, thank you for explaining this so well👍

Electrical code does allow just the ends to be marked with the correct color. White electrical tape works well, but sometimes I'm adventurous and use which heat shrink tubing. White wires can also be marked black when used as a hot such as when using general romex as a 240 line.

I like your show and the way you explain every thing by the way I celebrate that you work with your kids

A bit of safety advice. If you have a grounded conductor, as is the case with 120 volt, 208 volt high leg, or 277 volt systems, I would recommend connecting the grounded conductor to the end with the spring loaded A8 or R17D lampholder. This will reduce the risk of an electric shock as it is the first to make last to break. This is if you are too lazy to turn off the power when changing lamps which is what you should do.

I've watched many of your videos....I think you are a bit OCD. I am surprised that those old, dirty fixtures were not taken down, vacuumed, sand-blasted, and powder coated before the conversion was complete. I wish I were you when I was a younger man...A real go-getter!

Buddy89, all I can find locally is stranded 18 gauge. I tinned the ends with solder and the wire locked in fine. My question is , do you think it's a problem tinning the ends of the wire? Any safety concerns I need to be aware of? Thanks for your input

Nice job done Ben!

They do make LED Retrofit lamps with the R17D (HO) base. Satco makes such a retrofit lamp. I'm fact Satco makes all the weird sizes for retrofitting signs in both single and double sided versions.

I realize this is an older video at this point as I came across it and was surprised you were doing the retrofit and why I say it that way, is this actually to code in the USA to install these bulbs and therefore bypassing the ballasts. Here in Canada I was told by an electrical supplier who also has licensed electricians as well as speaking with other electricians, its a no go to do this retrofit as far as being to code as well as very possibly voiding your building insurance in the process. Yes some people have certainly done the retrofit not realizing the implications. At the time and not sure if that is different now but most of those bulbs from china are not certified under CSA or UL but that is only part of it, the other problem is that the existing light figures were never approved for 120 volt bulbs ran direct, only for the reduced voltage after the ballast. It was some years ago I did some retrofitting and replacements of fixtures, uninstalled the 8 foot units and installed 4 foots in their place and then replaced all the otherolder 4 foots I had with electronic ballasts. Then installed the retrofit LED bulbs designed to run off of the electronic ballasts. If I could have found actual LED strip lighting fixtures at a price that was affordable at the time I would have done that instead of course but they were beyond insanely priced, have not priced out strip LED lately. The power draw testing I did with an ammeter was interesting as I had experimented by testing the older 4 foot units that had magnetic ballasts with florescent bulbs, then installed LED bulbs and no difference in the power draw. Then I changed out the magnetic units for the electronic ballasts running the same LED bulbs and the power draw dropped exactly half. That was eye opening, I expect dedicated strip LED lights would use less power yet but the newer ballasts with the retrofit LED bulbs were a compromise that kept the type of retrofit I did still to code. The bulbs work great as per the heat not turned on in the shop and can be very cold out and they come on with no issues and no more of that humming and pulsing light that florescent is famous for. Anyway just thought I would share that and to check out if such a retrofit as per this video is allowed by code in your area of the world.

Can you make a tour of your workshop? That would be epic

Hey Ben, yellow wire is considered hot. You can use a hot color as a neautral, just tape it white in several spots to re identify the hit wire as a neautral.

Another great video! Thanks.

In older homes with the older codes, it is common to to see a black or white wire being used for the opposite, depending on how something is being fed. It is my understanding that this is acceptable, as long as you wrap the wire in the junction box accordingly, with white or black tape.

I like how you showed the neutral on one end and the power on the other. Not being an electrician, I am gonna have to find a schematic so I don't electrocute myself. I got a little lost on the wires all getting tied to the wire nut.

You were concerned if you should use the existing yellow wire that was in the light fixture. I say yes do it but add a peace of white electrical tape on the yellow wire at both connection points of the yellow wire to indicate that it is a neutral wire.

WOW!! finally found the video I was looking for .great job

Great job!

I LOVE my shop LEDS! BEN…..Thanks for your instructions!

Thank you very much. You solved several problems for me. I am replacing our garage's flourecent T12 8" to Led T8, 8". Qauntity 11 fixtures conected in series. My question: I didnt see a ground wire coming out with the L and N wires. Is that normal?.. If not what should I do? Thanx.

Nice Vid, and to the pint, thanks

Wish I would have seen this video before I bought 4 foot LED tubes from Costco. They physically installed ok but would not switch on. I'm sure it had something to do with the ballast. Took the tubes back. I ended up buying the entire LED fixture that came with LED lamps installed. It came with various switchable settings and a motion detector.

Really helpful thanks bro

Why do you have blue wire in your single phase panel?

Greetings from Australia. Last year I replaced the suspended ceiling in my factory which had various fluorescent tube light fittings. I replaced all the fittings with flat panel LED's 4 x 1 ft, 3500 Lumen output, 4000K colour temperature, weighing 4 Lbs in weight, about 1/2 inch thick and came with a 3 pin plug on a flexible lead.. They were available either to go into the suspended ceiling rails and had other mounting kits. Larger lighting panels with higher outputs were available.Why would you bother with crusty, rusty old fluorescent light fittings with heat damaged wiring. It would probably be more cost effective than to change out tube fittings.

I have a very old lamp unit-,the tombstones have a metal clip in the front and two holds in the back, how do I mount the new one . Thanks

Great video!

great job looking forward to more videos

So, what do you do in your shop there..? Again, a super well done video Ben...

I'm thinking of just taking down the 8 foot HO fluorescents in my garage and putting in standard keyless fixtures with super bright screw-in LED lights. The HO fluorescents are supposed to be rated for cold weather starting, but I'm find they start off pretty dim. I want instant bright in my -20F garage.

I didn't know they had 8 foot replacements. Good to know

I think yellow ok for neutral Check NEC 410.130.G.1 for certain lighting u need to install disconnect plugs. Typ orange Plus cool trick use ur cell phone and look at fluorescent lights If looks like barber pole it is magnetic ballast. If no barber pole electronic ballast. Try it out I hate doing light bc so filthy I like doing lights bc of the instant gratification

Pins which are powered (i.e. carry a current) on BOTH ends of a fluorescent tube are a *HAZARD* ! If a workman replacing a tube while the power is ON has a finger touching the pin(s) on the unpowered end, a shock is possible when the powered pin(s) make contact in the socket at the other end. It is safer to have the power fed from one end and have the other end just for physical support. LED tubes for ballast bypass are now almost all "G13 Bi-Pin" or "recessed double contact" for that reason. For G13 Bi-Pins, the socket contacts on one end are "unshunted" so they can be separately wired "hot" and neutral, and the socket on the other end is just for support and not wired. In this project, sticking with the "recessed double contact" format would have been safer.

Did you use non shunted tombstones?

God bless a American, you know how to fly a flag. I think your videos are very educational. Good job.

As for the internal wiring colors I would just use the yellow er...(off white) wire Unless the NEC specifically says otherwise

Let me understand, I can replace my bulbs with led, but I have to remove or disconnect the ballast? And one more question this type led bulbs are good brand?

I don't see the link for the poll

Will they work outside, in cold weather? Dry location.

well done

You can re-indentify the yellow wire with white tape to use it as neutral. I like to do that to keep things simply.

Is there a way to tell if the led replacement bulbs need a ballast? I bought some bulbs on sale at lowes and can't remember if the box said anything

We used the yellow wires when by passing the ballasts on our light fixtures.

It's that young smart talking kid again!

I don't get it ... when you measured Amps on the blue in the beginning it was 4.75 and after you converted it was 6.25 Amps ?

So much for savings money. You started with 4.9 amps and ended with 6.25. But it is brighter.

I thought the power company says you save on power consumption therefore money with LED's. this conversion doesn't appear that is the case. Am I missing something?

I have been using lower color temperature LEDs, about 4500K. Light is not as harsh and less bluish. I also reuse the tombstones unless they are cracked or the wiring terminals are discolored due to heat.

The wire should be white. Can you use 18 AWG to run 120 volts?

The inspector here in my area is fine with yellow because it’s inside the fixture. One of the inspectors in our area has opinions that the sockets were never approved for the current rating that they might encounter if the led style bulb fails into a shorted condition. As in the Original application the sockets will never see 20 amps short circuit..But he is older inspector and none of the other building inspectors has brought this up but he brings this up all the time. But he still appeared the installation work.

I'm cheap so ill just use any color wiring i have lying around in a light fixture. If this were an electrical box or rough-in follow code. You can also wrap white electrical tape to indicate netural

Once you are inside any light fixture, you could use pink if that is what you have. The actual colors are set up more for exterior/house wiring coming up to the light fixture. JMHO I guess cleaning everything up before reinstalling things is out of the question...

I would have removed the fixtures, cleaned them and then spray painted them. Then cleaned and repainted the ceiling as well. Would have been interesting to "before and after" put a light meeter on your benches and seen the improvement of all your work.

Wrap yellow wire to white heat shrink. You are using tubes where power goes to both ends, but such tubes are allowed only in few countries. In many countries electrical codes require only one-end powered LED tubes since 2010.

At 9:41 depends on who comes in behind you in the future to replace those tombstones

As long as they are different colors all should be good.

Don't worry about the yellow wire as neutral : Just make sure all the lighting cases are grounded in some reliable way.

I've been using LEDs in my kitchen ever since they were affordable, mainly to cut down on the heat that seemed to be killing my ballasts in a closed fixture. They do seem to have a limited life of about 2 years, or 10,000 hours, when they begin to dim. My wife keeps the kitchen lights on if she isn't in bed. LOL

I'm struggling!!! I bought a bulb that says it's compatible with a ballast (but I removed the ballast)....does that mean that bulb will not work unless you have a ballast? help please

As long as you keep uniform with all your lights so as to avoid confusion you will be good as long as you dont need an inspection. The lever connectors he used are the old style. The new ones are much better and smaller.

I’m pretty sure NEC states that it is permissible to mark any insulator as neutral with white tape.

I would just use white tape wrapping around the yellow wire and that indicating that's neutral

I say use what wire is available from inside the light fixture if possible. It will save on time and money.

I prefer wirenuts lol. But great video!

Colour coded wire was designed for electrical installations for a reason and it is good safety-practice to use the coloured wires in an installation so as to keep the uniformity of the original electrical wiring used before the handyman buggers up the electrical wiring installation.

You ask what to do when wire color is incorrect, as an electrician of 20 + years I used a color flag. A piece of tape that the correct color @ each end of the wire. A flag is tape 2 or 3 inches long w/ both ends sticking up away from the wire.

I would use the "off White" wire but I would put a piece of clealy white tape towards the end for when I forget what I did years from now.

those LED tubes with bare visible LED elements are kinda crude, Philips (Signify) Osram Sylvania have really nice LED Tube lamps, no obvious LED elements, smooth linear lighting, coated tube

Goggls so important 4 this job .why? Ur eys in. Away frm glass tht s been known to pop n shoot small fragments of small glass to ur eys gogles a must thk u

the old lights used just a little less than 5 amps and now the new lights are using just under 7 amps, i know you get a lot more light from the new lights as you can see but what about what the electric cost, are the new lights going to cost more to use, you should also tell everyone how much longer LED will last, these lights are great compared to the old ones

Wrap the ends of the neutral wires with white electrical tape.

use the yellow as before. then put white tape or white tubing for ident.

You show close to 5 amp draw on each of the three circuits with the ballast and Flo tubes. Your finish LED conversion was pulling more amps. Your electric bill went up !

Technically it should be white, but anyone that is doing electrical should be good enough to figure it out. Regardless you didn't verify the hot was actually the hot wire, so the colors could be backwards ;)

I believe that the color of wire is not a factor inside of an appliance.

Use white tape on the yellow wire to signify neutral

White in this application !

I install a warning label in the converted fixture to warn that the fixture is LED and not to use florescents. The labels came with the tubes.

Add white tape to wire indicate

If I repurposed them within the fixture, I would mark each end with white tape to designate it as “N”.

If you are a bit pedantic like me, then spiral wrap the ends of the yellow wire just before they join up with your plastic clips with an inch or so of white or gray electrical insulating tape and I think you will be up to code. Couple of pennies of tape and a minute of your time for each yellow wire connected. Especially if you have to pull an electrical permit with the county or city where you live.

I do not think an non matching wire color really matters 4 a D I Yer if it is a common conmection

Should have shown a comparison of Fluorescent current draw before replacement

some white tape at the ends or a bit of white paint is an easy way to clarify for the next guy

You should Identify the yellow with white tape...

The color of the wire can be technically changed by wrapping electrical tape of the proper color at each end of the wire.