Thinking about switching to the fluorescent to LED conversion kit but don’t feel confident about your skills? Then there is no need to worry. We’re here to help you get through the installation process.
As you might know, there are plenty of benefits you get from switching from traditional fluorescent lights to LED lights. They are more efficient and can put light just where you want it to be.
But they can be a little bit hard to replace if you choose the wrong one.
As such, we’ve gathered a conversion kit, which we’ve found to be relatively easy to install. We’ll go over the pros, cons, how to use it and install it.
What is a Fluorescent to LED Conversion Kit?
Simply put, a fluorescent light to LED conversion kit is a device that allows you to turn your current fluorescent lights into LED lights without replacing the existing fixture.
Installing a conversion kit is not difficult and barely takes any time or effort. By installing a LED conversion kit, you get many advantages, such as saving money and reducing chemical components.
01. ORILIS Fluorescent to LED Kit
If you recently moved into a new place with fluorescent lights and want to convert them into LED lights, then this kit from Orilis is your best bet.
The installation process for this conversion kit is quite simple. Consumers have reported that they managed to install within 20 minutes at most.
On top of that, the supplied bulbs can put out 25 watts per bulb, which is more than enough for anybody that wants to get rid of the dim fluorescent lights.
Moreover, each of these bulbs can last up to 50,000 hours, and the color temperature is about 6,500K.
Pros
- Super easy to install
- True-to-life colors
- Reduces mercury
- Long-lasting bulbs
- 6500 kelvins
Cons
- Not the best choice for residential
Advantages of Using a Fluorescent to LED Conversion Kit
Fluorescent lights have been around for quite a while, and you might be used to them to the point of no return.
However, here are some reasons that might change your mind if you’re skeptical about the LED conversion kit for fluorescent light:
Cost Efficiency
The most significant advantage to using a led conversion kit is that you save a lot of money. If you’ve had fluorescent lights before, you know just how much electricity they use.
And most of it goes to waste since you have to wait for the fluorescent lights to warm up before putting the light where you want it to be.
This inconvenience gets even worse during the winter since it takes a lot of time before it warms up.
Since you’d be running LED lights with the conversion kit, you won’t have to worry about the electricity bill at the end of the month.
They use less electricity and are brighter than fluorescent lights. And unlike fluorescent lamps, LED bulbs turn on the moment you flip the switch.
Accurate Colors
Another huge advantage is that you get gorgeous lighting with the LED conversion kit. LED lights have a higher color rendering index than fluorescent lights.
This means that the more CRI it has, the more true-to-life results you get.
If you run the fluorescent lights, you might not notice just how much they pollute everything with green. This might only be noticeable when you constantly flip the light switch.
You might also notice it if you’re at a studio shooting videos. But that’s about it. On the other hand, using LED lights is almost as recording outside but just from the comfort of your home.
Good lighting really makes a difference when recording videos.
Life Expectancy
You might not pick up on it right away, but LED lights have a higher life expectancy than most fluorescent lights. Even though the latter is cheaper upfront, the former has a longer usage life.
Most people seem to forget about this when choosing between the two, as the fluorescent lights are cheaper upfront.
But as time goes by, it ends up being the more expensive choice. The fluorescent lights don’t last as much, and they use more electricity than needed. You also have to replace them every so often, and they are not as bright.
LED lights might be more expensive at first glance, but they are more efficient in the long run.
Reduces Mercury
Many of us are not aware that fluorescent lights contain dangerous and poisonous gasses. While it is true that fluorescent lights do not have the same amount of mercury found in a thermometer, it is still quite harmful.
And if it ever breaks, it’ll expel all the vapor inside the light, and you really don’t want to breathe in when that happens.
With this kit, you’d be able to reduce the amount of mercury at home significantly.
How to Use a Fluorescent to LED Conversion Kit
Don’t know how to use a fluorescent to LED kit? Well, here is a simple explanation of how the conversion kit works:
Tombstones
The first thing you need to know about the conversion kit is that it works by using those little connectors that look just like tombstones.
When replacing the fluorescent lights, this is one of the first things you need to replace.
If you install the new LED bulbs, the new conversion kit won’t work. Some conversions kits work differently, but this should be enough to understand how they work.
LED Bulbs
Once you’ve replaced the old tombstones, you need to put in the new LED bulbs. Simply changing the lamp holders is not enough for the unit to work.
Replace the old fluorescent lights and install the new ones.
Types Of Conversion Kits
There are two types of conversion kits: the plug and play LED, and the retrofit LED. The plug and play conversion kit is a lot easier to install since you don’t have to replace the ballast.
All you need to do is replace the old fluorescent light and install the new one.
The retrofit is a little bit different since you don’t need to use the ballast anymore. However, you still need to replace the tombstones if you want the LED light to work.
How to Convert a Fluorescent Light to LED – DIY GUIDE
Now that you know how efficient the fluorescent to LED conversion kit works, let’s take a look at how you can install one of these kits on your own.
1. What You Will Need
Here’s what you must have to install your new conversion kit:
- A screwdriver—to remove the fixture from the ceiling, use a screwdriver.
- Wire strippers or side cutters—you’ll need the wire strippers to cut a couple of wires.
- Wire connectors and wire nuts—when setting up the wires, you’ll need to plug them into the wire connector and then make a pigtail.
- Zip ties—setting up wires can get pretty messy in the blink of an eye. To prevent that, use zip ties.
- A work light—since you have to shut off the power, you’ll need some sort of lighting when setting up the unit.
2. Disconnect The Power At The Circuit Breaker
Before you get started, shut off the circuit breaker that supplies power to the lighting at your place. You don’t want any electricity to flow through the circuit as you’re installing the conversion kit.
Flipping the switch is not enough, and you might get electrocuted as you’re dissembling the fixture.
Now that you shut off all the lights, use your work light to see what you’re doing in the dark.
3. Disassemble And The Remove The Old Fixture
Here, you want to take down the unit as it’s a lot easier to work this way. There is nothing wrong with working with the fixture on the ceiling. It’s just that it’s quite challenging to deal with the wires.
Now, you have to expose the inside of your light fixture. For this, you have to find the little tabs on the reflector and then pull them off.
It should pop right off. Now remove all the lights from the fixture. The inside should now be exposed.
Next, grab the screwdriver and unscrew all the screws holding the fixture to the ceiling. You have to remove the wire nuts from the black, white, and green wires from there.
4. Cut The Wires From The Ballast
Cut the wires near the ballast. Be careful when cutting the wires. You don’t want to cut the wires too short. Just in case you need to use them again. So, take a good look at what you have and then start cutting.
Once you’ve cut the wires, take the screwdriver and remove the screw from the ballast.
5. Remove The Lamp Holders
The next thing you want to do is to remove the lamp holders from the fixture. To do this, find the tabs on each end of the surface the tombstones are attached to.
If you can’t get it off, push the bracket from underneath, and they should come right off.
Once you’ve removed that, press the tabs on each side of the tombstones to pull them out. Repeat this process for all the tombstones. After that, take the new ones and install them.
6. Converting Fluorescent Lights to LED
Now you have to connect all the tombstones to the wire connector. For this, grab all the neutrals, which are the white cables, and then separate them from the hot wires, the black ones.
Once you’ve separated the wires, connect the neutral wires into the wire connector. As you’re pushing them in, make sure that the copper is exposed.
This way, they won’t come out. After that, repeat this process for the hot wires.
7. Make A PigTail
You want to make a pigtail because it allows you to easily connect the wires to the electrical circuit using the wire nuts. And if you ever need to remove the fixture, it’s way more comfortable.
So, take both the neutral and hot wires left from the ballast and then strip them about half an inch.
Now that you’ve stripped the wires, connect the long neutral wire into the wire connector. After that, take the long hot wire and connect it to the push-in connector.
Next, wrap the cables using zip ties. This way, they won’t get in the way. From there, squeeze them together so you can place them underneath the tombstones.
8. Set Up The Other End of The Fixture
On the other side of the fixture, the lamp holders don’t need to be replaced.
They’re just there to secure the end of the fixture when installing the new LED bulbs. So, there is no need to replace them.
If there are any wires loose from cutting the ballast, wrap them up using zip ties. They could get in the way, and it isn’t enjoyable.
9. Install The Fluorescent Bulb to LED Conversion Kit
Put the fixture back on the ceiling. After that, reinstall the light. As you’re reinstalling it, don’t forget to connect black to black, white to white, and ground to ground.
Next, reinstall the reflector and then install the new LED bulbs.
Now turn the power back on and test your new lights. Everything should currently be working. If you’re having trouble setting up the wires, check this video out:
Conclusion
Did you find our favorite fluorescent to LED conversion kit to be good enough for you? We hope it actually fits your needs.
We chose this conversion kit based on how much user feedback it has received on Amazon, and we genuinely believe it to be a great fit for anybody.
It is bright enough, reduces toxic chemicals, is easy to install, and reduces the amount of power that the fluorescent lights use.
You simply cannot go wrong with it. And on top of that, you now know how to install the conversion kit and use it.