T8 LED Tubes

[faresos]

I have a question with regards of LED fixture. Someone bought a (4) 4' LED fixtures with (4) T8 LED tubes to replace existing 4' T8 fluorescent fixtures w/3-32T8 lamps to do one for one replacement. After he was done, the area was too bright. He asked the homedepot guy if he can remove two tubes from each fixture but he told him this will damage the fixture ballast (or driver). Is this true? I know we can do it for the fluorescent lights but not sure why we can't do it for LED.

Thanks,

 

[JFletcher]

I have a question with regards of LED fixture. Someone bought a (4) 4' LED fixtures with (4) T8 LED tubes to replace existing 4' T8 fluorescent fixtures w/3-32T8 lamps to do one for one replacement. After he was done, the area was too bright. He asked the homedepot guy if he can remove two tubes from each fixture but he told him this will damage the fixture ballast (or driver). Is this true? I know we can do it for the fluorescent lights but not sure why we can't do it for LED.

Thanks,

Well, if the ballasts for fluorescents dont self destruct when 2 of the tubes fail, I guess that same ballast would be okay powering 2 LEDs instead of 4. Really no way to tell since the ballast already has hundreds if not thousands of hours on it. Maybe call the LED bulb and ballast makers Monday morning, get it straight from the horse's mouth.

 

[kwired]

The guy is blowing smoke - the only reason you couldn't operate some multi-lamp ballasts with missing lamps back in the magnetic ballast days was the way they were connected usually put some if not all of the lamps in a series circuit.

The electronic ballasts pretty much put the lamps in parallel segments and that is why you can run them with just one lamp or all the lamps it was designed for. The only harm maybe would be if the lamp draws more power then the ballast can deliver to that portion of it's output, which is not likely happening with an LED designed to be a direct replacement for the original T8 lamp, but if it were designed to put out significant amount more light then you may need to pay attention to watt ratings.

 

[iwire]

I have a question with regards of LED fixture. Someone bought a (4) 4' LED fixtures with (4) T8 LED tubes to replace existing 4' T8 fluorescent fixtures w/3-32T8 lamps to do one for one replacement. After he was done, the area was too bright. He asked the homedepot guy if he can remove two tubes from each fixture but he told him this will damage the fixture ballast (or driver). Is this true? I know we can do it for the fluorescent lights but not sure why we can't do it for LED.

Thanks,

I am really at a loss to understand this.

Someone bought a new fluorescent fixture and immediately installed LED tubes in it?

 

[George Stolz]

I am really at a loss to understand this.

Someone bought a new fluorescent fixture and immediately installed LED tubes in it?

The cost of fixtures/lamps probably made it a "sensible" course of action. Seen it.

 

[1793]

I am really at a loss to understand this.

Someone bought a new fluorescent fixture and immediately installed LED tubes in it?

A I read it they bought 4 LED fixtures to replace 4 T8 fixtures and the new LED lights are too bright.

 

[GoldDigger]

A I read it they bought 4 LED fixtures to replace 4 T8 fixtures and the new LED lights are too bright.

That is how I read it too. The new fixtures, which came with LED "tubes" are too bright and he wants to know if he can just pull one or two tubes per fixture. The answer to that is "It depends on how the fixture is designed and whether the tubes are line voltage or have driver(s) in the fixture, among other things."

 

[iwire]

That is how I read it too. The new fixtures, which came with LED "tubes" are too bright and he wants to know if he can just pull one or two tubes per fixture. The answer to that is "It depends on how the fixture is designed and whether the tubes are line voltage or have driver(s) in the fixture, among other things."

New LED fixtures do not have tubes. :happyno:

They have surface mounted LEDs on a backboard. In some cases you could unplug sections.

 

[iwire]

The cost of fixtures/lamps probably made it a "sensible" course of action. Seen it.

It is not sensible from any perspective unless you could not match the look of existing fixtures.

 

[kwired]

A I read it they bought 4 LED fixtures to replace 4 T8 fixtures and the new LED lights are too bright.

That is what it starts off with in OP, but further description seem to be describing a T8 fluorescent fixture with LED replacement lamps being used.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I believe the op meant that someone bought 4 LED tubes (not fixtures) to replace an existing T8 fixture. Replacing the LED tubes for the T8 tubes is fine and I see no reason why you can't use 2 Led tubes instead of 4 in the fixture

 

[dkidd]

A I read it they bought 4 LED fixtures to replace 4 T8 fixtures and the new LED lights are too bright.

That's what he said.

 

[kwired]

But it was the asking of the true expert, the HD guy, whether or not it is OK to remove a lamp and operate it that way that sparked the OP's asking here.