UKH

Hi all. Having trawled the net for too long now I will turn to the hive mind instead

I have some old single flurescent tube fittings complete with ballast and starter. It is clearly possible so says the net to replace the old tubes with new LED ones (T8 type, 1500mm long) which is the plan.

I have removed/bypassed the old ballast from within the fitting because that's clearly not needed (I'm not interested in these less efficient plug and play replacements I'd rather wire direct to mains).

I'm inclined to remove and bypass the starter too but confusingly some of the T8 tubes have 'led starters'. What are they/why would I need one? Are they just to complete the circuit or do they contain electrickery?

I'm trying to locate a bulb that:

1) Can be wired direct to mains

2) Doesn't need any gubbins such as starters just the mains wires

3) Has power to both ends- there seem to be some single ended tubes around but I'd have to rewire for

It's astoundlingly hard to get a clear answer from Google- I want to achieve wiring like the last example on this page: https://www.ledkia.com/uk/content/41-t8-led-tube-installation.

If I were, say, to buy Phillips tubes which one would I need?

Please ignore. Sorted it...

Can you give us some tips? It's something I'd been thinking about doing for our garage lights, if it's straightforward enough. 

For a single tube, remove all the gubbins from inside the base (ballast and the starter) and bypass them by joining the wires you've had to cut together.

Then take both live and neutral wires to the same end - this was my problem, some tubes have a connection each end and some (like the Philips tube I ended up buying from screwfix) have both live and neutral at the same end.

This is easy because the wires just push into the end pieces (called 'tombstones' apparently) to make the connection. These tombstones can be an issue because either they have two separate sides (live and neutral) or they are wired as one - the former called unshunted and the latter shunted. So I've concluded that unshunted ones are for where you're using a single ended tube and shunted ones where you're using a double ended one with live and neutral going to opposite ends.

Blimey - that's my learning for today done! 

Cheers, I think I've got it. I'll put it on the to do list! 

I had a similar issue with under cupboard lights in my kitchen, then on the middle aisle in Lidl were under cupboard LED lights for £8 each. Simple solution. I suggest keep your eyes open and you might be lucky with a simple swap out rather than re-engineering it.

Oh and I found rewireable in-line male and female  c13 IEC connectors (like kettle lead) designed to be opened up and installed a bit like fitting a domestic plug were super cheap and easy to get Toolstation Amazon etc. So the fact my previous lights were hard wired was no issue. Just cut the wire just after emerged from behind tiles/cupboard and fitted IEC and then fitted one on new lights cable and can plug/unplug new lights without fixed electrical installation Bob is indeed your uncle!