Knowledge Base

  • Universal LED Tube Converts your Fluorescent Fixture to LED in Minutes, WORKS with no Ballast too! Video

    Finally a LED tube that works in 99% of all 4-foot fixtures and U-BEND fixtures. Convert your fluorescent fixture in minutes. Our state of the art LED tube works in all three types of 4’ fixtures. Works great in Fluorescent tubelights with the existing compatible T8 electronic ballast, works seamlessly in Single End Powered retrofitted fluorescent 4ft tube lights and U-BEND fixtures and works beautifully in Dual End Powered retrofitted fluorescent 4' troffer fixtures and U-BEND fixtures. It's the one LED T8 Tube to rule them all. Watch the video to see how you can convert your fluorescent four foot fixture to LED in minutes with our universal LED T8 Type-A+B lamp!

    Buy our 4-foot LED T8 conversion kits Shipped FREE

    Buy the Universal 4-foot LED T8 Tubes

    Try our Fluorescent to LED T8 Conversion Tool

    #converttoLED #FluorescenttoLED #tubelights #LEDtubes #UniversalLED #T8Tubes #LEDT8 #NoBallast #Ballast #Youtubevideo #U-BEND #StateoftheArt #OneTube #dualend #singleEnd #DLR #PlugNPlay

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    Tags: fluorescent T8, LED T8, Fluorescent T12, Convert Fluorescent to LED, Conversion Tool

  • How to quickly Convert Fluorescent U-BEND to EZ LED T8 Dual End Powered U-BEND - Videos

    Quickly and easily convert your fluorescent U-BEND fixture to LED T8 dual end powered U-BEND in about 5 minutes with our convenient kit. We offer a short and long version of the conversion depending on how much detail you may need in retrofitting your existing fluorescent ubend fixture using the double end powered method. To make it even easier we have included the easy to use kit to make the entire process a breeze, taking the guess work out of what you need to buy.

    See our LED U-Bend kits here.

    Short Version

     

    Long Version

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    Tags: led, retrofit, U-bend, Convert Fluorescent to LED, Dual End Method

  • 4 Ways to Convert a Fluorescent Tubelight with 2 Ballasts to a LED T8 Fixture

    There are four possible reasons you have two ballasts in your T8 or T12 fluorescent tubelight fixture. See which one matches your light fixture and how our EZ double end powered LED T8 conversion kits can help.


    1) I have one wall switch and all the bulbs light up in my fixture when I turn the wall switch on. There is only one switch that turns on this fixture and there are two ballasts inside.

    You have an old style fluorescent fixture. No matter the type of bulb (either T12 or T8, the size is on the bulb) you can rewire this fixture. Please tell your electrician to review this video and instruct him that the double ended feed bulbs require Hot (black) and Neutral (white) wired on each end. Here is the wire diagram.


    2) My fixture has two switches that control it this way; One switch controls 2 bulbs and the other switch controls either 1 or 2 more bulbs. When I turn both switches on all the bulbs will be on. Both switches are in the same place on the wall.

    Your fixture must have been set up to allow you three levels of lighting, You can turn on some of the lights, the other set of lights or all the lights. Therefore your fixture has two Hot wires (Black) and one or two Neutral (White) wires going to the fixture. From your wall switches, this fixture can be rewired, but as we are not on site we can not tell you exactly. Any good electrician can get this fixture retrofitted with LED and remove the old energy sucking ballasts. A simple wire diagram is included here, give it to your electrician. In our sample diagram, one switch will control two lamps, and the other switch will control one lamp. When both switches are on, all the lamps we will be on. In some cases, your wiring on site may be slightly different.

    Convert dual ballast fluorescent T8 fixtures to LED T8 with 3 Levels lighting and a switch box diagram


    3) My fixture's tubes all come on at the same time, but I have two switches on opposing sides of the room that control the fixture, that way, no matter the door I come in, I can turn the light on or off.

    This is called "three way switching". There are a number of ways this is wired, and we cannot explore all of them here. Get your electrician on the job and in 10 minutes he will know where the hot and neutral wires are that come in the fixture and will be able to wire up your retrofit quick. As long as he knows that the bulbs are powered from each end, Hot (Black) on one and Neutral (White) on the other it will be easy. Your electrician will remove the ballasts and wire up your LED to work perfectly.


    4) My fixture has 6 bulbs in it, it requires two ballasts to make it work. When I turn on the switch all 6 bulbs come on.

    We have a video and a diagram for fixtures like this. Usually these are shop fixtures but are easy to convert. For 6 lamp fixtures we recommend that you buy the two parts you need Al-la-cart, the bulbs and the label. Then use wire nuts as shown in our video to connect the wires.

    One fixture 6 lamp double end powered wire diagram

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    Tags: retrofit, Dual Ballasts, Fluorescent Conversion, LED T8 Lighting

  • Converting Fluorescent T8 or T12 to LED T8 Tubelight FAQ

    Convert Fluorescent to LED T8We have been retrofitting fluorescent fixtures to LED T8 since 2012. Not only have we seen almost every possible project type, we have done many ourselves. Here are some common questions we get asked and the simple answers that will help get your project going. Feel free to email us if you just want more information on how to use our products with your fixtures, and suggestions on how to get the most appealing results.

    1) Can I convert my fluorescent to LED?

    Convert Fluorescent to LED T8 Drop CeilingIn most cases your fluorescent fixture can be converted. We specialize in the 2’, 4’ and U-bend fixtures, as well as a fixture conversion kit for 8’ fluorescent fixtures that makes conversion quick and easy. By getting rid of the energy sucking fluorescent lamps and the old heat generating ballasts, you can increase your light output up to three times, while decreasing your wattage and energy consumption by half.

    2) Do you need a ballast with LED lights?

    fluorescent ballast removal LED T8 ConversionOur double ended LED replacement lamps do not need a ballast. Take a look at our video and you will see how we remove it, bypass it and stop the energy it wastes by being in that circuit. Double ended LED tubes are the industry standard and there is no need to change out the tombstones. We can also assist you if you want to keep your ballasts, but we do not recommend it. When your ballast fails all your lights will be out, and replacement fluorescent ballasts are getting harder and harder to find as new replacements.

    3) Will LED tubes work in fluorescent fixtures?

    Convert fluorescent t8 t12 tubelight to LED T8The LED replacements tubes work in almost any fixture. We can help you determine if the LED tubes will work in your fixture. Let us know how long your fixture is, if it has a lens, if it is open and where the fixture is. Send us a photo of the inside if you can. The more detail we get, the better recommendation we can make.

    4) How do you change a fluorescent light fixture to LED?

    Convert fluorescent to LED T8 VideosWe are so happy you asked! We have an extensive video set that deals with how to convert fluorescent lights to T8 LED tubes, step by step. 1, 2, 3, and 4 tube fixtures all can be done, and we have frosted and clear LED tubes. LED retrofits can be used most anywhere, a shop, warehouse, garage, basement, kitchen and more applications.

    5) Are LED tubes brighter than fluorescent?

    LED T8 tubes type bAbsolutely! If you have a T12 old fluorescent tube you can expect up to almost 3 times the light at less than half the energy. If you have a T8 lamp the results will be similar, depending on the age of the fluorescent lamp.

    6) Do LED tubes need starters or drivers?

    No, the driver is right inside the tube. A small circuit takes your standard current of 120 or 277v and converts it for the LED strip in the tube.

    7) Who can do the conversion for me?

    Convert fluorescent to LED T8 ElectricianBefore you start check out our super helpful one-stop-informatoin conversion tool. We recommend it as the best place to start with your project!

    You can also share our videos with your electrician, however we would be surprised if they are not familiar with the process. Tell them you want to use the double end feed method. The single end method takes longer, requires you to change some of the tombstones, and therefore costs more.

    We offer resources, videos, diagrams, and details to help your project come out just the way you want. We have assisted with thousands of projects and have refined our products and methods. We offer specialized, hands-on knowledge and experience that you won't find on other websites. We are a small, family business that cares about each and every project we have the honor of working on. Let us help with yours!

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    Tags: LED T8, retrofit, Tubelights, Convert

  • How to convert a TWO Ballast T8 Fluorescent Tube Light to LED T8 DOUBLE END powered Fixture

    Does your T8 or T12 Fluorescent Tube Light fixture have TWO or more Ballasts? Our video shows you how to convert a T8 Fluorescent Tube Light with two or more ballasts to a LED T8 DOUBLE END powered Tube Light using our Total Bulk Lighting products ? If you have electrical wiring knowledge you will be able to perform this task. If you have any doubts we strongly recommend hiring a licensed electrician ?

    EZ LED T8 Double End Tubes
    LED T8 Retrofit Warning Label

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  • 5 minute or less fluorescent tube light to LED T8 conversion with our EZ Kit, not DRL

    Convert your old T8 or T12 fluorescent tube lights to energy saving bright T8 LED tubes with our affordable easy to install retrofit EZ LED T8 kits designed to work with 1, 2, 3 or 4 lamp fluorescent fixtures. We have seen this conversion performed in 3-5 minutes. Our detailed video guide demonstrates how to quickly and easily install our new double end powered LED conversion kits in existing T8 or T12 fluorescent light fixtures.

    EZ LED T8 kit used in the video.

    Buy the Double End Powered LED T8 Tubes

    Buy the Wire Connector

    Buy the Warning Label

    Buy the Shunted Sockets

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    Tags: led, conversion, retrofit, LED T8 Tubes, Fluorescent to LED

  • Convert to LED T8 Lighting from old Fluorescent T8 lighting with our video

    We just completed a new video guide at Total Bulk Lighting on converting your old fluorescent T8 lighting fixtures to modern energy saving LED T8 lighting. We show you the tools required, the LED T8 light bulb kit to buy that includes everything you need from non-shunted sockets to the LED T8 light bulb tube and the steps it takes to go from fluorescent T8 to LED T8 lighting. So sit back and discover how easy it is to go from your old fluorescent T8 lighting to modern energy saving LED T8 lighting with our video guide :)

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    Tags: led, t8 fluorescent ballasts, conversion, fluorescent T8, LED T8, retrofit, video

  • Multifaceted Reflector Lamps or what we all call MR bulbs common codes

    We get a lot of questions on what those strange three letter words mean that always seem to be designated to MR 16 light bulbs. You have seen 'em. They go something like this: EXN, BAB, FMW . . .

    So we decided to write-up a brief explanation to demystify these strange words and show you how they relate to Multifaceted Reflector lamps or MR 16 light bulbs. Those three letter words are ANSI codes assigned to the MR 16 used to designate what type of beam spread and wattage of a particular MR 16 lamp.

    Below we have listed many of the popular MR16 lamps including the wattage and beam angle characteristics.

    BAB - 20 watt, 36 degree, 12 volt
    ESX - 20 watt, 10 degree, 12 volt
    EXN - 50 watt, 36 degree, 12 volt
    EXT - 50 watt, 15 degree, 12 volt
    EXZ - 50 watt, 24 degree, 12 volt
    FMW - 35 watt, 36 degree, 12 volt
    FMY - 35 watt, 24 degree, 12 volt
    FNV - 50 watt, 60 degree, 12 volt

    As you can see the ANSI codes are simply just codes to help standardize the MR 16 light bulbs so that when you go to purchase this type of light source you will have a pretty good idea on what you will be getting.

    We here at Total Lighting Supply are on a mission to demystify lighting aspects one bulb, one fixture at a time.

    Want to be demystified even more? Go to our You Tube Channel and check out the informational videos that we've made for you.

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    Tags: MR light bulbs, MR16, MR11

  • The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown Down: lumens versus watts

    And, what does this mean to you (WDTMTY)? Or, more accurately, WDTMTM (what does this mean to me)?

    This article is an abbreviated version of the article called, "LED, Incandescents, CFL's, Oh No!! (Or, Watt's Up?).

    But first, I have to share with you what started that article to begin with. In a phone conversation with my dad's wife (they live on Molokai), she was wondering why the CFL's in her ceiling fan didn't last very long. I went through the trouble shooting list with her-is the total wattage too much for the fixture? Are the lights turned on and off continually throughout the day? And, being on a small island, the likelihood of inconsistent delivery of energy  or variable voltage probably fluctuates enough to affect the longevity of the bulb. During the course of that conversation, it became clear to me that she was thinking of wattage in terms of the brightness of the bulb. Which then made me realize that this is what most people think when they look at the wattage of a bulb.

    Wattage is a description of energy consumption. Lumens is a description of light output (or to be even clearer, the higher the lumen number, the brighter the light). A lot of light bulb packages even go so far as to give you the 'equivalent' or a translation of sorts:

    light bulb label

    So, how do you know what lumen range is good for you? As you might guess, it is a matter of preference. As we age, though (you know, when you can no longer read without those drug store reading glasses), we really need a brighter light to see with.  I would suggest just buying one bulb each of the lower range of lumens and the highest range that you can get your hands on and try them out at home. This will at least give you an idea of what YOU prefer and what works for you.

    light bulb with lumens

    As for me, I like it bright-because it is better for ME to see with. And, as a studio artist, I will look for bulbs that are around 1200 lumens. I would recommend this as a good range for task lighting. Not so good for ambiance, though. Remember, it is a matter of personal preference.

    Color temperature DOES affect how you perceive the light too. Kelvin is the description of color temperature. Light in the warmer range is about 2700K. Very yellow. If you took two bulbs with the same lumen output, but on either end of the color temperature range, then you could really see the difference.

    how color temperature affects percieved brightness of a bulb

    (image from Wikipedia)

    These three bulbs are pretty much the same light output (lumens), but you can see how the color temperature affects how YOU perceive the brightness of the bulb.

    The point I want you to walk away with from this article is that if you want bright, go for the lumens, not the wattage.

    If you need to contact us, at the bottom of every web page is a 'contact us' link. Or, you can do a live chat. If the live chat is off, you can still click on it and send us a message.

    We here at Total Lighting Supply are on a mission to demystify lighting aspects one bulb, one fixture at a time.

    Want to be demystified even more? Go to our You Tube Channel and check out the informational videos that we've made for you.

     

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    Tags: comparison, watts and lumens

  • LED, Incandescents, CFL's, Oh, No!! (Or, Watt's Up??)

    image by MolokaiGirl Studio Watts up?

    (Grab your cuppa coffee or tea and sit down with it as you dig in to this article...)

    So, 'watt's' up with the new light bulb law coming into effect in January 2012 (which is named the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007)? Will incandescent light bulbs be outlawed? Will we be 'forced' to buy CFL's (amidst the mercury contamination hubbub) or LED bulbs? Incandescent bulbs will begin the process of being phased out just by virtue of the new efficiency standards that will go into effect. These new standards require that a general purpose bulb that produces 310-2600 lumens of light be 30% more energy efficient. That means that come January 2012, a 100 watt incandescent bulb will not meet these new standards.

    "What do mean lumens?" you say. "What about watts?"  Oh, yes. This gets complicated in the sense that you have to reset your way of thinking about light bulbs (if you haven't already). Contrary to what (no pun intended here) you thought about watts, lumens refer to the measurement of the intensity of light (brightness or light output, if you will), not watts. For some reason, we have been taught to equate watts in regards to how bright light a bulb is. Watts were never a measurement of light output. Watts refer to energy consumption. In regards to a 100 watt light bulb turned on for one hour, the energy used is 100 watt-hours. A 40 watt bulb would use the same amount of energy in a span of about 2 1/2 hours. So, how bright is a 100 watt incandescent bulb? About 1,700 lumens. Pretty darned bright. We'll shed more light on lumens in just a bit (oh, sorry, another bad pun).

    More on watts. Once again, wattage is a measurement of electricity consumption only. It is not a measurement of light output or effectiveness.  Yes, I know I already said that, but it bears repeating since we all have to undo a lifetime of thinking of watts as the brightness of a bulb. A higher wattage does not mean a brighter light. It is good to note that when you apply power to a (bulb) you produce two things: light and heat.  The heat, of course, is an unwanted byproduct. But, how come we are in the habit of thinking of higher wattage as being the brighter bulb? That's because with incandescent bulbs, in order for it to achieve more brightness, it requires more energy to produce that. Which is not the case for LED and fluorescent lamps. They can actually produce a brighter light source with less wattage. Is this starting to make sense now?

    Lumens, Color Rendering (aka CRI), Color Temperature, Candle Power are all measurements made for the visible light output as it relates to the human eye. These are metrics specifically related to how the human eye sees light. Why are there so many categories of light output measurement? I'm not a physicist, but try to think of light as a very complex and multidimensional entity (we're talking about the debate as to whether light is a wave or a particle or both).

    Lumens. If you haven't noticed, light bulb packages now contains information in regards to the lumens of that bulb. It is required by law in this country. Europe has similar practices.  Remember to think of lumens in regards to actual light output or brightness. Personally, in looking all of this gobbledegook up, in my humble opinion, I think lux would've been a more meaningful measure to put on light bulb packages instead of lumens. But that's all I'll say about lux. Let sleeping dogs lie, as they say.

    Color rendering or, CRI-one in the same as CRI stands for color rendering index. In a nutshell, it's the light source's ability to render or reproduce the colors of objects as they would be rendered in natural light. Think of the number for CRI as representing the color accuracy of that light source-the higher the number, the more accurate the color. 100 CRI is the ideal as it represents accurate color rendering. Halogen lights have a  CRI of 100 which is why art galleries, museums and high end retail and jewelry stores like to use them.  Fluorescent, at best, have a CRI of about 80. Which makes me wonder about those fluorescent lamps advertised as 'full spectrum'. Yet, I cannot, for the life of me, find disclosure on what the lamp's CRI is. Logically, full spectrum would equate to the lamp having a CRI of 100. And, as far as I know, the technology for fluorescent bulbs is not in that range. I'm inclined to think that 'full spectrum' fluorescent lamps have a CRI of about 80. The point I want to make here is that a fluorescent bulb being touted as 'full spectrum' does not render color as accurately as a bulb that has been rated with a CRI of 100. If you want/need a light source that gives you accurate color rendering, it would be best not to rely solely on a fluorescent bulb labeled as 'full spectrum'.

    If you are a colorphile or a colorist, insist on knowing what the CRI is for your light source. As far as the term, 'full spectrum' goes, it is just another marketing term that really is meaningless unless the CRI is also provided.

    Color temperature. Not to be confused or not to be used interchangeably with color rendering! I like to think of color temperature as the color quality of the light source. For example, the color quality of  sunlight at dusk is so very different from the color quality of sunlight at mid day. That is what color temperature is. It is expressed in kelvin degrees (K). A  candle flame, sunrise and sunset has a color temperature of about 1,850K, whereas, the noon day sun is about 5,000-6,000K, and an overcast day is about 6,500K. Incandescent bulbs are about 2,700-3,300K. Which is what most of us grew up with in our households and will also explain why, when replacing with bulbs that are closer to the noon day sun, the light in the rooms feels 'off'. Because you simply are not used to being around that color temperature in your home.

    As far as candle power goes, I offer no discussion here (only a pretty picture!) since that form of light measurement is obsolete. I only mentioned it since it is one of the many ways light can be described. You can always click on the link provided if you've become insatiable in regards to lighting terms.

     

    How do we know which bulb gives us the most bang for our buck? Nearly everyone these days are watching what they spend carefully. Comparative shopping is a must. I don't  know about you, but I've spent quite a bit of time in the light bulb section of a store reading the package labels, trying to figure which bulb I needed for my studio space!

    Start off with defining the lighting needs for the area being lit. For my studio space, I need a very bright light source so, pop quiz folks, what will I look for on the package to tell me that? Yes, you're right: lumens. Not watts. Since my studio space only allows for the screw in type of bulb, the compact fluorescent (aka CFL) is my first choice because it is energy efficient and they do come in acceptable lumen offerings (in this case, I chose a 25 watt 1200 lumen bulb). The trade off is that, now my artificial light source does not have accurate color rendering. That is my compromise of choice since I now have an energy efficient and bright light source. I do get a nice amount of daylight through a window, so I am not totally short changed on having color rendered accurately. In fact, throughout most of our home, we use CFL's because they are readily available at affordable prices and last a long time. Believe it not, your CFLs will last longer if you just leave it on. It is not meant to be turned on and off as we've been in the habit of doing with the incandescent light bulbs. Nor do you save energy by turning them off and on (the CFLs). There was a fun demonstration of this on the TV series, "Mythbusters".

    Light bulb manufacturers are not required by law to include information on color temperature or color rendering on their packaging. They are required to include lumens and wattage. But, wouldn't you also want to know what the color temperature is? Instead, you get terms like, 'soft white' or  'cool white' or other variations. Oh, and GE has their own proprietary definition and created their 'Reveal' light bulbs.  Anyway, now that YOU know a little bit more about color temperature, you can make your choices with  more confidence.

    light bulb comparison

    (image from Wikipedia)

    As a consumer, I think light bulb manufacturers are underestimating their audience. As consumers, we should demand to know what the CRI and the color temperature of a bulb is. Why not? And then they can rid themselves of the 'dumbing down' on their packages that say, "25w=75w".  Please, just tell me the lumens, CRI and wattage and I'll be good to go. Although in all fairness, some manufacturers do indeed include more information such as the label on this package:

     

    And, isn't this kind of labeling much more preferred than the old school stuff? With information like this on a package, I don't feel like I'm making a decision in the dark (sorry) and I know that the light bulb will fit my needs in the space I intend it for. Now you are armed with enough information to make those choices between CFLs and LEDs. And, even incandescents if you feel so inclined.

    You know, as the saying goes, this is just the tip of the iceberg-there is still plenty more to discuss by way of LED, incandescents and CFLs, so look for more on this topic in future postings! By now, you've finished that cuppa coffee or tea you sat down with and it's time to move on...

    I'd love to hear your comments and any other questions (and I will entertain lighting article topics). Send me your 'Q's" and I'll send you those 'A's"!  Just leave a comment here on this blog.

     

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    Tags: led, cfls, compact fluorescents, comparison, incandescents

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