led fluorescent tubes

[opps]

Hi all.

The landlord of my local had an old skool fluorescent tube that stopped working. He replaced the starter motor (using several that are known to work). The local store only sells LED equivalents.

Is there a LED equivalent that can replace the starter motor?

 

[pete01]

With an LED tube you have to bypass the ballast etc, they dont need a starter. (The ones I have fitted anyway)

Some come with a starter bypass I think but I've not used one of those.

 

[Munroast]

as far as i know the LED starter is not a starter, it does nothing other than join the terminals together, may be some of them have a fuse inside ?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is there a LED equivalent that can replace the starter motor?

You would find a 'starter motor', on a car. A starter, or starter switch is the correct term, but no there is no LED equivalent. What you can get, is an conversion, to an LED tube - no starter needed, but the ballast or choke can be bypassed/shorted.

 

[Wayners]

I was told just swap for led light as £15 to £20.
The conversations kits cost more and a fath to alter.

 

[opps]

Thanks all.

It seems that there are two types of LED tubes. One requires the ballast to be removed/bypassed (type A), the other (type B) uses a driver that slots into the spot where the starter would be.

An example of the latter- https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-g13-t8-led-tube-3300lm-22w-1514mm-5-/608ha

The latter seems to be less effective though (energy wise). Am still trying to work out if both types have to be inserted with the polarity the right way around though.

Will let the landlord decide which option he wants to go for and update the post accordingly.

 

[ericmark]

The tube only needs power at one end, but unless wired in series as shown, putting the LED tube in the wrong way around would be a direct short, the ballast could be left in, it will get a little warm, so clearly using energy, so better if removed, but only when it has a HF ballast does it need removing.

 

[opps]

Update, just swung by the pub. I told the landlord about type a and type b. He showed me the box. I then noticed that there was a driver in the box. He face palmed and fitted it. It works...

 

[opps]

View attachment 398397View attachment 398396 The tube only needs power at one end, but unless wired in series as shown, putting the LED tube in the wrong way around would be a direct short, the ballast could be left in, it will get a little warm, so clearly using energy, so better if removed, but only when it has a HF ballast does it need removing.

By virtue of the fact that the bulb is working, does that mean that it was inserted in the correct orientation (by chance- 50/50)? Or with the type B does it not matter which way around the bulb is orientated?

 

[JohnW2]

With an LED tube you have to bypass the ballast etc, ...

You don't have to (unless its an 'electronic ballast'). If you leave a traditional ballast (choke) in place, that will obviously waste some energy (heating the 'ballast'), but the LED tube will still work.

they dont need a starter. (The ones I have fitted anyway)

They don't. However, for those who don't want to fiddle with the wiring, they come with something that looks like a fluorescent 'starter', but is actually just a fuse, with which one can replace the starter.

Some come with a starter bypass I think but I've not used one of those.

It seems that few, if any, LED tube fittings have replaceable tubes,, so the only real market for LED tubes is 'retro-fitting' in fluorescent fittings -and for that reason I think that they virtually all come with one of the 'imitation starters'.