Should I upgrade or repair my fluorescent lights?
Incandescent, then to fluorescent, and now LED. Lighting has improved so much over the years and with improvement comes changes. We have seen so many homeowners that have fluorescent strip lights with tubes and ballasts that are failing. So, here is the question, is it better repair, retrofit, or replace?
REPAIR…
When you have a fluorescent fixture, it is comprised of gas filled tubes, “lamps”, that are powered from a ballast. The ballast takes the incoming voltage and steps it up. This increased voltage is sent to the two ends of the tube, igniting the gas inside, and thus producing light. When one of these items, either the tube or ballast, fails it can be replaced. The tube is simply twisted out and replaced with a new one, and if that doesn’t fix the problem, then the ballast is next. The ballast can be more involved to change due to needing to splice in the new wiring. Following the schematic on the ballast is key. When these items are changed out, the same fixture can stay fastened in place with only the light quality changing.
RETROFIT…
So you have the same fluorescent fixture needing repair as mentioned in the previous section. You like the fixture design, but you’re tired of having the parts replaced. So the next option is to retrofit the fixture to accept LED tubes instead of fluorescent. This option involves rewiring the inside of the fixture very similarly as when replacing a ballast. Only in the retrofit option, the ballast is removed completely and the incoming “Line” voltage is sent to the ends of the LED tube. When doing this, the schematic that is provided with the new LED tube must be followed and a label will need to be placed on the fixture stating that the ballast has been removed. These type of LED tubes are called “Ballast Bypass”. The newer versions of these tubes have a selector switch on them that allows the installer to select the color temperature of white, known as Kelvin, to suit the preference of the home owner. The benefit of these LED tubes is the Kelvin selection, lower operating costs, and no more ballasts to worry with.
REPLACE…
The other option to discuss is quite simply removing the old fixture, throwing it out with the trash, and having a new one installed. This is a good option for those who are just ready for a new look all together.
CONCLUSION…
With all of these options, safety is first on the list. Never work on energized lights, beware of broken glass bulbs and tubes, and due to the mercury in fluorescent lamps, always check the guidelines for your area for proper disposal practices.
Incandescent bulbs are near impossible to find, fluorescent lighting is still around for now, and it seems like LED will be here to stay. For recent service work we have performed for customers, the cost to re-lamp and re-ballast a fixture is slightly less than upgrading to LED depending on brands selected. The amount of time for one of our electricians to perform either option is pretty much equal for both.
With these options, it all comes down to personal preference. Whether you are wanting a repair, retrofit, or a replacement, consult a licensed electrical contractor if you choose to have this task taken care of for you.
