# PL-C Fluorescent to LED



## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

I've been tasked with changing out some recessed lighting with PL-C quad tube to LED. I changed one a few months ago for them to try and they liked it. Now they want them changed as the ballast go bad. The LED replacement lamps are direct line voltage, no ballast needed.

Well they called and said some were ready to be changed. The first one they showed me has an emergency ballast. My question is how do I handle the one on the emergency ballast? There are two lamps per light with only one being on the EM ballast. Do I just leave the one with EM ballast and change out the other? The EM ballast is still working.

Here's a pic of the light.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

What's driving the ballast? I'm thinking the emerg ckt. But Idon't know these fixtures.

In Canada we have to get that (and all) fixture re-certified if we change it.

$149 for a variance form
$150 minimum electrical permit
$500 minimum charge for the ETL guy
$10 for stickies for other similar fixtures 

^^ so ok if we are doing several thousand fixtures to spread out the cost. 

We change the fixture out instead. Maybe that manufacturer has a LED version?

*EDIT*: Looks like it is a bat pack so no emerg ckt.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

I haven't taken this one down to look at how it's wired. But most tube fluorescent that I deal with have an emergency ballast that has a battery.
I'm just guessing that these are the same. In other words two ballast, one regular & one EM.

Other than looking for a LED that uses the ballast I thought I could just leave the EM ballast as they don't go out as often being as they don't come on much.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

The LED retrofit uses the existing ballast with removing two existing lamps and replacing them with a single LED.
Sylvania.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

jrannis said:


> The LED retrofit uses the existing ballast with removing two existing lamps and replacing them with a single LED.
> Sylvania.


This LED replacement doesn't use a ballast. Just rewire the sockets with straight line voltage.


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## ELECTRICK2 (Feb 21, 2015)

daveEM said:


> What's driving the ballast? I'm thinking the emerg ckt. But Idon't know these fixtures.
> 
> In Canada we have to get that (and all) fixture re-certified if we change it.
> 
> ...


Do your inspectors require you to re-certify fluorescent fixtures if you change a bunch from T12 to T8? Ours do.


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## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

ELECTRICK2 said:


> Do your inspectors require you to re-certify fluorescent fixtures if you change a bunch from T12 to T8? Ours do.


Yes they do. I talked to the Chief Electrical Inspector in Edmonton and the Chief Electrical Inspector of Alberta trying to talk some sense into them. The Alberta guy should/could have some input into the Standata we use.

I tell em I'm changing a ballast. I tell them they have screwed in a LED bulb into their fixtures at home that aren't certified for LED bulbs.

Anyway it's the money chain. So changing the fixture is often cheaper.


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## ELECTRICK2 (Feb 21, 2015)

daveEM said:


> Yes they do. I talked to the Chief Electrical Inspector in Edmonton and the Chief Electrical Inspector of Alberta trying to talk some sense into them. The Alberta guy should/could have some input into the Standata we use.
> 
> I tell em I'm changing a ballast. I tell them they have screwed in a LED bulb into their fixtures at home that aren't certified for LED bulbs.
> 
> Anyway it's the money chain. So changing the fixture is often cheaper.


I think in the case of our inspectors (all gov't workers) it's a cover your a$$ situation. They want no liability so they want them re-certified.
I have also had to explain to customers its cheaper to just change the fixture. And of course they think we're just looking for more money


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

A Little Short said:


> This LED replacement doesn't use a ballast. Just rewire the sockets with straight line voltage.


Thats totally unnecessary.
Why would you do that?


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

jrannis said:


> Thats totally unnecessary.
> Why would you do that?


Because that's the way it's made....no ballast.
It comes with a wiring diagram showing how to wire the sockets.

The whole reason to change to these LEDs is to eliminate the ballast.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

A Little Short said:


> Because that's the way it's made....no ballast.
> It comes with a wiring diagram showing how to wire the sockets.
> 
> The whole reason to change to these LEDs is to eliminate the ballast.


OK, I was thinning that the reason to change to LED was, you know, to change to LED.


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