# Fluorescent to LED Replacement



## Bubba332 (Feb 15, 2011)

Please Help. I want to swap some 8' Fluorescent fixtures with LEDs. Would 4' LEDs with the same Lumen output as the 8' Fluorescent supply comparable lighting?
Thanks


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Your question is garbled.


----------



## Bubba332 (Feb 15, 2011)

backstay said:


> Your question is garbled.


Thanks...


----------



## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Are you talking about replacing 1- 8' fixture with 1- 4' one?
Shadows will not be your friend. You just cut down the area covered, why were they 8'?


Cowboy


----------



## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I converted 11 96" fixtures to LED last year. I could not wrap my mind around using 4 48" tubes, when I could just use the fixture as is. Easy peezy.


----------



## Bubba332 (Feb 15, 2011)

just the cowboy said:


> Are you talking about replacing 1- 8' fixture with 1- 4' one?
> Shadows will not be your friend. You just cut down the area covered, why were they 8'?
> 
> 
> Cowboy


There 8’ because my grandpa was a nut. He passed away and now grandma wants LEDs, she admits though that even the current lighting is a bit much. My plan was to swap with 8’ LEDs and put them on a dimmer. I just can’t find any 8’ LEDs with Triac dimming and don’t want to run additional 0-10 wires. So the 4’ers seemed like the next best option. I had the same concerns as you mentioned though…the dispersement of light. Any and all suggestions are welcomed.


----------



## just the cowboy (Sep 4, 2013)

Bubba332 said:


> There 8’ because my grandpa was a nut. He passed away and now grandma wants LEDs, she admits though that even the current lighting is a bit much. My plan was to swap with 8’ LEDs and put them on a dimmer. I just can’t find any 8’ LEDs with Triac dimming and don’t want to run additional 0-10 wires. So the 4’ers seemed like the next best option. I had the same concerns as you mentioned though…the dispersement of light. Any and all suggestions are welcomed.


I did (2) 2 tube 4' LED shop light fixtures for each 8' one at my house. I would not worry about dimming unless a lot of time is spent in the area.


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

The same lumens would be in a smaller footprint. It would be brighter, but in a smaller area.


----------



## Almost Retired (Sep 14, 2021)

This may or may not be helpful but :
You can buy a kit for an 8' strip that will convert it to 4 x 4' bulbs, but it will still be a strip, no covers


----------



## backstay (Feb 3, 2011)

Almost Retired said:


> This may or may not be helpful but :
> You can buy a kit for an 8' strip that will convert it to 4 x 4' bulbs, but it will still be a strip, no covers


They look like this. I converted about 100 in a grocery store.


----------



## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

If they are 8 foot fixtures with 8 foot lamps, you can get 8 foot lamps. Plug and play or by pass type.. A fluorescent lamp or tube throws light in a 360 degree pattern. Up, down side and side and everyday between. If you only need the light to shine down, you can get tubes with a 120 or 180 degree pattern.


----------



## joe-nwt (Mar 28, 2019)

8' bi-pin can be converted to single pin by swapping tombstones. I've found the single pin easier to obtain.


----------



## splatz (May 23, 2015)

You can buy LED fixtures that throw light in all different patterns. LEDs are basically one directional and it sometimes makes a difference. It's hard to find LED fixtures that will match the wide even lighting that fluorescent tubes throw. With an extra four foot gap between fixtures, even if the lumen output is the same, it won't be as even.


----------



## kb1jb1 (Nov 11, 2017)

splatz said:


> You can buy LED fixtures that throw light in all different patterns. LEDs are basically one directional and it sometimes makes a difference. It's hard to find LED fixtures that will match the wide even lighting that fluorescent tubes throw. With an extra four foot gap between fixtures, even if the lumen output is the same, it won't be as even.


I liken the difference between most LED lights and fluorescent is think of a drop spreader and a broadcast spreader. If both are paying out the same amount of fertilizer the drop spreader will be more concentrated in it's coverage while the broadcast spreader will be wider and more even. Some people understand the analogy.


----------

