Kitchen Lights

[Robert McCormack]

So after 36 years the overhead kitchen tube light fixture is acting up.   Most replacement systems are classic hanging shop light systems but the tubes are under the main body so would be too close to the nice plastic cover.   Anyone have a good replacement recommendation that will retain the same depth clearance.

[Lee Welbanks]

Robert,  I assume when you say tube light you mean fluorescent. Is it 120 volt or 12 volt? You can gut the fixture and replace the guts with super bright led strips, you can actually get kits on the web to do this. I re-did all four of the fluorescent lites in our bathroom with the leds a few years ago, what a difference and no heat.

[Robert McCormack]

Yes the Original Florescent Lights.   I had originally wanted to go LED on those like I did on all the other lights.  These are the 120v 48inch.  But I don't really have the time now, I just want some lights that come on every time.   I see there are replacement LED assemblies which could be just mounted in the ceiling box but I wonder about the quality.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TM97LWY/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B07TM97LWY&pd_rd_w=XeUVT&pf_rd_p=a64be657-55f3-4b6a-91aa-17a31a8febb4&pd_rd_wg=DC3r2&pf_rd_r=BWSJPG1YW2R0CH8Q3Q76&pd_rd_r=1ebe7c54-6fbd-48f4-90f7-ee8aeb1465c1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzRFZCUjFDNjhZNFBJJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTk5NTA4MlI5U1ZCWjRGM01JQSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzc1MjI1MUQ2QVA1Nk9TSDI1WSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbF90aGVtYXRpYyZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Snap in seems a good idea, does anyone have experience with this type of "bolt in" replacement as to quality.  At the price seems worth a try but I don't want to have keep replacing units if they arn't reliable.

 

[Joel Ashley]

A few years ago I replaced all the 4’ fluorescents in my house.  Before that I’d put newer ballasts in 2 of the garage fixtures to mitigate their problem of flickering or not starting in colder weather.  But I don’t think the LED switch-out required removal of the ballasts.  What I don’t remember is whether I had to snip or splice any wires up there first like I did with the 18 inchers in the Beaver.  If I did, there couldn’t have been much to it, cuz there were a dozen lamps and I do recall it went speedily.

Perhaps I used the T8’s that are just “plug n play”.    https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/t8-led-tube-lights/

Joel

[Robert McCormack]

Seems things have move on to making the replacement with LED tubes.  Good info on how to do it by Joel.  I found a video that shows the process.  No more having to get LED strips and wire them in anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3NRE2yzNag