Replacing fluorescent lamps with LED ones: how to connect and replace daylight equipment with modern ones

Offices, shops and industrial plants are illuminated with fluorescent lamps, which operate with a ballast choke. These are economical devices, but they have to be changed periodically. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase a different type of luminaires and replace the fluorescent lamps with LED ones. They are quite expensive, but their price is due to the quality, durability and reliability.

LED construction

In appearance, LEDs are similar to conventional fluorescent lamps, which have long been used in many industrial, administrative and public buildings. Their design includes a power supply, the body is made in the form of a tube and can be made from the following materials:

• matte or transparent polycarbonate;
• aluminum.

The first type is a one-piece polycarbonate element with a diameter of 26 mm. At the second, the back side is made of a round aluminum profile, and the outside is made of a chemical alloy. The diffuser can be transparent or opaque. The first models, with a low location, dazzle, so it is better to place them in closed shades. But the matte element hides some of the light, which is taken into account when calculating the power.

Some models have a rotary ratchet mechanism, thanks to which you can direct the flow of light at a certain angle. During installation, it is easy to track the location of the lamp contacts inside the socket, which is very convenient. Standard tubing lengths are 1500, 1200, 900 or 600mm. The most common models with dimensions of 600 and 1200 mm, they have a power suitable for a living room, do not dazzle and give a sufficient number of rays.

LED fluorescent lamps have a slightly lower flux than fluorescent ones. But for the second models, the indicator falls with an increase in the service life, and for the first it remains unchanged throughout the entire service. The average lamp life is 30-40 thousand hours.

Advantages and disadvantages

The duration of operation depends on its conditions and the performance of the power supply, the LEDs themselves. Replacing conventional lamps with LED has several advantages:

• safe and quick work on their installation;
• except for periodic wiping from dust, no maintenance is needed;
• great efficiency;
• long service life;
• there is no flicker, so the lamps can be installed in a room with children;
• high light transmission rate;
• there is no mercury in the structure;
• wide variation of operating voltage - from 110 to 240 V.

LEDs have practically no drawbacks, but some users note their high cost as a minus. But buying cheap models is not worth it, as you can run into a low-quality fake.

Varieties of lamps

As soon as LED lamps appeared on the market, people became interested in them. They are economical and durable, and the appearance, dimensions and brightness of the glow practically do not differ from ordinary lamps. They do not need to be disposed of, and their service life exceeds the service life of luminescent models dozens of times. You can save money if you do not completely replace the entire system, and install new lamps instead of old lamps in the old fittings. You can do this yourself without any special qualifications or experience.

The LED tube contains a getinax strip with a power supply and soldered LEDs. Therefore, there is no need to install an external source for it. It is connected directly to the electrical network. There is a base in the tubes; on the inside, copper wires are connected to pins, to which the supply voltage is applied. The lamp is fully adapted for replacing fluorescent lamps without any design modifications. It is enough to cut off excess cables and connect the device.

LEDs are divided according to several criteria:

• dimensions - their length varies from 600 to 1500 mm;
• power - from 9 to 25 W;
• the type of light emitted - it can be warm or cold.

To replace a fluorescent lamp, you can choose an LED with a lower performance, while it will give the same amount of light. If it is necessary to increase the brightness of the lighting, then more powerful models are chosen or more lamps are mounted.

Replacement instructions

Before connecting an LED lamp instead of a fluorescent lamp, it is necessary to disconnect the luminaire from the electrical wiring. Turn off the voltage supply, check the indicators with the terminal block indicator. Electricians do not always follow the rules for working with the switch, although it should be located on the opening of the phase wire. If the terminal block shows voltage, then you need to find the automatic sensor and turn it off for a while.

Then the wires are disconnected, their ends are insulated, and the grounding cable is found. Usually it is connected to the case, pressed against it with a screw. It needs to be freed, but it is not necessary to isolate it. If several lamps are installed in the room, then the rest can be turned on, because it is more convenient to work with light. Remove the screws holding the tubes to the ceiling. If they are screwed to suspended structures, then it is enough to press the lamp up, unfold and remove it diagonally. An empty square is formed in its place.

Features of the scheme

The voltage is supplied to two cartridges with wires according to a certain scheme with an electromagnetic ballast. This design ensures the safe operation of the lamp. In the case when mercury comes out of the lamp, its vapors can ignite at low voltage. To eliminate a fire at both ends of the fluorescent lamp, you need to create two clouds of electrons at both ends of the device. This can be done using hot incandescent filaments.

LEDs work in a different way. In order for them to light up, it is necessary to apply voltage to the opposite base pins. Therefore, only one conductive cable is connected to the cartridges. At the same time, there is no difference whether it is a phase or a zero indicator.

Eliminate unnecessary elements

After the lamp was removed, you can start reworking it. Old lamps are removed from it, turning them in any direction at a right angle. Then disconnect the wires from the throttle and starter, remove both elements. The cartridges are fastened to the fittings using screws or steel strips. Modern details are attached with latches. If it is necessary to remove it, the cylinders of the fastening are clamped with tweezers, which after that it is easy to pull it out of the holes in the case. In some cases, you can pry the cartridge with a screwdriver.

The conductors supplying current are mounted with screws, but some models use a screwless method. To disconnect the wire, you need to turn it clockwise and back at a right angle, gradually pulling it out. If the part in the structure is not needed, then the wires are simply cut off. Thus, screwless fasteners are disconnected in sockets and switches, lamp holders and chandeliers.

Working with a cartridge

There are three types of sockets in LED lamps. They differ in the methods of attachment to the body and the wires that supply current. Each part has markings. The letter stands for the pin connection system, and the number stands for the distance between the pins, measured in millimeters. For the LED to work properly, only one wire needs to be connected to each socket. Therefore, it does not need to be dismantled, it is enough to connect one cable to the terminal block.

Usually craftsmen strive to do all the work professionally. This is helped by special terminal blocks. They allow you not to insulate the wires, increase the reliability of their connection. One block makes it possible to connect several installation points at once. If it is not possible to purchase these parts, then it is necessary to dismantle the cartridges. Older models are fixed to the body with screws. In them, the wires are led into holes on the inside and fixed. Spring-loaded bushings are inserted into the connection points. This ensures the fixation of the lamp between the two sockets, and also excludes the influence of the dimensions of the reinforcement of the structure.

In the case when the device has two or more cartridges, one more jumper is added to one free terminal. But this circuit has a weak side: if you remove the lamp from the element that receives power, then the rest of the lamps will go out. This is due to the fact that voltage is applied to neighboring cartridges through the jumper inside the device. When the wire is clamped with screws, it is pulled and pulled, as it may not be on the terminal and remain loose.

Cartridges from modern manufacturers are fixed with plastic or metal plates. To dismantle them, squeeze the latches to each other with tweezers, this allows the element to easily come out of the recess. There are flat springs on one side of the structure. To connect all the cartridges to the power supply cable, they are connected with jumpers. The length of the attachment depends on the distance between adjacent elements. Then it remains only to mount the sockets back into the lamp and connect the wire to the block for supplying power. The elements located on the opposite side are also connected.

After that, it is enough to fix the luminaire to the ceiling, connect the power to the terminals on the block and replace the fluorescent lamp with an LED one. All work in a leisurely mode and without experience and special skills will take no more than an hour.