T8 LED tubeWiring Diagram

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[Edit] Seems like the problem was my fault for not turning off the lights first, but turns out it was not fatal. After testing the known good fluorescent tube in one of the non-working fixtures, I just left it in place. I turned the lights off for a while and then back on, and the tube lit up. I placed a new fluorescent tube in the other previously non-working fixture, and it also works now. This suggests that the electronic starter/ballast reset itself.

How to install t8 led tube lightballast bypass

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How to install LED tubelights on ceiling

You could have destroyed the starter, the LED tubes, or both. If the fluorescent tubes don't work when reinstalled, I bet you destroyed the starters. However, you might have been lucky, because the fluorescent tubes can explode when the starter fails or a wrong starter is used.

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Nonetheless, because I've always replaced fluorescent tubes with the lights on, that's what I did with the new LED tube. It came on for 1 or 2 seconds, then went out and stayed out. Again, without reading the instructions, I removed a different (working) fluorescent tube and inserted the same LED tube. Again, it came on for 1 or 2 seconds. Both fixtures now fail to work with a standard fluorescent tube.

On the other hand, LED tubes typically work on stardard AC, in which case the starter needs to be either replaced with a LED starter (which is just a jumper connecting the two ends of the starter socket), or the starter socket has to be completely bypassed.

How towireLED tubelights without ballast

Fluorescent T8 tubes need something called a starter to operate (wiki). Starter is installed in the light fixture, and ensures the correct operation which is not continuous 230V AC (or different voltage if you're not in Europe, but still AC).

So the right solution is: If you know what you are doing, just replace the starters. If you don't know what you are doing, consult a professional.

So have I destroyed the ballasts or something? Do I need to get new direct-wire fixtures or rewire the existing ones to bypass the ballast? And then get direct-wire LED tubes and return the ones I bought?