Electrical light question

[Jess from VA]

I put in a pair of simple 3 foot cloud ceiling lights in my basement utility room, a long time ago.

3 foot fluorescent tube light, white long globe.

One is fine, the other the ballast is not completely shot, but it takes from 3-15 minutes to fire up.  I've been putting up with it for years.  The fixture itself is in perfect shape (except for the ballast).  I've never needed to replace a tube, could it be the tube and not the ballast? 

Is one supposed to be able to take it apart and remove the ballast and find some numbers or code and get a replacement?

I look up "cloud ceiling lights" now, and I get very few traditional cloud lights, and a ton of stupid lights made to simulate clouds (which I don't want).  They may be calling it a "puff light" now.

I can't even find one that looks like it in replacement, but I'd like to fix the one I have if I can.

Advice?

I had 2 4-foot cheap double tube fluorescent shop lights in my sheds crap out the ballast over the years (and just replaced them with bright bulbs), but a third 3 foot one has never failed me, not even in freezing cold (go figure).

The cloud lights are much nicer than basic shop lights.

[old2soon]

   I replaced the old flourescent tubes with the new L E D tubes with out changing Anything and have NOT looked back. RIDE SAFE.

[f6john]

The tubes start to get real dark on the ends as they age out. Could still need new ballast. Just expose the ballast and remove it and take it with you (if tubes don’t do the trick). Many times the ballast will look burnt and black goo escaping. I have some old fixtures that would operate the new led tubes and some wouldn’t. The led tubes are much better if they will work for you.

[da prez]

  It is way cheaper to replace the whole unit with LED. Cost less to operate, fast start up , no noise.

                                                         da prez

[Jess from VA]

What I discovered was that T8 "plug and play" LED tubes (in replacement of old fluorescent) will work just fine in an old ballast fixture, and you can leave the ballasts in or take them out (with pros and cons for each).  What remains unclear is if they will work if the ballast is left in but is completely toast.  One unit was not toast, but the other I couldn't be sure.

So I ran up to the Home Depot and bought 4 (2 per unit) 3-foot, 30 Watt, T8 LED tubes @ $14 each ($56).

When I got up in my unfinished stringer utility room rafters with the cloud diffusers off, I had the perfect opportunity to use my new Lithium rechargeable DirtDevil handheld vacuum because man there were a lot of cobwebs up there (choke).  The new tubes went in and SUCCESS, everything works perfectly (and instantly).  So I took the 3 foot diffuser clouds outside and gave them a good wash and stuck them back on, and done.

I probably could have lived with a pair of 12-14 inch round or square Led (no bulb) ceiling lights for a bit cheaper (and perfectly adequate light), but having everything already wired up to switch and ceiling mounts, and nice looking existing units was not worth saving a few bucks.

The only downside (at all) is I now need to wear shades in my utility room with my new lights.  

It's not terribly bright with the diffuser globes, but it's a lot brighter than it was.

PS:  My research showed some that converted old units to LED tubes still had noise.  Mine never made noise, and don't now.  

[carolinarider09]

Excellenet summary Jess!   

[Jess from VA]

Thanks Bill.  When someone comes on here and asks questions, he ought to come back later and tell the end of his story (if there is one).