So I bought some pretty expensive LED T5 replacement bulbs for my T5 fixture and they lit for a brief second then went dark, now they light enough to see the LEDs but not giving off any real light. What am I missing? Bought 12 bulbs and tried 4. Thought it was the cheap fixture I had off of Amazon so bought a slightly more expensive vivo-sun fixture, same thing.
T5 LED Bulbs don't work
- Thread starter DaFreak
- Start date
farmingfisherman
Well-Known Member
I've been told and have read to use some T5 leds bulbs rewiring the fixture maybe needed. Maker of these no longer is producing them. I've tried finding replacements for two other 2 bulb T5 lights I own but haven't had luck. Good luck!
farmingfisherman
Well-Known Member
Search youtube. I think I remember it being pretty simple to rewire.. I got lucky and purchased the light in the picture used and it had the LED's already hooked up with it. Plants dig them! Great light for veg and really wish the company still produced them but it looks like they were sold to someone and then production stopped.
BostonBuds
Well-Known Member
The new led bulbs should not require a ballast. If the fixture you have has a ballast it must be disconnected to run the led.
farmingfisherman
Well-Known Member
I'm sure there is a video about how to disconnect the ballasts. I just remember bits and pieces of what happens. Something about tombstones being powered on only one side and dummy ones on the other to hold the bulb. Finger's crossed for you!
farmingfisherman
Well-Known Member
You following a video I assume? PS Be sure!
radrolley
Well-Known Member
Friend of mine told me you have to rewire the fixture. Basically you just want a wire going to each side of the terminal that connects to the bulb(Your hot wire and your ground). Bypass any other circuitry. You can keep the switch if you want. I'm not sure if you have to have the ground and hot on the proper side but you can just trace to where it went to originally. It's one of those things that can seem complicated but is actually really easy to do once you see it.
Merlin1147
Well-Known Member
There are 2 types of LED T5 replacements. Plug and play, and ballast bypass. Which did you buy. It will say on the packaging. Also depending on the size the plug and play bulbs can be regular or HO for high output. I wouldn’t rewire unless you know you have ballast bypass bulbs. It could be that the fixture is not high output and the bulbs are.
If they are ballast bypass they can come in two configurations. Single ended power and double ended power. If you’re not totally comfortable doing house wiring I would get an electrician. It’s not Complicated but you need to know what bulbs you have before getting started.
If they are ballast bypass they can come in two configurations. Single ended power and double ended power. If you’re not totally comfortable doing house wiring I would get an electrician. It’s not Complicated but you need to know what bulbs you have before getting started.
Merlin1147
Well-Known Member
Is it single end powered? What does the other end of the bulb look like. If it is single end powered you CAN NOT use a shunted socket. Remove the shunt wire then wire hot to one side neutral to the other side of the socket.
farmingfisherman
Well-Known Member
So at 24 watts they are rated at 3300 flux X 8 = 26,400 flux and 192 watts compared to T5 bulbs at 54 watts and 5000 lumens X 8 = 40,000 lumens and 432 watts. Obviously my iPhone lux app is not something that I would trust but it reads that the LEDs have more light then new T5 bulbs in my other fixture. Regardless I am very happy and it's overkill for my mothers. I can start using them for pre-veg as well.
Search on Amazon for these B07P8VSPBD@DaFreak What brand of bulbs did you end up buying. Came across one company selling two foot ones but you had to buy a case!
