Converted Fluorescent Fixtures to LEDs
We bought the Adventurer last winter and the first thing my DW wanted done was to changed the fluorescent ceiling fixtures to anything else. The barely noticeable flicker gives her and the youngest DD severe headaches at times.
I decided in as much as the Thin Line fixtures are inset in the ceiling, I would try and convert them to LEDs and not spend a fortune doing it. I have been tinkering around with LEDs in various forms, tubes, bulbs and strips of all sorts for about five years. I have seen articles and UTube videos on conversions and not wanting to mess up a $80 plus fixture I built test lights on panels of doorskin material.
I was perusing eBay and saw some 20" ridged aluminum strips, 10 for about $12. I bought some with 5050 LEDs in the 2700 to 3100 Lumin range. Through tinkering with lighting this is the color the DW and I like best. So after deciding that I either had to jump in or put out the big bucks for the tubes, I converted the 12" over the sink. The DW loved it for a lot of reasons, more light, more even light and not as harsh as the tubes. The DW explained, "Now you'll have light enough to do a better job on the dishes". Oh, oh, did I goof?
Like many first attempts, it was a learning experience. The livingroom/dinette slide when out makes the space cavernous so, I put 7, 16 inch strips with 30, 5050 LEDs each in as a test. The DW's reaction was, "Honey I love the color but it's a little bright". Well, not wanting to waste all that time and all those LEDs I decided to move the fixture back by the dinette and put a switch in there to switch from 7 strips to 5 strips and back of course.
So now that I have done all four fluorescent fixtures, I figured out the fastest easiest way to convert them and here are a few pictures to show the steps;
The LED side of the strips, they are scored for breaking into individual strips
Backside of strips
The fixture
Lens off
Tubes and wire shield removed
Using 1/8" drill bit to remove pop rivet heads
The wiring comes out in one piece after removing the six rivet heads
Fixture with wiring removed
The pan was removed from the bezel for ease of layout and wiring, the strips have been cut to size and laid out in a series circuit
This blank cover is being removed to install switch for 2 or 5 strip illumination
Layout for gluing. I didn't feel that the entire strip needed glue
With the strips laying on the bench, I soldered all the spots where cuts would be made for ease in connecting wires once the strips were glued in place
Final layout with extra wires for connecting to house wiring but no switch wiring
Gluing down the strips, I laid out areas in reverse of strips also
Testing each step of the wiring after soldering
Testing but without switch in place
Final wiring on switch end
Final test for two strip operation
Final test for five strip test
One question keeps popping up from other folks in regards to changing from fluorescent lighting to LED lighting; "Wouldn't it be much easier and provide you with the same light, if you just bought the no fuss replacement LED tubes"? The answer is yes to faster and easier, but by buying strips and using materials on hand, I got the color of light I wanted and the intensity of light I wanted. As an added benefit, I now have variable lighting and a much happier wife. Besides, I had a great time.
The cost for conversion is; about $300.00 for Camco and Star Lights and for buying the strips(20) was <$30.00, $4.00 for the three switches and maybe $5.00 for stuff I had on hand for a total of $<35.00.
Of course the HWHL factor and all the fun I had planning and laying out and building the lights is priceless.
As an aside, I thought boy I could buy a RGB strip and thanks to Winnie's providing the channel from fixture to fixture, I could turn the living area into a party bus, imagine being able to have dozens of lighting mode, flashing, chasing, blinking, strobe and 16 million colors, WOW what a trip.
I decided in as much as the Thin Line fixtures are inset in the ceiling, I would try and convert them to LEDs and not spend a fortune doing it. I have been tinkering around with LEDs in various forms, tubes, bulbs and strips of all sorts for about five years. I have seen articles and UTube videos on conversions and not wanting to mess up a $80 plus fixture I built test lights on panels of doorskin material.
I was perusing eBay and saw some 20" ridged aluminum strips, 10 for about $12. I bought some with 5050 LEDs in the 2700 to 3100 Lumin range. Through tinkering with lighting this is the color the DW and I like best. So after deciding that I either had to jump in or put out the big bucks for the tubes, I converted the 12" over the sink. The DW loved it for a lot of reasons, more light, more even light and not as harsh as the tubes. The DW explained, "Now you'll have light enough to do a better job on the dishes". Oh, oh, did I goof?
Like many first attempts, it was a learning experience. The livingroom/dinette slide when out makes the space cavernous so, I put 7, 16 inch strips with 30, 5050 LEDs each in as a test. The DW's reaction was, "Honey I love the color but it's a little bright". Well, not wanting to waste all that time and all those LEDs I decided to move the fixture back by the dinette and put a switch in there to switch from 7 strips to 5 strips and back of course.
So now that I have done all four fluorescent fixtures, I figured out the fastest easiest way to convert them and here are a few pictures to show the steps;
The LED side of the strips, they are scored for breaking into individual strips
Backside of strips
The fixture
Lens off
Tubes and wire shield removed
Using 1/8" drill bit to remove pop rivet heads
The wiring comes out in one piece after removing the six rivet heads
Fixture with wiring removed
The pan was removed from the bezel for ease of layout and wiring, the strips have been cut to size and laid out in a series circuit
This blank cover is being removed to install switch for 2 or 5 strip illumination
Layout for gluing. I didn't feel that the entire strip needed glue
With the strips laying on the bench, I soldered all the spots where cuts would be made for ease in connecting wires once the strips were glued in place
Final layout with extra wires for connecting to house wiring but no switch wiring
Gluing down the strips, I laid out areas in reverse of strips also
Testing each step of the wiring after soldering
Testing but without switch in place
Final wiring on switch end
Final test for two strip operation
Final test for five strip test
One question keeps popping up from other folks in regards to changing from fluorescent lighting to LED lighting; "Wouldn't it be much easier and provide you with the same light, if you just bought the no fuss replacement LED tubes"? The answer is yes to faster and easier, but by buying strips and using materials on hand, I got the color of light I wanted and the intensity of light I wanted. As an added benefit, I now have variable lighting and a much happier wife. Besides, I had a great time.
The cost for conversion is; about $300.00 for Camco and Star Lights and for buying the strips(20) was <$30.00, $4.00 for the three switches and maybe $5.00 for stuff I had on hand for a total of $<35.00.
Of course the HWHL factor and all the fun I had planning and laying out and building the lights is priceless.
As an aside, I thought boy I could buy a RGB strip and thanks to Winnie's providing the channel from fixture to fixture, I could turn the living area into a party bus, imagine being able to have dozens of lighting mode, flashing, chasing, blinking, strobe and 16 million colors, WOW what a trip.
