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Replacing Fluorescent Tubes with LED: A Step-by-Step Guide for Every Fixture

Old fluorescent tube being replaced by an LED tube

Do you still have old fluorescent tubes in your garage, shed or workshop? Then replacing fluorescent tubes with LED is usually a job of a few minutes: old tube and starter out, LED tube and LED starter in. Whether it is that simple for you depends on one component in your fixture. I will show you step by step how to recognise it and which tube you need.

In short

  • Is there a starter in your fixture? Then you only swap the tube and the starter. No tools needed.
  • No starter? Then you have an electronic ballast. Choose a tube that is compatible with it, or have the ballast bypassed.
  • Choose the same length as your old tube (60, 90, 120 or 150 cm) and compare by lumens, not watts.
  • You save roughly half on electricity and get full light straight away, even in a cold garage.
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Why replace fluorescent tubes with LED?

Old fluorescent tube

36 watts for a 120 cm tube, plus losses in the ballast. It flickers when switched on, takes minutes to reach full brightness in the cold and contains mercury.

LED tube

Around 12 to 18 watts for the same or more light. Full light instantly, even in frost. Lasts for years, no more starters to replace and no mercury.

On top of that, ordinary fluorescent tubes are disappearing from the shops because of European regulations. Sooner or later you will have to switch anyway.

💶 Worked example: what does it save?

A garage with 4 tubes of 120 cm that burn 3 hours a day on average. An old tube with a ballast draws about 44 watts, an LED tube around 18 watts. That is a difference of 104 watts, or more than 110 kWh per year. At 0.30 euros per kWh that comes to roughly 34 euros per year. The tubes pay for themselves within a year.

Step 1: determine the type and length

Most fluorescent tubes in homes, garages and workshops are T8 tubes: 26 mm thick, with a G13 base (two pins at each end). Thinner T5 tubes (16 mm) are mostly found in offices and under kitchen cabinets. Measure the tube including the end caps, or check the print on the old tube.

T8 length Old fluorescent tube LED tube
60 cm 18 watts approx. 8 – 10 watts
90 cm 30 watts approx. 12 – 14 watts
120 cm 36 watts approx. 12 – 18 watts
150 cm 58 watts approx. 16 – 24 watts

Step 2: identify the ballast

This is the most important step. Every fluorescent fixture has a ballast, but there are two kinds. First check whether there is a starter: a small round cap, often blue or white.

With starter · conventional (KVG)

starter

You can see a starter, the lamp flickers briefly before it comes on and the ballast is a heavy block. The easiest situation: you do not need to rewire anything.

Without starter · electronic (EVG/HF)

EVG / HF

No starter, the lamp comes on instantly without flickering, and the unit often says "electronic", "EVG" or "HF". Continue with step 4.

Step 3: replacing in a fixture with a starter

  1. Power off. Switch off the light switch and, if in doubt, the circuit at the fuse box too.
  2. Remove the old tube. Turn the fluorescent tube a quarter turn and take it out of the sockets.
  3. Remove the starter. Turn the old starter anticlockwise out of its holder.
  4. Insert the LED starter. It usually comes with the LED tube. It is a bridging piece, not a real starter.
  5. Insert the LED tube. Place it in the sockets and turn it a quarter turn to lock it.
  6. Test. Power on and you are done.
Note for a twin fixture: are there two tubes on one ballast (in series)? Not every LED tube works in that setup. Check the specifications or choose a new fixture.

Handy to have at hand:

Step 4: replacing in a fixture with an electronic ballast

Option A · EVG-compatible tube

You only swap the tube. Quick, but the tube must be explicitly compatible with your ballast. If the ballast fails later, the LED tube stops working too.

Option B · bypass

The ballast is removed and the socket gets 230V directly. Then you fit a tube for direct connection (follow the diagram on the tube). The most durable solution, but you modify the wiring.

⚠️ Safety: bypassing means working with 230V. If you have no experience with that, have an electrician do it. After the conversion, stick a label inside the fixture saying that an ordinary fluorescent tube must no longer be fitted.

Step 5: or replace the whole fixture

Is the fixture old, yellowed, damp or full of dust? Then a new LED fixture is often quicker and safer than converting. In garages, sheds and workshops, dust- and waterproof tri-proof fixtures are the best choice: you hang them in the same spot and connect them directly to 230V. Many models can be linked, so you can run several fixtures in a row from one supply.

📩 Find this guide useful?

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Which LED tube should you choose?

3000K
Warm white
hobby room, storage room
4000K
Cool white
garage, workshop
6500K
Daylight white
precision work, inspection
  • Length and type: the same as the old tube (T8, G13, 60/90/120/150 cm).
  • Light output: compare in lumens. An LED tube only shines downwards, so less light is lost inside the fixture.
  • Connection: suitable for a starter (KVG), for EVG, or for direct 230V connection.
  • Finish: a matte (opal) tube gives soft light without glare, ideal above a workbench.

You can read more about light colour in our article on colour temperature in Kelvin.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I simply put an LED tube in my old fixture?
With a starter fixture, usually yes, as long as you replace the starter with the LED starter. With an electronic ballast, only with a tube that is compatible with it, or after bypassing it.
What happens if I leave the old starter in?
Then the LED tube usually does not come on, or flickers, and the starter or the tube may be damaged. Always replace the starter with the supplied LED starter.
Is an LED tube as bright as an ordinary fluorescent tube?
A good 120 cm LED tube gives at least as much usable light on the work surface as a 36-watt fluorescent tube, because the light is directed downwards instead of all around.
Why is my new LED tube flickering?
Usually the old starter is still in, or the tube does not match the ballast (for example a starter tube in an EVG fixture). Check step 2 and replace the starter if necessary, or choose a tube for your type of fixture.
How do I know whether a tube is single-ended or double-ended?
It is stated on the tube or in the manual, often with a small wiring diagram. With single-ended power, the 230V comes in at one end; with double-ended, at both ends.
Can I bypass the ballast myself?
If you can work safely with 230V, yes, but if in doubt leave it to an electrician. A wrong connection can cause a short circuit.
Does an LED tube work in a cold garage?
Yes, that is exactly where you notice the difference. An LED tube gives full light instantly, even in frost, whereas an ordinary fluorescent tube flickers in the cold and only becomes bright after minutes.
Not sure which tube suits your fixture? Send me a photo of the fixture and the print on the old tube via WhatsApp and I will help you work it out. Message me on WhatsApp ›

Kind regards,
Bas / LEDPLANET.NL

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