House lighting fixtures - do any come with open wiring and no ballast, for LED usage?

Melissa2007

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Feb 23, 2007
Messages
44
Location
Denver area
Does anyone know if there are sites that sell led fixtures with open wiring, so you can pick tubes and just wire the fixture for them, instead of having to buy a ballast fixture and cut the ballast out?

I've had some interesting successes with home lighting conversions ( see https://www.facebook.com/I-Love-LED-Lighting-1500972093296482/ which I started ), and am interested in a better dual tube 2' fixture ( wrap around surface mount with clear diffuser ) for over the kitchen sink.
 
Last edited:

FRITZHID

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
2,500
Location
Icelandic wastelands of Monico, WI
I looked into this a few yrs back and the short answer is, no, not really.
These days, you can either find, LED designed fixtures w/LEDs and driver built in, newer floro fixtures that can/could use LED with some modding, or "vintage" fixtures that would require extensive modding to be adequate for LED usage.

You MIGHT be able to find someone selling "host" or hollow shell fixtures but will most likely be very cheap and flimsy.
I've found the best thing one can do is find a host they like but dislike the guts, gut it and fill it with what you DO like. :)
I have about a dozen lights in my house that started as Floro or Incan and are now beautiful, vintage, HCRI Led lighting fixtures that are WAY better than ANYTHING you could ever buy premade.
 

mercrazy

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jul 28, 2014
Messages
160
i just bought LED bulbs to replace fluorescent bulbs and didn't do anything to the fixture. they were $1 more than regular fluorescent.
 

DIWdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 27, 2010
Messages
2,725
Location
Connecticut, USA
Yes, I just googled "2ft led tube fixture". I got a lot of chaff, but some wheat amongst it. For your purpose though, I'm not sure you're going to find anything better than modding a fl. fixture.
 

Ken_McE

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 16, 2003
Messages
1,687
Does anyone know if there are sites that sell led fixtures with open wiring, so you can pick tubes and just wire the fixture for them, instead of having to buy a ballast fixture and cut the ballast out?

This is something too niche to for them to offer. FRITZHID does a good job of summing up your options.

I've had some interesting successes with home lighting conversions ( see https://www.facebook.com/I-Love-LED-Lighting-1500972093296482/ which I started )

Not seeing any pictures there. Making or buying your own lights is not hard. I have a hall light that started life as a cake pan, some 5050 LED strips, and a piece of frosted glass. Works as good as anything in the stores, been running for years.
 
Last edited:
Top