T5 to T8 or LED ?

[axisg]

One of the two 48" light fixtures in the kitchen is not working ( ballast ). As they are phasing out Fluorescent lighting I am having an issue with finding a replacement T5 ballast for less than $50 ( ridiculous ).

So whats the call here ? Retrofit to even older but still supported T8 for $40 or so per fixture or drop $ 200 on an ugly LED fixture just so I can gut in to rebuild it into the existing ceiling fixture ?

And when did lighting get so damn ugly ? We seen fixtures today with like a dozen light bulbs on a rod at odd angles, and other ones that you would need a 16 foot ceiling to hang from so you dont smack your head on them !

I have an Oak box that matches my cabinets mounted to the ceiling with lights in it. IK would prefer to keep it that way so WTF is wrong with that ? Oh... right NOTHING ! But nothing a Lowes, HD, Rona or even 2 lighting stores we went to even slightly appealed to us.

 

[Wageslave]

You can get retrofit LED tubes that fit into fluorescent holders, but they may require a rewire to work.

You can also just buy a similar light on the cheap and gut it for its ballast. I did this for the crappy light at my parents house with a $10 exposed fluorescent light. Was cheaper than a new $60 light.

 

[pontiacgp]

what about kijiji....

 

[85442/86buick]

convert the existing fixture to LED , we are doing that at work now ,lose the ballast and new clips for the LED bulbs...and about 5 minutes of rewiring ,of course that 5 minutes is sitting on work surface at working height not 8 foot in the air working from a ladder .

the different in light is awesome. you will end up doing both fixtures.

and I agree on current lighting choices......they all look like...insert your choice of bad word here.

 

[axisg]

I looked at Kijiji but for the price point of $40 to get 2 new bulbs and a new ballast why bother.

I also looked at existing fixtures at the 3 big box stores and they are all T8 with none of them being a T5 to steal the ballast from.
So I guess $26 for the fixture and another $10 for the tubes plus tax is $40 to get it lighted again ( the LED t8 retrofit bulbs are like $18 each ).

Meh I guess I am just cheap. For now I pulled the fixture and there are 2 bare LED lightbulbs so we dont have to wash dishes in the dark

So much for fishing today ! Lights to fix, and a fence to mend. Maybe take the old heap out for a spin once its all done !