DIY Shop Light Rewiring for LED T8 Tubes

DISCLAIMER: This tutorial is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY! Do not attempt any of this!! Electricity is DEADLY! READ AND LEARN AT YOUR OWN RISK!

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By Zoea Warnick 12/08/13
What you will need:
48" shop light with electronic ballast (shop light used in tutorial was purchased at Walmart for around $10)
2 48" Led T8 Tubes
Wire Strippers
Wire Cutters
Auto Wire (16 Gauge)
Wire Connectors (Medium)
Test Light

Step 1:
Gather Your Supplies.

Step 2:
Remove shop light from box and lay it on it's back, remove center panel to reveal wiring.

Step 3:
Remove plastic ends from metal housing.

Step 4:
Open plastic end that has the plug to the wall outlet attached to reveal inner wiring.
(Note: This is not easy! They are not made to be taken apart, so don't get frustrated and force it because it WILL break if you do!)

Step 5:
Inside the plastic end there will be a chamber with an electronic ballast. Pull it out and cut any wires that connect to it at the base of the circuit board. Throw the ballast away.

This is what you should have left to work with:

Step 6:
Using wire strippers, cut back the skin from the 2 white wires inside the housing that connects to the wall outlet.

Step 7:
Remove the 2 short black wires from the plastic end where the ballast was previously housed.  Then remove the black wire that runs to the other end of the lamp and throw it away. This is what it should look like when it's done:

Step 8:
The 4 red wires need to have their loose ends stripped about 1/2".

Step 9:
At this point I prepare to connect wiring, so the ends are each placed along side the metal housing they were pulled off of.

Step 10:
Cut 2 wires about 8" long and use a wire stripper on both ends to expose about 1" of wire.

Step 11:
Connect those with the medium wire connectors to the 2 red wires that run to the other end of the lamp. It should look like this when done:

Step 12:
Connect the 2 extended wires to the same single white wire with another connector. It should look like this:

Step 13:
Pull the remaining 2 short red wires together at the ends.

Step 14:
Find one of the short black wires removed earlier and place it between the 2 red wires and the remaining white wire.

Step 15:
Connect the 2 red wires to one end of the black wire.

Step 16:
Connect the black wire to the remaining white wire. There should be no wires left to connect and no metal wiring exposed.

Step 17:
FINALLY DONE WIRING! Now to put it back together:

(Make sure everything is tight and secure!!)

And remember to put the metal cover back to secure and hide the wires.

Step 18:
Now to put in the lights and plug it in...

Finished!! I hope everyone enjoyed reading my tutorial! And thanks for supporting Zoea's Healthy Fish!