[Shop-talk] wiring an LED tube

[Donald H Locker]

Soldered joints are not good for free-floating wires because those joints get flexed and the solder joint is very weak against repeated flexing. It will fail, gradually at first, then as the flexing continues, faster until very little metal-to-metal contact is available to carry the current and it gets hot, then very hot, then melts and burns or the joint breaks.

Wire nuts keep the metal-to-metal contact continuously and provide strain relief for the strands of the wires within their insulation.

Good to hear you got it wired and working!

Donald.

On 3/5/23 08:37, Tim . wrote:

> Thanks for the replies. To answer some return questions and another of my own.
>
> ONLYLUX T5 led tube light is the light. There were no instructions other than “must be installed by a professional”. I even split the box open to make sure they were printed on the inside.
>
> “Some need the ballast bypassed"…...what ballast? They are LED stip lights.
>
> “Properly sized wire nuts”…..I can do this and have several sizes. But, why wouldn’t solder be better? I have shrink tubing to cover the bare wires.
>
> thanks again all!!
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
> From: Shop-talk [<shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net>](mailto:shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net) on behalf of Tim . [<tims_datsun_stuff at outlook.com>](mailto:tims_datsun_stuff at outlook.com)
> Sent: Saturday, March 4, 2023 11:17 AM
> To: Shop Talk [<shop-talk at autox.team.net>](mailto:shop-talk at autox.team.net)
> Subject: [Shop-talk] wiring an LED tube
>
> I have some LED lights that I am finally installing to replace the last of my fluorescent tube fixture in my outside shop.
>
> Unfortunately, they do not come wired to a plug.
>
> Questions:
>
> Can I use the plugs from the old fluorescent fixtures? I assume I can even though the old plug wires are slightly larger gauge.
>
> How do I connect/match up the wires? The old plug has White, Black & Green. The new LED has Brown, Blue & Yellow/Green wires.
>
> I will be soldering the connections.
>
> Questions may seem basic or easy to most but I know next to nothing about wiring.
>
> Thanks!!
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