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I would like to replace 15 year old Fluorescent 4 foot strip light fixture (electric ballast, T8, two light, 32W), it looked like this. This is in a closet ceiling. I was a bit surprised that when I removed the fixture, there was no junction box in the ceiling. I understand that the ballast may eliminate the need for a junction box.

My question is: if I now install an LED 4 foot strip light fixture, that I believe has a "driver" and not a ballast, do I need to install a junction box before installing the LED strip light fixture?

NM from ceiling

FreeMan
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Tom Broome
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2 Answers2

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The fixture (interior part with the ballast and wiring) is a junction box.

If you were planning to replace the florescent bulbs with LED florescent bulb replacements, there was no need to remove the fixture - just take out the ballast if using line-powered LED bulbs and use the fixture to be the junction box and place to mount the bulbs - or buy an LED fixture complete.

If you have a LED fixture that is not a tube replacement, yes, you'll need a junction box.

Ecnerwal
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This would depend on the fixture and wiring in the ceiling, not the ballast or driver issues. In your old fixture, if you have NM cable and it has the proper connection to attach the cable to the fixture and the connections are in the fixture, it's OK. If conduit is run directly to the fixture and connected correctly, it's OK. If your new fixture is designed to be a "junction box" and your NM cable or conduit is properly attached, you're OK. Any connections from house wiring to the fixture need to be in a junction box.

JACK
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