8-Foot LED Tube Replacements: Single-Pin (FA8) & Type B Options

Eight-foot fluorescent tubes light up warehouses, garages, barns, and industrial spaces — and they're expensive to run and a pain to replace. Converting them to LED delivers big energy savings and far fewer ladder trips. Here's what you need to know about 8-ft LED tubes.

Electrical work carries risk; cut power before wiring and use a licensed electrician if unsure. See our safety disclaimer.

First, Identify the Base

Eight-foot tubes come in two main base styles, and this determines what you buy:

  • Single-pin (FA8): one fat pin on each end. Common on older 8-ft T12 "slimline" tubes.
  • Recessed double-contact (R17d): a recessed two-prong contact on each end, used on 8-ft T12 High Output tubes.
  • Some modern 8-ft T8 tubes use the standard G13 bi-pin.

Look at the tube ends and match the base exactly — it must seat in your existing sockets (or you'll replace the sockets during conversion).

Most 8-Foot LEDs Are Type B (Ballast-Bypass)

Because 8-ft fixtures are typically older and run on magnetic ballasts, the standard conversion is Type B ballast-bypass: you remove the ballast and wire the sockets to line voltage (120–277V). This is the most efficient approach and avoids depending on an aging ballast. Our 8-ft LED tubes are Type B, around 40W producing ~4,400+ lumens — replacing 60W–75W fluorescent tubes at a fraction of the energy.

One-Lamp vs Two-Lamp Conversions

Many 8-ft fixtures held a single long tube. Some LED conversions use two 4-ft LED tubes with a retrofit kit instead of one 8-ft tube — this can be cheaper to ship and easier to handle. Decide based on your sockets: keep the 8-ft tube format, or convert to dual 4-ft. Both are valid; single 8-ft tubes are the simplest if your sockets accept them.

How to Convert (Type B)

  1. Cut power at the breaker and verify it's off.
  2. Remove the old tube and the fixture cover; remove or bypass the ballast.
  3. Wire line and neutral to the sockets per the tube's diagram (single-ended or double-ended), using the correct non-shunted tombstones.
  4. If your sockets are FA8/R17d but the LED uses a different base, replace the tombstones with the matching type.
  5. Install the LED tube, restore the cover, and power on.

Pick Brightness and Color

For warehouses and garages, 5000K daylight with a clear lens maximizes brightness and detail; 4000K is a softer neutral. Match or exceed your old tube's lumens — our 40W 8-ft LEDs deliver ~4,400 lm.

Buy by the Case

Big spaces mean lots of tubes, so 8-ft LEDs are ideal in bulk. Find them in singles and 6- and 12-packs in our LED Tubes collection, with quantity pricing that stacks for large jobs. Not sure about your base or wiring? Send us a photo of the tube ends and your fixture and we'll spec the right conversion.

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