Is it reasonable to expect the average consumer to be able to do this?

[Sophon]

After eight years two of the fluorescent rings had burned out on our lower floor (which belongs to the dogs), so we went to Global to buy some new ones. We ended up going for this Sylvania product, primarily because they were on sale down from Baht 300+ to Baht 99.

 

Earlier LED replacement rings I have bought were of the magnet type that you just wire directly to the incoming wires, but these just looks like the traditional fluorescent type including the four pins that you connect to the little plug. So, not reading the instructions on the back of the box (what real man reads instructions), I just replaced the broken ring and plugged in the new one in it's place. 

 

When turning on the switch, the light came on for half a second or so, and then went out again. Thinking that maybe the new ring was faulty, I tried one from another box but with the same result. This  is when I decided, that maybe it was time to look at the box to see if there were any clues on what to do.

 

My lamp had an electronic ballast, so there were no starter to remove, but I figured out that I had to wire the new LED ring directly to the incoming wires. In order to do this, I had to remove the four pin plug (with four wires) from the electronic ballast and connect them to the two incoming wires. Then everything worked fine, and the light stayed on.

 

So in the end not really a difficult job, but it brings us back to my original question. Is it reasonable to expect the average person with no electrical knowledge to understand, how the lamp has to rewired in order for these LED rings to work? Personally I don't think so. An added complication is that this product is sold in Thailand, but the instructions are in English. Good for me, but probably not for the majority of buyers.

 

I believe that the reason Global had these rings heavily discounted in the first place, is because people have brought them back to Global since the rings didn't work when people just plugged them into their existing lamp. Just like I did. 

[BritManToo]

Always best to read the instructions.

[richard_smith237]

What more do you need? The bulb to fit itself. 
 

Lesson learned - you (we) are not beyond reading instructions… 

[worgeordie]

It's printed on the front it's a LED bulb , .......????

regards Worgeordie

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, Sophon said:

Is it reasonable to expect the average person with no electrical knowledge to understand, how the lamp has to rewired in order for these LED rings to work?

Yes it is.

[konaboy]

no mercy!

[ezzra]

All this post is about replacing a light bulb, good thing you're not replacing a car engine or something similar.. all in good fun...

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

2 hours ago, Sophon said:

Is it reasonable to expect the average person with no electrical knowledge to understand, how the lamp has to rewired in order for these LED rings to work?

 

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Yes it is.

I only half agree with @sometimewoodworker. It would be reasonable if the instructions also written in Thai.

[digbeth]

people here would complain if instructions in Thai are stickered over the English

[digbeth]

plus, in most Thai hardware shop, there's no return on bulbs, they test in front of you to make sure it works when you took it, instructions on installation advice can be given there if the customer is an indiot  inexperienced

 

which is prudent as many replacement LED for previous fluorescent fitting some instruct you to take out the starter, some come with dummy starter that short the circuit 

 

If the typical stick on magnet surface mounted LED replacement circuit type is not beyond the average customer to install, that requires uses of screwdrivers, rewiring from old fitting, this is not beyond their ability