Benefits of Tube Light
Tube light is often more energy efficient than normal bulbs, resulting in lower electricity bills. They also typically have a longer lifespan than standard fluorescent lamps, reducing the frequency of replacements.
To build suspense and engage readers, start your article with a question or statement that leaves them wanting to learn more. For example, “Are you ready to upgrade your current lighting?”
Types
There are multiple types of tube light on the market, including options with a variety of color temperature ranges. Some offer daylight-like hues while others provide a more warm or cool glow that mimics traditional fluorescent lighting. The best choice for a space depends on its function and aesthetic.
The most common type of tube lights are fluorescent, which use low-pressure mercury-vapor gas discharge technology to create visible light when electricity flows through them. These lamps can be used in a variety of fixtures and require either magnetic or electronic ballasts to regulate the flow of electricity. While these lamps served their purpose for decades, they are now considered outdated and environmentally hazardous because they contain mercury.
LED tubes are becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for fluorescents. They are more energy efficient and emit a brighter, warmer, and natural-looking glow than fluorescents. The difference in quality is more than just aesthetic. LED tube lights do not produce flicker at power frequency and are much more durable than fluorescents.
Another benefit of LED tube light is its nonhazardous materials and components. While fluorescent lamps contain dangerous mercury, LEDs are free of this element and do not pose any risk to the environment. LED led light bulbs tube lights also last longer and do not require frequent replacement, which can save businesses money in the long run.
LED Technology
LED tube lights use less energy than fluorescent bulbs, which reduces your electricity expenses and the amount of waste you produce. They also don’t contain mercury, which traditional fluorescent bulbs do, so they are safer for the environment and people.
They can be found in a variety of sizes to fit into your existing fluorescent fixture. Most are rated for continuous operation and come with an anti-reflective coating to eliminate flickering. Some are dimmable, allowing you to control the light output and create a more comfortable lighting experience.
The way LEDs work is that they emit light in a very focused manner. The solid package allows them to focus the light in a very usable way, unlike fluorescent or incandescent bulbs, which require reflectors to collect and direct the light.
Inside the semiconductor material of an LED, extra electrons in the n-type portion of the device attract holes in the p-type part and release photons (light particles). Different materials have different energy bands, so they produce photons at a specific wavelength that appears as a particular color.
The first types of LEDs were packaged in metal cases similar to transistors with a glass window or lens to let the light out. These devices were used in traffic control devices, barricade lights and variable message signs such as those in Times Square. Then the newer Gallium Aluminum Arsenide (GaAlAs) technology was developed in the 1980’s, and tube light it improved the brightness of the device tenfold, making it suitable for use in more applications.
Ballast Compatibility
While LEDs have become the preferred replacement for fluorescents in tube light fixtures, some businesses have ballast-equipped fixtures that they don’t want to replace. Fortunately, there are options available that allow for a simple, cost-effective upgrade to LED technology without changing the fixture’s existing circuitry or the ballast itself.
Commonly referred to as ballast compatible, or plug-and-play tubes, Type A LED bulbs directly replace fluorescent lamp types within existing fixtures that contain magnetic or electronic ballasts. They work by preheating the filaments and cathodes in the fixture and then using the starting switch to induce an arc. This is similar to how instant start fluorescent bulbs operate, but uses less energy.
This option, while being the easiest to install of all four major types of tube lights, is not as energy efficient as a complete fixture overhaul. This is because the ballast still consumes electricity even when it’s not running, and it has a limited lifespan that will eventually require replacing by a certified electrician.
For a more efficient solution that completely eliminates the ballast, choose a Type B LED lamp. These tubes bypass the entire ballast, instead supplying line voltage directly to the fixture’s lamp holders (or sockets). While this is a more complicated installation that requires the removal of the existing ballast and direct wiring to the sockets, it can save on installation and maintenance costs in the long run.
Installation
Many fluorescent tube lights require a device called a ballast to regulate the lamp’s brightness as it warms up. This differs from incandescent lamps that can be connected directly to mains electrical circuits. In a fluorescent light, electric current passes through an arc discharge between the anode and cathode pins inside the fixture to generate light via impact ionization.
Historically, these types of lighting have been considered outdated, inefficient and even hazardous as they contain mercury and emit a flicker that causes eye strain when used for long periods of time. LED technology resolves these concerns, and provides a number of other benefits such as longer life and significant energy and cost savings.
For this reason, LED replacements are a popular choice for existing fixtures and can be installed in either type of fixture – with or without ballast. The process can be tricky, however. Fluorescent lamp sockets – often called tombstones – are held in place by different mechanisms, which can make swapping out tubes difficult and risky.
To avoid damaging your new fixture, remove the old tube carefully. Ensure that the tombstones are clear of any dirt or debris, and then search for a recessed area where the end pins can sink into (or “sink”). Grab the bulb with both hands, with the ends lined up vertically, and gently slip BOTH PINS into the tombstone ends.