The Three Types Of LED T8 Tubes and How They Work!

We see that you have got here! This means you have made your decision to switch to LED T8 tube lights replacing the regular fluorescents or incandescent lights. This decision, for you, means that the LED tubes are better in terms of energy efficiency, are a greater investment since they are more long term and basically mean swapping out the old for the new.

While this decision in all its fundamentality would mean greater savings and better lighting, it is important that we make the integration of this choice much easier. For this to happen, the necessary procedure is to ensure that the new lights fit into old sockets quite literally. This is why the popular T8 light fixtures such as T8 LED tubes, lamps etc. have different types to fit your needs.

What we are doing here is acquiring an understanding just how our residential buildings or commercial establishments such as factories, offices, hospitals or even labs etc. can be retrofitted without increasing the cost of such a move. In an effort to make your transition smoother, manufacturers such as the reputed US based Forest Lighting have come up with mainly three types of LED tubes.

Let’s take a look at what these are:

Type A

This first type of LED tubes plug directly into the holders of the existing lamps. These have internal ballast designed to make it easier to work with existing fluorescent lamp holders and save cost for those looking to retrofit.

The pros of this type include the fact that they are easy to install and do not require for you to commission professionals. Second, since they fit into the fluorescent holders, the energy efficiency and the brightness itself would depend on which type of fluorescent tube you have, which means you can increase or decrease brightness.

While these are the pros, the cons include shorter lifespan, the fact that it wastes some power due to the fact that the features of a T8 light fixture itself will be limited. It may also not be compatible with all linear light fixtures.

Type B

In this second type of LED Tubes, the ballasts are removed from the fixture. Here, the sockets are wired directly to the line voltage. Typically only one socket end has the line voltage and the other end is there to hold the lamp in place.

The pros here may include the fact that because of the advanced technology involved, no power is wasted when the lights are used. With the absence of ballast, there is one less component which can be damaged which means that maintenance costs are lower and there are a number of options available in these types of lighting fixtures.

Of course, there are cons too including the fact that the LED’s dimming capabilities are limited, electrical modifications are required the cost to install such lights are considerably higher.

Type C

The third kind of T8 LED light fixtures have internal ballast that uses a remote driver to function. While modifications are required, this is much safer and better as the voltage driver is linked to the sockets, not the line voltage.

The pros for this type include the fact that they are energy wise most efficient, are compatible with all other types of holders, ballasts etc. and are highly functional. The only con here is the cost which is higher, so ensure that you need this type of T8 LED before you source them.