How to select a Fluorescent replacement tube?
Selecting the right LED fluorescent replacement tubes can be confusing due to the lots of product types and installation options. This article will assist you in the process and help to make the right choice for your specific projects.
If you are new in lighting industry so first you need to understand that, what are the LED fluorescent replacement tubes?
LED Fluorescent replacement tubes:
LED tubes that can fit directly in the fluorescent tube fixture are called LED Fluorescent replacement tubes, when you feel to switch your lighting technology from fluorescent to LED; you need to know which LED tube is best replacement of your fluorescent tube. We can say that LED tubes are energy efficient replacement for the fluorescent tubes. When we talk about the replacement it's not for wattage equivalent but for other things like length and diameter of tube and brightness.
Selection of Right LED Fluorescent replacement tube:
The most important thing is to select the exact replacement tube for your fluorescent light fixture. The installation procedure will vary and depend on what type of fixture you have, either its T5 or T8. The best option to figure out what type of tube you currently have is to remove the tube from the fixture and read the markings on the end. If there is no marking available on the tube, than the size of the diameter of tube is the best way to know the type of the fixture you have installed.
How to determine the type of fixture by size?
If you have T8 fluorescent light fixture so the diameter of the tube will be 1-inch, and for T12 tubes the diameter will be 1-1/2-inch. If the tube diameter is very small (5/8 inch) it means you have T5 fluorescent light fixture so you can use T5 LED tube (T5 LED Fluorescent replacement tube).
Where these tubes are used?
T8 and T5 LED tubes are commonly used in offices and can replace fluorescent tubes in both parabolic and indirect light fixtures. They work best in climate controlled places with standard ceiling heights, including storage areas, mechanic garages and
fabrication floors.
Look at the number of Lumens generated by the LED tube and consider the height of your fixture while select the LED tube for fluorescent replacement.
How can you convert fluorescent Tube to LED?
To convert a fluorescent tube's fixture to LED light, you can use LED tubes that are compatible with the existing fluorescent ballast (plug-and-play tubes) or you can rewire the fixture to bypass the ballast and replace with sockets with non-shunted lamp holders. While this is a little more effort upfront, using direct wire LED tubes eliminates the ballast as a failure point and reduces the overall energy consumption by the fixture. Hybrid LED tubes can be installed as plug-and-play tubes to get you back up and running with minimal downtime, then switched to direct wire installation once the ballast fails.
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