Table of Contents
Can you put an LED tube in a fluorescent fixture?
In short, YES! New linear LED tube bulbs are simple plug and play and ballast compatible. You will simply need to remove your fluorescent bulb and plug in your LED replacement.
Do I need to remove the ballast to use an LED bulb?
A plug and play LED is a fixture where you can install LED bulbs to what was once a fluorescent bulb. This is an easy solution and requires minimal effort on your part. Since it works with the existing ballast, there is no need for rewiring or ballast removal.
Can you mix LED and fluorescent lights on same circuit?
Yes, and there are advantages in mixing them. The LEDs comes on instantly, whereas the CFLs can take longer, so a mixture is faster acting than only CFLs. Even though CFLs don’t come up to full brightness instantly, their slow speed is much less noticeable with an LED or two in the mix.
Can you put an LED bulb in a regular light fixture?
When it comes to LED light bulbs, they will turn on and work in any light fixture that provides them at least the minimum wattage they’re specified for. Some LED bulbs may even be tolerant of too little or too much wattage, to a certain point. This is yet another thing they share with incandescent and halogen bulbs.
Do I still need a starter with an LED tube?
Conventional fluorescent tubes need a starter. This starter provides ignition voltage. Naturally, this isn’t necessary for LEDs, so the ignition voltage is superfluous. If you want to replace a traditional fluorescent bulb with an LED, then you must install a dummy starter or bypass the standard starter manually.
Should I bypass ballast for LED lights?
Since LED lights work on low DC voltage, they need a driver. Most T8 LED tubes do not need a ballast. So, if you are going to install a T8 LED tube light, it will require a ballast bypass unless you choose a ballast compatible T8 LED tube.
How do I know if my ballast is compatible with LED?
You can determine whether you have a compatible fixture in seconds. Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that will work with direct drop-in LED tubes.
Will LED bulbs work if ballast is bad?
Can LED lamps work off of existing ballasts? Yes, if they have an internal driver than can work off that ballast. Philips, for example, has designed a tube that is compatible with an existing electronic ballast.
How do I rewire without a ballast?
How to Bypass A Ballast Step 1: Disconnect All Power So There is No Electrical Current. Step 2: Find the Ballast. Step 3: Locate and Cut Only the Hot and Neutral Wires. Step 4: Cut the Socket Lead Wires. Step 5: Remove the Ballast (if you wish) Step 6: Connect the Wires. Step 7: Reattach Any Coverings and Turn On.
Is it safe to bypass a ballast?
Safety risk The most significant negative to a ballast-bypass linear LED is the risk of electric shock since the sockets carry line voltage. It’s a common practice to place a finger on the lamp pins while you are trying to install it, and this becomes a risky endeavor when using single-ended ballast-bypass lamps .
What is a direct-wire LED tube?
Direct-wire LED tubes are installed without a ballast and instead requires a direct connection to line voltage. Cut the wires leading to the ballast. Remove the ballast. Install new lampholders (tombstones) that create a direct connection to the line voltage.
Can you plug incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs?
DON’T connect Incandescent and LED mini light strings together The logic behind this advice is based on the amount of the electrical current. Incandescent light strings require a larger power current than LED strings. It is better to keep the LEDs and incandescents separate, running each out of a different outlet.
Can I use a CFL bulb in any fixture?
It’s possible to find ENERGY STAR qualified CFL incandescent equivalents that can replace regular incandescent bulbs in almost any fixture.
Can I use T5 and LED lights together?
These bars use only 20 watts, so you’ll see a large reduction in power costs over fluorescent bulbs (which use 54 watts). Despite using so much less power, they give you a similar output (2200 lumen, to be exact). A great feature of these T5 LED bars is that you can connect up to 8 of them together.
What are the disadvantages of LED lights?
What are the disadvantages of LEDs? High up-front costs. Transformer compatibility. Potential color shift over lamp life. Performance standardization has not yet been streamlined. Overheating can cause reduced lamp life.
Can an LED light bulb explode?
When there is too much electrical or thermal stress, your LED bulb can explode. This can be caused by voltage surges or heat accumulation. LED bulb explosions happen more often with cheap low-quality LEDs.
Why are LED lights not suitable for enclosed fixtures?
Enclosed fixtures that don’t allow for proper ventilation can drastically affect the temperature of the LED bulb, causing it to overheat and shortening the lifespan of the bulb. That’s why some bulbs will tell you not to use it in an enclosed ceiling fan or fully enclosed porch light fixture.
