What You Don’t Know About T8 LED Tubes — 1000Bulbs Blog (2024)

FAQs

What You Don’t Know About T8 LED Tubes — 1000Bulbs Blog? ›

Are Direct Wire T8 LEDs Single Ended? Yes. Most direct wire T8 LEDs are single ended, meaning you should only need to wire one side of the fixtures, one set of sockets, to the power source. The other sockets become simple lampholders to keep your bulbs from moving or falling.

Lifespan:

T8 LED: A typical T8 LED bulb can last anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 hours, which means less frequent replacements and additional savings in the long term. T8 Fluorescent: These usually have a lifespan of around 30,000 to 50,000 hours, significantly shorter than LEDs.

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.

LED tubes last an average 50,000 hours, twice that of fluorescent tubes. Used for 12 hours a day, an LED tube with a 50,000 hour rated life will last over 11-years.

4-ft T8 fluorescent lamps emit approximately 3000 lumens. However, because it emits light in all directions, much of it is "lost" in the fixture. When replacing T8 fluorescent lamps with an LED solution such as LED strip lights, we recommend budgeting 450 lumens per foot as a direct replacement.

In 2023, T5 and T8 fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) were phased out in accordance with the European Commission's Ecodesign and RoHS Directives. The reason is to remove the most energy- and resource-demanding products from the market and the use of environmentally hazardous mercury.

When a ballast starts failing, it will typically buzz or causes the bulbs to flicker. These issues can sometimes happen while it is operating as expected, so it's important to check the equipment before assuming a replacement is necessary.

LED T8 lights can be housed in lighting fixtures that accommodate T8 fluorescent bulbs, as their size is the same. The only differences are in the light produced.

In general, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LEDs anywhere, as long as you pay attention to the right replacement. Because from the external appearance, the two light sources are very similar. You can find mechanically suitable LED tube for all types of fluorescent tubes.

Some lighting experts believe LEDs provide better light and are more efficient when the ballasts are removed.

Why do LED tubes fail? ›

LED tubes are quite sensitive to temperature changes, which can greatly affect their performance. High temperatures only speed up the degradation of LED components and drivers, resulting in a loss of days. Contrastingly, very low temperatures can limit the functionality of the driver leading to poor performance.

Fluorescents are expensive to dim and do not do it as effectively as LEDs. Energy Efficient - On average, new T8 LED tubes are around 30% more efficient than Fluorescent T8 tubes. Mercury Free - LEDS are mercury free, making them environmentally friendly and free from recycling fees.

LED provides 70% more light. The beam angle of the LED replacement bulb is 110 degrees. This means that all of the light generated by the LED bulb is focused in the 110 degree area. The T8 bulb, on the other hand, has a beam angle of 360 degrees.

This will depend on the individual room and what it's used for. As a handy rule of thumb, a sitting room or bedroom will generally require around 10-20 lumens per square foot, while a bathroom or kitchen will need a stronger level of lighting, at around 70-80 lumens per square foot.

Median efficacy for LED T8s tested by CALiPER to date is 44 lumens per watt. The highest efficacy measured to date is approximately 70 lm/W. At that efficacy, an LED T8 producing equivalent light output to fluorescent would draw 38 watts, increasing total energy use.

Adjustable wattage

The wattages on which you can set the LED T8 TL tube are 12 Watt and 18 Watt. At 12 Watt the luminous flux is 2400 lumens. At 18 Watt the luminous flux is 3600 lumens.

Fluorescent T8 rated life averages 24,000 hours on 3-hour starts and 30,000 hours on 12-hour starts, both on instant start ballasts.

This signal tends to only last for a day or even less, however everything closes when the signal is hoisted, including all public transport, schools, shops, restaurants, ferries, trains, and flights. A T8 signal is generally issued about once or twice a year, so not too often.

They Don't Burn Out

Instead, LED bulbs slowly degrade over time. After several years, their brightness dims. This is known as “luminous decay.” When they emit faint light, it's time to change them.