You can replace a fluorescent tube with a LED tube .
Fluorescent tube replacement
- Thread starter someonelse
- Start date
Of course you can. But it won’t work unless you make other changes. At a minimum short out the starter.
My experiences are very different.
I've found walking through a room with LED lighting the strobe/flicker tends to be more noticable than Fluo.
Most of my work has been commercial and it's not uncommon to have dozens of fluo lights on a single circuit, as a tube fails they tend to get replaced with LED, now according to your statement those LED tubes will not need replacing until all of the older fluo have gone, I can say without fear that I've known LED versions to be replaced 2, 3, 4 times before all of the fluo have gone. Added to that; the total myth that LED light level doesn't drop, wherever does anyone get that silly idea from, go into any office with LED tubes and replace one. Expect to be amazed at the difference between between a new and an old at 5000 hours and also don't be surprised if LED don't last a whole year when on 24/7 but I would be surprised if a fluo fails, plus of course a fluo will warn of failure with fading, light/dark patches, take longer to strike etc for a while but LEDs tend to have a sudden full stop.
I simply get my supplies from wholesalers, generally I don't get to pay any published prices but most things of an ilk will have a similar discount, so stating: 36W flou 3350lm = £3.06, 18W LED 2165lm = 7.85 directly from www may very well be closer to £2 and £5 (plus VAT)
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Fuses are available in the starter format for that precise application.
Just looked in my diary, last tubes I purchased Dec 2021 6ft 70W fluo £4.30 55% discount to £1.94 (current listed price £4.50). 2ft 9W LED £6.74 35% discount to £4.19. I know one has been replaced with Fluo but don't know if failure or down to the reduced light level, (current list price £6.60 but shows as a new product). All prices + VAT.
5ft & 6ft LED are both 4000lm fluo are more liks 5300 & 5700lm.
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Before the government decided they want rid of the fluorescent, I would have said swap the tube and starter (if there is one) as they are so cheap. However the electronic HF ballast means the tube lasts longer, normally uses less energy, and the tube produces more light, so it compares with the LED on near equal terms. So would have always said fluorescent with HF ballast over LED as so much cheaper.
However the fluorescent has a draw back, a 4 foot fluorescent is 38 watt, you can't fit higher or lower output tubes, around 3350 lumen although the light output varies over time and with different coatings.
By moving to LED you can have same spread of light, but select a lower output, often half the output of the fluorescent tube, 1600 lumen and down to 16 watt, if the fitting has a starter these are a direct replacement, swap tube and starter (new starter is really a fuse) but it is rather wasteful as the ballast is still in circuit, and uses power without doing anything with that power other than heat the ceiling.
Also they cost more, and bitter experience don't last as long. And just as many nasties in LED's as fluorescent tubes, may be different nasties, but when I was a lad at school we would play with mercury which is why now I am as mad as a hatter. Hat were made with mercury, and women darkened their eyes with lead, I bought some in Mascara it is actually a place in Algeria.
Not wonder we considered woman as dotty, they were being poisoned. But LED's have things like Arsenic in them, so what's the difference?
Anyway if there is a starter, then you can either fit any make of fluorescent tube and starter or LED tube and starter, but if no starter, then can only fit any make of fluorescent tube.
However the fluorescent has a draw back, a 4 foot fluorescent is 38 watt, you can't fit higher or lower output tubes, around 3350 lumen although the light output varies over time and with different coatings.
By moving to LED you can have same spread of light, but select a lower output, often half the output of the fluorescent tube, 1600 lumen and down to 16 watt, if the fitting has a starter these are a direct replacement, swap tube and starter (new starter is really a fuse) but it is rather wasteful as the ballast is still in circuit, and uses power without doing anything with that power other than heat the ceiling.
Also they cost more, and bitter experience don't last as long. And just as many nasties in LED's as fluorescent tubes, may be different nasties, but when I was a lad at school we would play with mercury which is why now I am as mad as a hatter. Hat were made with mercury, and women darkened their eyes with lead, I bought some in Mascara it is actually a place in Algeria.
Not wonder we considered woman as dotty, they were being poisoned. But LED's have things like Arsenic in them, so what's the difference?
Anyway if there is a starter, then you can either fit any make of fluorescent tube and starter or LED tube and starter, but if no starter, then can only fit any make of fluorescent tube.
The replacement for the starter comes with the tubes I have bought.
Depends where purchased from, domestic outlets (B&Q) etc tend to. Wholesale outlets tend not to.
That could just be dues to the colder weather.
You can get a faster, more reliable start, longer tube life and more economical, by swapping the starter and choke/ballast for an e-ballast.
Indeed they often do (although I think that gallium arsenide is now used a lot less), but so do a good few common foodstuffs (e.g. rice, seafood and mushrooms) which, unlike LEDs, are commonly eaten by human beings
Kind Regards, John
So?
No 'so' intended/required. Just mentioning the dummy starter/fuse may or may not be supplied when purchasing from the 2 typical sources.
This could be useful information for a potential purchaser.
Interesting that there is currently a thread about short life of LED lamps in the forum.
www.diynot.com
I have to agree that they don't seem to last for years like the old linear floodlamps even the very cheap and nasty shed offerings. For that matter so did the bulb.
LED outdoor security floodlights high failure rate
Outdoor LED floodlights have been around a good few years now and I was wondering if my experience is typical... How are your LED security floodlights holding up? I'd like to know because mine aren't doing so well. I originally started fitting LED lamps as security lights on the outer walls of...
www.diynot.com
I have to agree that they don't seem to last for years like the old linear floodlamps even the very cheap and nasty shed offerings. For that matter so did the bulb.
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