LED tubes in fluorescent fittings?

[ericmark]

Many years ago I bought a magnetic ballast 18 watt fluorescent fitting at a radio rally, it was less likely to be hit by the loft lid, so I used it as a landing light, and since I had found a HF emergency ballast I rewired it using the ballast, putting the ballast into a adaptable box in the loft, likely around 1992 at a guess, the tube failed after around 12 years, so replaced tube, but last time tube failed my son who now owns the house could not buy a replacement fluorescent so thinking it was a wire wound ballast and not realising there was an electronic ballast in the loft with a battery, fitted an LED replacement.

This thing is it works, it will be replaced and now looking worse for ware, but it is still working with an LED tube replacing the old fluorescent. I know the 2D lamps can have a LED tube to replace the old fluorescent when they have an electronic ballast, but did not know they would work with a standard straight tube.

Wonder if anyone else has tried using LED tubes with an electronic ballast, and if they worked?

 

[JohnW2]

...... . I know the 2D lamps can have a LED tube to replace the old fluorescent when they have an electronic ballast, but did not know they would work with a standard straight tube. .... Wonder if anyone else has tried using LED tubes with an electronic ballast, and if they worked?

I don't really see why the shape of the tube should affect whether or not it works with an 'electronic ballast'

[ I've always felt that 'ballast' was a rather odd term for the chokes, and adding 'electronic' seems to make it even more odd ]

Kind Regards, John

 

[Ceraunic]

You can get LED tubes designed for electronic ballasts, but generally you need to bypass it and just have one live end

 

[333rocky333]

Osram and others do tubes now that will work in either ECG or CCG (Electronic or conventional control gear) fittings with no messing with wiring.
I believe this evolved due to the poor practise of people putting the 240 v direct to the lampholder which in some cases became lethal and also making the fittings non CE certified.

 

[JohnW2]

Osram and others do tubes now that will work in either ECG or CCG (Electronic or conventional control gear) fittings with no messing with wiring.

Interesting.

I believe this evolved due to the poor practise of people putting the 240 v direct to the lampholder which in some cases became lethal and also making the fittings non CE certified.

Is "connecting 240V direct to the lampholder" necessarily any more potentially lethal than connecting it to the lampholder via a choke?

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

I recall it was more to do with poor quality led lamps being made so they work either way round, thus voltage on the exposed pins at the other end when fitting live, as you say would be the same with a choke or mains.
Also to negate the risk if the led fails and a filament tube placed back in the adapted fitting.
I read this back in 2014

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/media/1206/best-practice-guide-9.pdf