Replacing fluorescent tubes

[fixitflav]

but tubes with LED far more expensive

Cost me £11. I didn't know what expect, but that didn't seem outrageous.

Thanks for all comments on this, I've learnt something.

 

[333rocky333]

I know this is an old thread, but I’ve just replaced a fluorescent tube and a couple of things puzzle me.

No problem getting the right length, 1.2m, and it works OK. Jacobsen, made in China naturally, from B&Q.

The 2 leaflets that came with it refer to fluorescent and LED types. Says “battens” which I assume means the ceiling unit it goes into, but I’ve not heard it called that before.

Says
1A (pic shows tube and starter)
Installation in fluo battens only.
Only compatible with ferromagnetic battens used with LED starter and LED replaceable patterns. Not compatible with battens operating with electronic ballasts.

And
1B (pic shows tube only)
Installation in LED battens only. No starter required.
IMPORTANT: LED tubes must be installed with the arrow close to mains supply connection. (AC input)
If installation way is not correct, tube would be damaged.

Does this mean the tube can function as fluorescent or LED, determined by the “batten” it goes in to?

Just to see what would happen, I tried it with no starter and it didn’t light. I tried it with the old starter and it didn’t work properly, can’t remember whether it flickered.
With the supplied starter it works fine, lights instantly without the traditional initial flickering.

Interested in any comments.

1A refers to your fitting type , your fitting has live at one end pin , albeit via the existing choke [ballast ] and Neutral opposite end pin , the old starter bridged the other pins end to end.

The modern led needs L and N at the same end, that dummy starter they supply is just a bridge from one end to the other to do that.
The design of that particular led in this case allows to be fitted either way round.
Either way round there will always be L and E at one end or the other.

1B refers to a led fitting that is already made with L and N at one end only and was sold as led only, never fluorescent, in this case simply bin the old LED tube and fit the new one, hence it needs fitting the right way round, wrong way round and you possibly short L and N together.
These units generally have a sticker at one end and a warning Led only.

As you later ask you can simply bypass the choke by simply cutting and jointing its 2 wires, however in your case unless you also divert the N wire from one end to the other, then your led lamp would still need the dummy starter to work.
Some manufacturers frown on all these conversions as it not only invalidates any CE certification, it can cause other issues with people trying to relamp in future, especially when someone unaware tries to refit a fluorescent glass tube
Personally purpose designed units are preferable
A batten fitting is just a term for a standard surface mounted led or fleurescent fitting