Are t8 lamps being phased out? Additional legislation will come into effect to continue promoting energy efficiency advancements. More T8 products will be phased out and wider use of LED and other high efficiency lighting products will become more adapted. Here is a look at some changes you can expect.
Can T8 be replaced with LED? Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED integrated fixtures. As long as the bulb is compatible with the existing fluorescent ballast in the fixture, you simply remove the fluorescent and replace it with the LED tube light.
Are fluorescent light bulbs being discontinued? US Department of Energy (DOE) regulations began phasing out various sizes of commercial fluorescent light bulbs in 2012. About all you can get today is the fluorescent workhorse of commercial lighting—the T81 bulb. By even T8s will be banned to align with new DOE energy efficiency standards.
Can I use T12 instead of T8? The main difference between T8 and T12 tubes is the tube’s diameter. T12 tubes are 1.5″ in diameter while T8s are just one inch. All other things—socket sizes, lengths, distance between pins—are the same. T8 LED tubes won’t fall out if you try to install them in a T12 fixture—they’ll fit just fine.
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Are t8 lamps being phased out? – Related Questions
What is the rated life of a T8 fluorescent lamp?
T8 bulbs are available as either linear fluorescent or LED tubes. T8 fluorescent tubes are commonly rated for 20,000 life hours, but range from 7,500 hours to 46,000 hours for standard T8 tubes. More energy efficient fluorescent T8 lamps can have a rated lifespan of up to 84,000 hours.
Do I need to remove ballast for LED lights?
A ballast regulates the current that’s coming at a lamp. A ballast for Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights is not required – instead a driver is required. There are two types of ballasts we deal with for existing fluorescent lights- magnetic and electronic.
Do you have to 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.
Can I replace fluorescent bulbs with LED bulbs?
Answer: Great question – and the answer is yes, an LED tube light can be installed in a traditional fluorescent tube light fixture, without the ballast. Bypassing the ballast in a tube light fixture has the advantage of being more energy efficient – you can expect to save another 5 – 10% of energy use per fixture.
Can I still buy fluorescent tubes?
While the discontinued products may no longer be manufactured, they can still be sold until existing supplies are gone. In the meantime, consumers are likely to pay a premium for the lamps themselves, but also more in utility costs because these technologies use more energy.
Is G13 the same as T8?
A T8 tube is also called a TL-D tube from Philips and a Lumilux tube from Osram. You can recognize a T8 tube from it’s 28mm diameter. The socket is called G13 this because the 2 pins are 13mm apart from each other. .
What happens if you put a T8 bulb in a T12 fixture?
If you place T12 tubes in a fixture with a T8 ballast, you will wear out the ballast and have to replace it. If you place T8 tubes in a fixture with a T12 ballast, then the tubes will have a shorter life due to a higher current through the tube.
How do you tell if I have T8 or T12?
If no markings are available, the size in diameter of the tube is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch.
Which is better T8 or T12 bulbs?
The smaller the lamps the more energy efficient they are. T8 bulbs use about 35% less electricity to produce the same amount of light as a T12. T5 bulbs use about 45% less energy than T12s.
How long do T8 ballasts last?
A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.
How many hours does a fluorescent tube last?
Typical lamp life for a fluorescent bulb is about 20,000 hours, but this can degrade as a consequence of frequent switching (turning on and off). Burning life is extended if lamps remain on continuously for long periods of time.
How long does a T8 fluorescent tube last?
LED tubes last an average of 50,000 hours (roughly 16 years) while fluorescent T8 tubes last an average of 25,000 (roughly 8 years).
Are LED lights better than fluorescent?
Both types of lighting are energy-efficient when compared to traditional incandescent bulbs. LED technology costs more than CFL and fluorescent lighting, but the LED bulbs also last longer and use less energy than fluorescent bulbs. LED bulbs are also more durable than fluorescent bulbs due to their compact size.
Will LED bulbs work if ballast is bad?
BENEFITS OF THE BALLAST BYPASS
No matter how new or well maintained your ballasts are, they will all eventually go bad. When an LED bulb does burn out (between 15-20 years in most cases) you simply replace the bulb, which is much more cost-effective and less time consuming than replacing an entire ballast.
What does a driver do for LED lights?
An LED driver rectifies higher voltage, alternating current to low voltage, direct current. LED drivers also protect LEDs from voltage or current fluctuations. A change in voltage could cause a change in the current being supplied to the LEDs.
Can I replace strip light with LED?
Yes, it is possible to replace a fluorescent bulb with an LED. The way this is done depends on what kind of fluorescent bulb you are using. We make a distinction between conventional fluorescent bulbs and high-frequency fluorescent lighting.
Are LED tube lights worth it?
As you can see, the potential benefits of LED lights far outweigh what fluorescent lights can offer. Unfortunately for fluorescent lights, LEDs are much better in both of these camps. Yes, both types of lights are energy-efficient and last a long time, but LEDs are much, much more efficient and last way longer.
What does T12 mean in fluorescent bulbs?
A T12 lamp (on the left in the figure below) is therefore twelve-eighths of an inch, or one-and-one-half inches (3.81 cm), in diameter.
What’s better T5 or T8?
T5 lamps are 40% smaller than T8 fixtures, but are capable of containing just as much and sometimes more light in a smaller area. In other words, more T8 fixtures are needed to produced the same amount of light generated by significantly fewer high output T5 bulbs.
Which fluorescent tubes are brightest?
T5s are fluorescent tubes that are 5/8 of an inch in diameter. These are the newest development in the fluorescent family. Although they are the smallest, they are the most energy efficient and brightest. In fact, some T5s last up to 90,000 hours.
Can you replace a T8 ballast with a T12 ballast?
Now that you have made sure that you have a T12 ballast, which can be replaced with a T8, you can purchase them from a home improvement store in order to replace the old ballast.