The most common light bulb found in the commercial industry today is the fluorescent tube. They can be found in a variety of locations including warehouses, factories, classrooms, and offices. You may be using them yourself, or have customers that use them. With older tubes such as T12s getting harder to find and states (like California) pushing for more energy efficient lighting, many are beginning to make the switch to LED tubes.

There are several different types of LED tubes, which can make it a little tricky to find the right ones for your fixtures. The essential question to ask yourself when deciding which LED tube to go with is ‘Am I going to keep the ballast that’s in the fixture, or remove it and bypass it for good?’. Today, we’ll discuss the different types of LED tubes available and how easy it is to switch over.

Type A - Plug and Play

If you want to keep the ballast, we offer T8 and T5 LED plug-and-play lamps. You’re simply removing the old fluorescent tube and plugging the LED bulb in without any modifications, so you don’t have to take anything out. So, who would be the party that might want to do this? Well it’s the customer that doesn’t necessarily want to take the time right now to modify their fixture. Maybe their budget is tight. Maybe they don’t even own the building, but need to have some upgraded lighting. If you’re that person, then the plug-and-play tube is a perfect one for you.

Another reason to want to go with plug-and-play tubes is maybe you just replaced all those ballasts in your building. They’re less than two or three years old and are working just fine. At that point, there’s not a reason to have the added expense to remove them. Got ahead and use them. They are going to last for a while anyway.

It’s important to note that there are a few fixtures where the ballast just isn’t compatible with an LED plug and play tube. These can include:

• 4-foot T12s

• Sign lamps

• Single pin 8-foot T12s

If you do have any questions about whether your fixture is compatible with an LED plug-and-play tube, feel free to call one of our account reps. They’ll be happy to assist you.

Type B - Ballast Bypass

A second, very popular option for replacing fluorescent with LEDs is the ballast bypass option. With these lamps, the ballast is completely removed from the fixture. So you might be thinking ‘Who would want to bypass their ballasts?’. The first reason is that ballasts need to be removed at some point anyway. While you’ve got help there replacing a light bulb, you might as well go ahead and get in there, remove it, and be done with it. Another reason is that removing the ballast eliminates any compatibility issues and future maintenance. And a final reason is that removing the ballast actually reduces the system wattage. And where you’re talking about a large commercial building, that could be quite significant.

If you decided to go with the ballast bypass option, you now have a decision to make. Do you need to go with single-ended power or double-ended power? Single-ended power simply means that you’re bringing power into the light bulb on one end. The other end is simply dead. The socket holds it in place but doesn’t actually get power to the pins. On a double-ended light bulb, you’ve got power coming into both ends.

Let’s be honest though. Sometimes you just don’t have all the information needed to make the right decision about whether you’re going to use single-ended or double-ended tubes. And this is where PLT Solutions has offered the perfect solution. 1000Bulbs.com carries their ballast bypass tube which works as both a single or double-ended solution. You no longer need to make the determination of which one you need in advance.

Lighting Tip: Type B tubes are the most l

Type A/B - Hybrid

Another choice for you is what we call the hybrid solution. With a hybrid light bulb, you can actually use it as a plug-and-play initially. Just insert the lamp and use it normally. And once the ballast wears out, bypass it and rewire the fixture. Hybrid tubes work as either a single or double-ended option as well.

Type C - External LED Driver

A final option is Type C tubes. Unlike the other types of tubes we’ve looked it, these lamps operate on an external LED driver. To ensure compatibility, the LED driver must be purchased at the same times as the tubes. The driver allows for controllable dimming with any 0-10V dimmer, allowing you to adjust the wattage as needed to increase or decrease the lumen output.

No matter which option is right for you, we have everything you need. If you are ready to make the switch, call 1-800-624-4488 to speak with one of our product experts. They can help you find the right solution for your application.