Where To Buy Led Tube Lights
Fluorescent lamps were once the only choice when it came to low-energy recessed lights. Thankfully, LED technology has drastically changed the lighting landscape. LED tubes are an excellent way to retrofit fluorescent fixtures without having to replace the entire housing.
where to buy led tube lights
When switching from fluorescent to LED, don't get too caught up on wattage equivalent. Look instead at the number of lumens produced by the LED tube and consider the height of your fixture. For offices, retail spaces, hospitality, and applications with similar a ceiling height, 4 ft. tubes with 1800 lumens or fewer are the most popular. You don't want to overwhelm a space and make customers or employees feel like they are sitting in an interrogation room. For taller ceilings that use strip lights or high-bay fixtures, like hospitals, warehouses, and parking garages, LED tube lights with more than 2000 lumens offer the brightest output.
Dimmable tubes can be used in areas where adjustable brightness is desired. For added durability in food service applications, look for LED tubes with a shatter-resistant coating that meets NSF/ANSI requirements. LED tubes that are DLC-certified have been tested to meet strict efficiency standards and may provide additional energy savings with state or local rebates.Ratings and certifications indicate the kinds of conditions that the tubes can be safely used in. Dry-location rated tubes should only be used indoors where the tubes will not come into any contact with water or moisture. LED tubes with a damp location rating can be used where moisture is present but should not come into direct contact with water.
The advanced technology of LED tubes allows for traditional direct-wire or the newer plug-and-play installation options. Plug-and-play (ballast-compatible) lamps operate with the fixture's existing fluorescent ballast, so no rewiring is necessary. Direct-wire (ballast-bypass) LED tubes operate off the line voltage directly from the sockets, so the fixture's ballast must first be bypassed and then removed. Sockets may also need to be replaced. Because fluorescent ballasts draw a small amount of electricity, direct-wire LED tubes offer more energy savings over the life of the bulb compared to plug-and-play LED tubes.
A newer option for upgrading to LED are type C lamps. Similar to both plug-and-play and ballast bypass these, Type C lamps bypass the existing ballast and operate using an external driver instead. The driver must be purchased with the tube to ensure that they are compatible.
If unsure of which installation method is right for your situation, be sure to check the Ballast Compatibility PDF or spec sheet hyperlinked on the product pages at 1000Bulbs.com to help locate the correct fluorescent replacement tubes, or call one of our lighting experts at 1-800-624-4488.
When replacing or installing overhead lighting, it's important to understand color temperature to maintain consistent lighting across an area. Lower kelvin values indicate the light output is more yellow and higher kelvin values mean the light output is closer to blue. The 3000 kelvin T8 bulbs have a softer, warmer glow similar to a halogen light bulb. The 4100 kelvin T8 bulbs, often used in offices and workspaces to help reduce eye strain, are considered a cool white with color output similar to clear metal halides. 6500 kelvin T8 bulbs are a daylight equivalent with a bluer glow than traditional lighting. A kelvin temperature of 5000 or higher is recommended for display areas, high-security areas, garages, and other areas where safety is key.
Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture. If the LED bulb is compatible with the existing fluorescent ballast in the fixture, simply remove the fluorescent tube and replace it with the LED tube light. Because the ballast is still operational, it will continue to draw power and can fail.
Direct-wire LED tubes can also replace fluorescents but require rewiring the fixture to bypass the ballast and replace sockets with non-shunted lamp holders. While this conversion is a little more effort upfront, using direct-wire LED tubes eliminates the ballast as a failure point (as in the plug-and-play option), and reduces the overall energy consumption by eliminating the ballast.
If time and manpower are limited, hybrid LED tubes may be the ideal solution. Hybrid LED tubes can be installed initially as plug-and-play tubes to get you back up and running with minimal downtime, then switched to direct-wire installation once the ballast fails. Unlike plug-and-play tubes that can only be used with a working ballast, hybrid LED lamps can be used in either installation.
LED tubes last an average 50,000 hours, twice that of fluorescent tubes. Used for 12 hours a day, an LED tube with a 50,000 hour rated life will last over 11-years. Some LED tube lights are rated for 70,000 hours or longer.
Most T8 LED bulbs do not need a ballast. The only type of LED tube that requires a ballast is plug-and-play. Used as direct replacements for fluorescent tubes, plug-and-play LED tube lights install without fixture rewiring, and operate off the existing fluorescent ballast. Hybrid LED tubes can be used with a ballast, but one is not required. Some LED tubes cannot operate with a ballast. Direct-wire or ballast-bypass LED tubes require the ballast be removed prior to installation.
Installing as double-ended direct-wire tubes, high-output LED tubes replace high-output fluorescent lamps. Featuring a recessed double-contact (R17d) base, these tubes operate with the existing sockets once the ballast has been removed and the fixture rewired.
Yes! LED u-bend tubes come with either 6-inch or 1.625-inch leg spacing, and operate more efficiently than their fluorescent counterparts. These tubes are commonly used in 2x2 fixtures in retail stores, offices, hospitals, and other locations. Tubes with a shatter-resistant coating meeting NSF requirements can be used in restaurants and in food prep areas. Some tubes can be paired with dimmers, allowing you to adjust the light output as needed. For potential state or local rebates, look for LED u-bend tubes that are DLC listed. LED u-bends are available in various color temperatures and plug-and-play and direct-wire configurations. Check the product compatibility PDF hyperlinked under Brochures and Spec Sheets on 1000Bulbs.com for assistance. Some LED u-bends cannot be used in fully enclosed fixtures.
Sometimes, you just want to deck out your gaming PC with some cool lights, and the Corsair iCUE kit is a solid way to do just that. With four light strips, a Lightning Node Pro RGB controller, and the iCUE software, you can freely adjust and change the colors for each of the 40 individual LED lights. That means you get tons of freedom and creativity in how your PC looks. And if you want an extra bright setup, you can add up to 12 Corsair individually addressable RGB LED strips to the two RGB lighting channels provided with this kit.
LEDs: 146 Color: RGBIC Wattage: 36 watts Length: 55.1-inches (lightstrip), 16.7-inches (lightbars) Extendable: No Smart Home: Yes
The Govee DreamView T1 is compatible with smart home setups, so you can use voice controls or your phone to adjust the lights. An included 1080p camera samples the light from your 4K TV screen, allowing the light strip to mimic what you are watching. This essentially expands your screen and creates a more immersive atmosphere. Also, a Music Sync mode allows the light strip to react to the music you play.
For decades, tube lights have provided excellent illumination capabilities for a variety of commercial and industrial environments, from office spaces to warehouses and workshops. Their versatility is one of their biggest selling points, as the fixtures they are mounted in can be hung, suspended in a drop ceiling or even mounted directly to a flat ceiling surface. Additionally, they are inexpensive to install and operate, which when combined with their strong lumen output and wide angle of spread, makes them one of the most popular lighting options in the lighting industry.
Traditionally, these tube lights have been of the fluorescent type, which uses low-pressure mercury-vapor gas discharge technology to generate light when electricity is passed through it. While this served many businesses well for decades, it is now considered outdated, inefficient and even environmentally hazardous due to the mercury contained within. As the fixtures themselves age, they also require additional maintenance, such as the replacement of the ballasts required to run the lamps. On top of all of this, the light produced by fluorescent lamps is regarded as subpar, with a consistent flicker from the light switching on and off at approximately 120 Hz that causes eye strain over long periods of time.
It is for the aforementioned reasons that LED tubes have come to completely dominate the lighting marketplace for new installations as well as the retrofit of existing fixtures. LED technology in tube lights resolves all of these concerns, and also adds some additional welcome benefits. When used in tube lights, LEDs offer a longer lifespan, are more energy efficient, contain no toxic substances and also produce a much higher quality of light with less eye strain and greater visibility thanks to their high CRI ratings.
There are a variety of shapes, lengths and diameters in tube lights in order to suit a wide range of applications. Generally speaking, with LED tubes the most common size and shape are the 4 foot length fixtures with a T8 diameter. Other lengths available in the marketplace include 2 foot, 3 foot and 8 foot. In the past, T12 diameter bulbs were the standard, eclipsed first by T8 and then T5. For older fluorescent fixtures, the most common setup is going to be either a T12 or T8 type due to the costs associated with running T5 fluorescent light fixtures. 041b061a72