Look Up

Have you “looked up” lately at the lights in your place of work, corner coffee shop, favorite store, or even you own home? Lights are changing over to LED lights that saved money, energy, and earth.

Today, several questions are circulating more and more about LED four foot tubes that can replace four foot Fluorescents. More so now than before because of the lower prices and the recent popularity of standard LED light bulbs.

First I will list and answer the most common questions, followed by some specific queries:

• Yes, LEDs are dimmable but confirm on package text.
• Yes, LED tubes can fit into current fluorescent fixtures.
• Yes, LED tubes have a longer life span than fluorescents.
• Yes, LED tubes consume less energy, thus securing lower electric bills.
• Yes, like LED bulbs, the four foot tubes come in different color ranges of light.
• Yes, there is a far lower impact on our environment compared to fluorescents.
• Yes, energy efficiency is increasing on LEDs and lower electric bills will abound.

With replacing four foot fluorescent tubes with LEDs you now have several options:

A Hybrid LED tube is now available and that works WITH and then WITHOUT the ballast (transformer) in your old fluorescent fixture. Just install your new 4 foot LED light tube and the lamp will work with your old ballast. When the ballast stops working or fails, the LED tube will run off of the line current directly. 

A standard LED tube will cost less than a Hybrid and will be a more efficient way to operate. The reason is because you will be operating off the line current directly and there is no need for a ballast. Operating without the old energy consuming ballast will save more in electricity and money per fixture. However, when disconnecting just one or a few ballasts in a small shop or your home, it will be cheaper to buy the Hybrid tubes than to pay a licensed electrician to disconnect a ballast or two. On average, paybacks are less than one year when you put in new LED tubes.

So next time you are sitting in your office, store, or even your own play room down in the basement with fluorescent fixtures, Look Up! If you do not see LEDs, tell your boss, your doctor or dentist, store owner, and yourself to change over to LEDs. Only then, we the people can make a significant difference while saving money, energy, health, and our environment for our grandchildren.