On the one hand, LED tubes have numerous advantages over the old fluorescent tubes, but only a few disadvantages. On the other hand, a ban on the currentT8 fluorescent tubeswill come into force from August 25, 2023 anyway.That's why it makes sense to gradually have every single fluorescent tube converted to LED, or to tackle it yourself. LED tubes are extremely energy efficient compared to the old fluorescent tubes. So the power consumption decreases after the conversion. At the same time, the environmental impact is lower, because there is no mercury in the LED, whereas there is in the fluorescent tube.
Fluorescent tubes do not turn on immediately when the light switch is pressed. The initial flickering, accompanied by a more or less loud buzzing and cracking sound, lasts longer and longer over time: fluorescent tubes have a limited service life. Each on and off switching shortens the life of the fluorescent tube.
We are talking about a limited number of switching cycles over the life of the fluorescent tube. With the LED, this number of switching cycles is incomparably higher. The LED is therefore more durable than the fluorescent tube, which also contributes to higher environmental compatibility and ultimately a cost saving. The difference becomes apparent as soon as the lamp is switched on for the first time: The LED does not flicker and provides full brightness in less than a second (less than a second). The noise level is also reduced, because the ballast does not hum as loudly as the fluorescent tube.
However, there is one disadvantage if you want to convert from fluorescent to LED: the initial cost of the LED tube is higher than that of the fluorescent tube.
