Will LED Tubes Work With My T12 Fixtures? (2024)

FAQs

Can I replace a T12 fluorescent light tube with an LED tube? ›

Can you actually retrofit T12 to LED without changing out the ballast? Actually, yes. But before you make a decision, there are other LED solutions to consider for a high-efficiency lighting option for existing T12s. A lot has changed in just a few years in the lighting industry.

Many LED tubes are "plug and play", meaning you can just install them like you would a fluorescent bulb. For this to be true, look for bulbs that are "ballast-compatible" meaning that they can use the ballast already installed in your fluorescent fixture to power the LEDs.

Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that is likely to work with direct drop-in LED tubes (with caveats: see the next section below).

No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast. You will find ballast-compatible or "plug-and-play" LEDs that are designed to replace linear fluorescents, compact fluorescents, or HIDs. Incandescent and halogen lamps do not require a ballast.

Direct-wire compatible T8 LED tube lights can be used in a T12 fixture, as long as the T12 ballast is either bypassed, or completely removed.

You could destroy the LEDs. The ballast from fluorescent lights uses a much higher starting voltage (around 600 V) to get them started. It lasts for fractions of a second before dropping down to the normal line voltage. Depending on the LED circuit tolerances, it could be destroyed.

Options for replacing T12 fluorescent tubes

The easiest and lowest price option to replace a T12 is a T8 linear fluorescent. They have become the go-to option for pre-existing T12s. If you still have magnetic ballasts, switching to a T8 will require a ballast swap.

There are various methods for converting fluorescent lighting fixtures into LED ones. However, the simplest way is to use some sort of retrofit kit. These kits attach to already existing lighting fixtures and allow for LED bulbs to be housed in them.

Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.

Enclosed fixtures that don't allow for proper ventilation can drastically affect the temperature of the LED bulb, causing it to overheat and shortening the lifespan of the bulb. That's why some bulbs will tell you not to use it in an enclosed ceiling fan or fully enclosed porch light fixture.

Can you use LED bulbs in a regular ballast? ›

Since plug and play LEDs are compatible with ballasts, you can simply remove a fluorescent bulb and replace it with an LED. Since no additional modification or wiring is required, it's as easy as replacing incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs in your home.

LED tube lights that have a "UL Type B" specification are not compatible with fluorescent ballasts. They cannot be used with the fluorescent ballast, and must be connected directly to mains electricity. The LED driver, however, is integrated into the LED tube itself.

The plug and play LED lights looks and are used like any ordinary fluorescent tube. Replacing a fluorescent tube with plug and play LED Tube lights is easy as they can be used without a ballast. It does not need any additional modification and is simple to install, like any incandescent or LED tube lights.

For the fluorescent family, both T12 linear fluorescents and two-pin CFLs use magnetic ballasts. For HIDs, some metal halides and HPS lamps use magnetic ballasts.

T12 Fluorescents Vs.

T12 fluorescent lights are not simply old-fashioned or retro, they are a completely discontinued lighting product. Back in 2012, the U.S. stopped importing and manufacturing T12 lamps.

Without a ballast, a lamp or a bulb will rapidly increase its current draw and it can become uncontrollable as well. When a ballast is present in a lamp, the power becomes stable, and even if such lamps are connected to high power sources, the ballast will regulate the energy and avoid the current rise.

The LED tube lights are noticeably brighter than fluorescent tubes and you don't get exposed to any kind of harmful rays such as UV/IV rays as well that can damage your eyes and can result in skin allergies as well.

The Standard T12 lamp produces 2,650 initial lumens per lamp. The standard T8 produces 2,800 initial lumens per lamp, 6% brighter. But the standard T12 lamp produces 2,300 design lumens and the T8 produces 2,660 design lumens.

The difference between warm white and cool white

Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) – the lower the number, the warmer the white light appears, while a higher Kelvin will appear cooler. Colour temperature generally ranges from 2700-3300K (warm) to 3300-5300 (cool) – and 6500K is daylight.

Safety risk The most significant negative to a ballast-bypass linear LED is the risk of electric shock since the sockets carry line voltage. It's a common practice to place a finger on the lamp pins while you are trying to install it, and this becomes a risky endeavor when using single-ended ballast-bypass lamps .

Do you have to turn off power to change ballast? ›

Shut off the power

Turn off the circuit breaker that supplies power to the fluorescent light fixture. If you have an older fixture with multiple ballasts, turn off all of them. Use a voltage tester to verify that there is no current present at the end of each ballast wire.

Ballast failure is often caused by the surrounding environment—mainly heat and moisture. When it's too hot or too cold, a ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps. Heat, along with continuous condensation inside an electronic ballast, can cause corrosion over time.

T-8 ballasts are usually 32 watts per tube while T-12 are 40 watts… most all newer ballasts are for T-8 and are electronic, and automatically adjust for voltage from 120 up to 277.

The good news is that a typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, so you won't have to worry about replacing them very often.

T12 lamps are rated 20,000 to 36,000 hours, although under driving them without providing cathode heater voltage is bad for lamp life. So the only real harm is reduced lamp life, but can still last thousands of hours and lets you trade down output and wattage just like an LED conversion.

Replacing fluorescent tubes with LED lights is low-cost, energy-efficient lighting for you. The LED lights will give you better quality lighting and a much longer lifespan. Increased lifespan is one of the reasons LED lights have quickly become a popular alternative for fluorescent and incandescent lights.

Ballast-compatible or plug-and-play LED tube lamps directly replaces fluorescent tube lamps without the need of changing any circuit on the lighting fixture. End users may have a first impression that it is the best alternative because it is straightforward to replace the fluorescent lamp without rewiring.

Conventional fluorescent tubes need a starter. This starter provides ignition voltage. Naturally, this isn't necessary for LEDs, so the ignition voltage is superfluous. If you want to replace a traditional fluorescent bulb with an LED, then you must install a dummy starter or bypass the standard starter manually.

If Your Lights Are Brand New

Occasionally new fluorescents, fresh out of their packaging, will turn fickle upon the first flick of the switch. This could mean that you need to “season” your lamps. This is a process of adjusting your lamps to their new life inside your fixtures.

What is the best replacement for fluorescent lights? ›

LED tube lights are increasingly used to replace fluorescent lights. Compared to fluorescents, LED lighting lasts longer, is more energy efficient and uses no mercury.

One disadvantage of LEDs is the high initial cost per bulb. Over time, however, LED lights will pay for themselves through energy savings and incredibly long lifespans. Bulbs from various manufacturers may appear noticeably different in terms of their white light hues, so choose a well-known brand.

Yes, but only some brands. The issue is the amount of heat that can build up in the enclosed fixture. LED bulbs are very sensitive to heat; if the air in the enclosed fixture becomes too hot, it will shorten the life of the bulb.

The answer: generally, yes, it is safe as long as the actual wattage of the LED bulb is within the limits of the socket or fixture. What is the difference between an LED lamp's actual wattage and its equivalent wattage? The main advantage of LED lamps over traditional lamps is their energy efficiency.

You do not need a ballast for LED lights, but instead a driver. This is called a Type C application, with a tube and driver that work together. Verde often uses this approach to replace T12 magnetic ballasts, as well as older T8 systems with aging electronic ballasts.

Unlike incandescent lights, LED and other types of efficient lighting have internal ballasts. It improves the lamp's efficiency, which is measured by the ballast factor.

Can you actually retrofit T12 to LED without changing out the ballast? Actually, yes. But before you make a decision, there are other LED solutions to consider for a high-efficiency lighting option for existing T12s. A lot has changed in just a few years in the lighting industry.

Compared to single-ended LED lamps, Double-ended LED lamps are more efficient as fluorescent replacement applications because they are also double-ended. In addition to that, both lamps also utilize shunted lamp holders, which is necessary for no voltage to be created between the pins.

Bypass the ballast linear LEDs – also known as line voltage or direct-wire linear LEDs – work straight off the line voltage flowing directly to the sockets, requiring you to remove the original fluorescent ballast.

The T8 LED tube won't work without the ballast, so you are forced to continue buying and replacing ballasts as long as you have an LED tube that is ONLY ballast dependent.

Will LED tubes work with magnetic ballast? ›

Each LED tube is outfitted with an internal driver, and these lamps run on existing LFL electronic instant-start, electronic programmed start ballast, or older magnetic ballasts.

Method One - Use your smart phone camera. Stand under the light or a place close to the light and point your cell phone camera at the light. If you can see some strong dark strips flickering in your camera, it must be a magnetic ballast based light. Otherwise it should be an electronic ballast based light.

In terms of physical compatibility, both T8 and T12 lamps use the same G13 bi-pin base, so as long as they are the same length (e.g. 4-ft), a T8 lamp will physically fit inside a T12 fixture.

Quick answer first: Any T8 LED tube will also fit a T12 fluorescent fixture!

You have fluorescent troffers or strip fixtures already, and you're wondering if you can just pop LED tubes in them or if you'll need to change out the fixtures for something designed for LED. Good news: You can absolutely use LED tubes in your existing fixtures!

Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.

According to the DOE, after July 14, 2012, T12 fluorescent tubes could no longer be manufactured, though manufacturers could exhaust their existing material stock to manufacture T12s before discontinuing them permanently.

Conventional fluorescent tubes need a starter. This starter provides ignition voltage. Naturally, this isn't necessary for LEDs, so the ignition voltage is superfluous. If you want to replace a traditional fluorescent bulb with an LED, then you must install a dummy starter or bypass the standard starter manually.

What is ballast-compatible LED tube? ›

Ballast-compatible or plug-and-play LED tube lamps directly replaces fluorescent tube lamps without the need of changing any circuit on the lighting fixture. End users may have a first impression that it is the best alternative because it is straightforward to replace the fluorescent lamp without rewiring.

Retailers like Lowe's and Home Depot are the biggest CFL recycling market. They usually allow customers to drop their used or old CFLs at the store for free. The reason being consumers at these retailers buy more CFLs than fluorescent tubes.