Changing Fluorescent Lights to LEDs

Fluorescent lights are a common fixture found in many homes and businesses. These bulbs emit UV radiation which can be harmful to certain people and can damage artwork like paintings or watercolors.

Linear fluorescent tubes are the most common type incandescent light bulb of fluro light. You can find four-foot T8s in parabolic troffers and center basket fixtures, as well as strip lighting and some high-bay fixtures.

Better Light Quality

The luminous quality of fluorescent lights is not ideal. They flicker and hum, and their light is not evenly distributed over a surface. LED lighting does not suffer from these issues and provides high quality light. LEDs also come in a variety of color temperatures, from warm to moderate to cool, which allows them to create more lighting options than fluro bulbs do. Changing your fluorescent tubes to LED is actually easier than you think.

Longer Lifespan

Fluro lights have much longer lifespans than their incandescent counterparts. They can last anywhere from 25,000 to 100,000 hours (L70, L80 and L90 lifetime hours indicate how long it is expected to emit 70, 80 and 90 percent of its original light/lumen output, respectively). Since fluorescent bulbs are so durable, they reduce the need for frequent replacements. This reduces maintenance costs, lowers waste generation and contributes to decreased environmental impact. In addition to being long-lasting, the bulbs are also available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Choose from spiral, circular, rectangular and U-shaped designs to suit your lighting needs. They also come in various lengths, from 12 to 96 inches. Some bulbs may cause a stroboscopic effect when illuminated alone, but this is eliminated by using paired lamps operated with a lead-lag ballast.

Lower Energy Consumption

Fluorescent lights do require a lot of energy to run, but they are a great option for many settings, particularly warehouses and high-ceiling areas where there is a need for a powerful light source. They are also well-suited for retail spaces, hospitals and commercial buildings.

The key to how fluorescent lighting works is the ballast. This control gear gives the light a small boost of voltage to start and then just enough current to keep it running. It does this by dropping 6 or 12 volts across the end filaments of each tube. This heats up the molecules of mercury in each filament and allows them to conduct electricity.

As the mercury vapor inside the filaments warms up and becomes more charged, it produces fluro lights more and more light. This means that the light is always producing more lumens. This is why it takes so much more power to start a fluorescent than to continue running it.

For example, a dual 48” fluorescent tube fixture with two 40 watt bulbs consumes 80 watts of electricity each hour that it is switched on. That comes out to about 8 kWh or 8,000 watt hours per year. At a typical energy cost of 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, this would cost around $1 to $2 dollars each year. This calculation doesn’t take into account the actual usage of the bulb, so it may be higher or lower depending on how many hours a day it is on.

Environmentally Friendly

Because fluorescent lights generate far less heat than traditional bulbs, they require much less energy to operate. This is a big advantage for homeowners who are seeking to conserve energy and reduce their carbon footprint. In addition, fluorescent bulbs typically last 10 to 20 times longer than their incandescent counterparts, meaning they need to be replaced much less frequently.

In order to start working, the fluro light needs a small boost of voltage from a control gear called a ballast. This helps to ensure that the vapor inside does not receive too much current at once which could cause it to burn out or even explode. After the initial boost, the ballast will supply the bulb with a gentle current that gradually makes it brighter. If your bulb takes a while to turn on, it likely has a rapid-start ballast.

Although fluorescent lights are a good choice for many purposes, some health problems are linked to exposure to the UV radiation they emit. This can include eye conditions like cataracts, retinal damage, and myopia/astigmatism. It is important to use specialized dimmer switches or light covers when using these types of bulbs to limit their effect on your health.

Another concern is that mercury from fluorescent lighting can leach into the environment and pollute the water and air. This is especially harmful to indigenous Arctic communities who depend on fish for their livelihood. By phasing out these lights through the Minamata Convention, we can prevent such contamination and help achieve the goals of SDG 13 on climate change.