Is It Time To Say Goodbye To The Fluorescent Tube

Does it make sense to replace your existing fluorescent lamps with LED tubes? Of course that answer varies depending on your specific application, hours of operation and type of fluorescent tube being used, but the lines are now blurred with recent advancements in LED lighting.

Let’s take a look at one of the most common types of lights used in commercial settings – the 4-foot T-8 fluorescent lamp. The time has finally come to retire the T8 fluorescent tube with the introduction of the new Philips LED T8 InstantFit lamp.

In the past, fluorescent fixture modifications and code compliance made switching to LED tubes a labor intensive project. However, with the new InstantFit from Philips Lighting, ‘Plug and Play’ has finally arrived with the LED tube.

Suitable for a large range of installations and applications, the InstantFit requires no rewiring in fixtures with electronic ballasts. In fact, installation only takes seconds and no electrician needed. It will even operate along side fluorescent tubes in the same fixture – now that is impressive.

InstantFit T8 LED Tube Benefits:

• 40,000 hour lifetime and 4 year warranty!
• No Ballast Bypass – You do not have to touch the ballast at all.
• Mercury Free – Environmentally friendly and requires no costly disposal fees.
• Instant On – No flickering or buzz
• Dimmable & Controllable – Add occupancy sensors to improve the energy savings.

Philips LED T8 InstantFit Tube is now available and shipping in 3500K, 4000K and 5000K color temperatures making it the right choice for all types of general lighting applications.

Related Articles – Is Fluorescent Lighting Causing Havoc In The Workplace? 

Commercial LED Lighting…Can you afford NOT to switch?

We’ve heard every excuse in the book when it comes to retrofitting a space with LED lighting. “It’s too expensive” is the most common reason we hear. Admittedly, most of these lights are more expensive than other technologies. But when you consider the electricity usage, HVAC savings, replacement of lighting fixtures and savings on maintenance costs, LEDs provide the best way to light your building, especially for a commercial space.

Let’s suppose you own a warehouse where the lights are on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.  Imagine that you could replace your 140-watt lighting fixtures (think about how high your ceilings are and what a pain it is to have to use that huge ladder or cherry picker) with a fixture that uses less than half?  Well, there’s no need to imagine it, it already exists.  And it’s LED.

Not only can you replace the units with a brighter fixture that uses less energy, but also with lights that produce no heat and are easier on the eyes.  There is none of the annoying fluorescent flicker you get from CFL lamps and you can dim the LED fixtures if need be, something you’ll be hard pressed to do with a typical fluorescent T8 fixture.

In addition to getting a brighter, better, dimmable light, you can replace the units much less often.  How much less often?  It depends on your application, but generally a T8 fixture starts to dim (to the point you start to notice it) at about 8,000 hours.  They’ll burn out completely by 15,000 hours.  Many manufacturers claim double that lifetime, but you know that’s not what happens in the real world!  That means that you’ll have the pleasure of replacing ALL of the lamps in your building in less than a year. The LED replacement fixture will last you over 50,000 hours, which is approximately six years.

When all of the savings are added up, the choice is clear.  You’re going to save money on electricity, reducing the HVAC load, replacement of lamps and ballasts, and the man-hours to replace all of those parts.  So I ask you, how can you NOT afford to go LED?