LED Tube Options: Ballast vs Direct Wire Tubes

LED Tube Options: Ballast vs Direct Wire Tubes

Lighting technology has been evolving past the years and people is starting to choose LED technology over the traditional incandescent bulbs. One of the most used option is the LED tube which can come over two options: direct wire and ballast compatible. We will take a closer look about their differences:

Ballast Compatible LED Tubes

This type of LED tubes are designed to work with the existing fluorescent lighting installation. This means that you just can simply replace your fluorescent tube with a ballast compatible LED tube without having to reinstall your lighting system. The ballast is the component that regulates the electrical flow through the tube and ballast compatible LED tubes are designed to work with the existing ballast in your installation.

Using a ballast compatible LED tube have some benefits like they are easy to install and are a cost-effective option. In case that you want to install this type of tube you just have to replace your fluorescent tube and it's done. Doing this you are avoiding the cost of rewire your lighting system which can be significant expensive.

Anyway there are some information that you need before you start using this type of tubes. First, the ballast in your installation can be not compatible with the LED tube you want to install so you have to check and be sure to choose the right tube for your installation. Additionally. the ballast can limit the lifetime and the performance of the LED tube and it can’t provide the same energy saving as a direct wire LED tube.

Direct Wire LED Tubes

This type of tubes are also known as ballast bypass. This tubes require to rewiring your lighting system. This traduces in that you are going to need to bypass the ballast in your lighting installation and wire the LED tube directly to the electrical source. Well, maybe this sounds a bit hard to do and time-consuming but this will provide some significant benefits.

One of this benefits is that direct wire LED tube are more energy-efficient than ballast compatible LED tubes. By bypassing the ballast, you eliminate the loss of energy that occur when the ballast regulates the electrical flow. Also, direct wire LED tubes have a longer lifetime because they don't rely on the ballast.

Also this tubes allow you to find them in many colour temperatures, brightness and other specifications that fits you.

Anyway, there are some information you need to know before you choose this type of tube. First of all is that you need to rewire your lighting system and it can be time-consuming and require the experience of an electrician. Additionally, if you don't take care you can damage your installation or create a safety hazard if you don't wire your LED tube correctly.

Conclusion

Both of this tubes have their pros and cons. Ballast compatible LED are easier to install and can be a cost-effective option but they don't provide the same energy saving or lifetime than Direct Wire LED tubes. Also, Direct Wire LED tubes require rewire your lighting system but they are more energy-efficient, versatile and cost-effective than ballast compatibles. The choice between one and another depends on your specific needs.