There can be many alternative lightings to fluorescence tubes that can make your room more fascinating. However, LED light has been the most widely used alternative to fluorescent tube lighting of late due to its far-reaching benefits.
The benefits are not only geared towards saving you money but conserving your environment too. We’ll walk you through the benefits in detail and guide you on how to shift from fluorescence to LED lighting.
Why Get a LED Replacement for Fluorescent Tubes?
Replacing fluorescent lights with LED lights comes with the following benefits:
LED Lights are Energy Efficient
Research has proven that LED light is 30% more efficient compared to fluorescents. Their effectiveness is estimated to be between 80% – 95%.
LEDs can convert up to 95% of energy to light output directly. That way, they can conserve energy since less will go to waste. Besides, replacing your fluorescent lights with LED lights will also lower your electricity bills by around 50%.
Maintenance Cost Reduction
You will not only save on energy but on maintenance costs too. LED tubes are durable and will not require frequent maintenance.
LED lights’ lifespan is more than four times that of fluorescence. They will not require replacement for almost 20 years.
Alternative to Fluorescent Tube Lighting: Better Light Quality
LED tubes light the intended surface through multiple points. For that reason, their lights are not only stable but well distributed.
Besides, these lights are available in different color temperatures. You can switch from warm to moderate to cold, depending on your needs.
Fluorescence tubes do not offer these qualities. Uneven lighting patterns, such as bright or dim spots, characterize them. Besides, they don’t offer different color temperatures.
Lighting uniformity can’t be overlooked, especially in office lighting. If your bulb’s brightness is inconsistent, workers strain their eyes and easily feel fatigued.
Alternative to Fluorescent Tube Lighting: Directional Lighting
The LED system allows you to set your bulb to light in the direction of your choice so that you don’t lose light. You can incline them at an angle to focus light in a particular direction when searching for something in a room.
Directional LED lights
Alternative to Fluorescent Tube Lighting: Minimum Heat Emission
Unlike fluorescence lights, LED lights emit less heat even when turned on for a long time. Too much heat produced by fluorescence bulbs usually warrants air conditioning.
LED lights’ minimal heat emission also makes them ideal for manufacturing factories. Manufacturing processes are temperature sensitive, and fluorescent bulbs with a significant heat emission would affect them.
Alternative to Fluorescent Tube Lighting: Green Technology
LED lights are about more than saving money. LED bulbs are good for our environment too.
You can dispose of them safely in landfills. Besides, they require less replacement, so you will not frequently dispose of them. LED bulbs are also sturdy and don’t break easily, making them safer for kids.
On the other hand, fluorescence bulbs need careful disposal. In fact, the state requires that you recycle them rather than dump them.
Fluorescence tubes can easily break, posing a threat to citizens. Besides, the chemicals used inside them can harm people and the environment. Mercury is one of the harmful elements in these bulbs.
Disposing of LED bulbs safely.
Alternative to Fluorescent Tube Lighting: Five Ways to Shift from Fluorescent Light Fixtures to LED
With all the benefits discussed above, it is clear that LED lights are the way to go. That said, you can decide to convert all your fluorescence tubes to LED lights through the following options:
Replace with LED Retrofit Tubes
One of the easiest ways to replace your fluorescent lights with LED is to use LED tubes with retrofit kits. The kit helps the bulb to attach firmly to existing fixtures.
This method is less expensive compared to replacing the entire fixture and requires less wiring. In addition, it improves the energy efficiency of your lighting system without worrying about annoying ballast failure.
Replacing with LED retrofit tubes
Replace with Magnetic LED Strip
Installing a magnetic LED strip offers more benefits than just retrofitting the existing fixture. To begin with, they are simple to install since you stick to your original light metal housing.
The strip uses an external driver, which offers greater heat dissipation and airflow than built-in small drivers in the LED tubes. The external driver also makes it possible to connect to any power source without needing any power socket.
That said, the external driver replaces the existing ballast as the strips replace the bulbs.
Replace with LED-Ready T8 Strip Fixtures and Led Tubes
LED-ready T8 fixtures support any LED tube and don’t require rewiring. You plug the tube in and start enjoying the light.
Besides, they have a nice appearance and will add aesthetic value to your business. These tubes are also durable, but that will depend on the one you purchase.
Replace with LED Panel Light or Troffers
LED panels are trendy lighting options for good reasons. You can replace the fixture in a suspended ceiling grid or surface mount on a flat ceiling.
The panels make the light well spread without dim spots, common with fluorescence, and even some LED lights. The sleek design panels also offer color temperatures and light levels that suit everyone’s needs.
Replacing with LED panel lights
Replace with LED Fixtures
Replacing your fluorescence tube with a single linear LED fixture is also a great option. These fixtures are sleek and slim and entirely customizable to install. You can suspend them from wires or surface mount them.
LED fixtures also boast a better brightness compared to tube counterparts. They are durable and guarantee a long bulb life. For that reason, they require fewer replacements which will save you money.
Cost of Replacing Fluorescent Light Fixtures with LED
The cost of replacing your fluorescent lights with LED ones can widely vary depending on several factors. The main factors include replacement scale, electrician charges, the cost of the bulbs, and the conversion kits.
Most electricians will charge between $50 – $100 per hour. But with all factors considered, the cost of replacing fluorescent lights with LED lights can range between $160 and $506.
While this might sound expensive for some people, you stand to save a lot in the long run with the efficiency of LED lighting.
Conclusion
Replacing your fluorescent with LED lights offers several benefits that will save you money in the long run. They will save you energy bills, replacement, and maintenance costs and help you realize a faster investment return.
In addition, LED lights have far-reaching environmental benefits. They are disposable and have limited carbon emissions compared to fluorescent lamps.
