It was not too long ago that fluorescent tubes were introduced as the more efficient lighting option, but no longer. With the introduction of LED tube lights, the traditional fluorescent lamps are slowly being phased out much like the old incandescent light bulb. But what is it about the LED tubes that make them so efficient and environmentally friendly? There are a number of features that give this technology a bright future (pun intended) as the leading energy efficient fluorescent alternative.

Mercury Free

While traditional fluorescent tubes are filled with mercury, a poisonous element that is not only a risk to health but requires careful disposal in order not to be harmful to the natural environment. This can lead up to high costs for frequent re-lamping and proper disposal, whereas the LED lamp does not contain any mercury at all, making it simple to dispose of.

Low Wattage

Although the recent T5 fluorescent development has introduced a low wattage tube it still does not match the low LED energy consumption. With most T8 LED tubes consuming only 18 watts per lamp, they are guaranteed to reduce the amount of electricity used while maintaining the same level of performance as traditional fluorescent lamps.

Long Lifespan

Traditional fluorescent tubes last somewhere around 20, 000 hours (or 2.2 years) while LED tubes last 50, 000 hours (or 5.7 years). This more than double lifespan reduces the amount of waste put in the environment and eliminates frequent purchasing and replacement of lamps.

No External Ballast Required

The LED lamps are manufactured with an internal ballast, eliminating the need to have an external ballast on the lighting fixtures which have known to blow out. Additionally, the LED tubes come with one live end and one dead end, ensuring that they do not blow out when wired directly. By removing the ballast from the equation, the possibility of it blowing up is removed as well, requiring less ballast purchases and disposals.

Shatterproof

Nearly all of LED tubes are designed with a protective casing that does not break or shatter when the bulb is dropped on a hard surface. This makes the use of the tube ideal and safe in food production plants for example, where the lighting is required supposed to be protected from being broken due to health and safety hazards.

Low Heat Output

LED tubes do not produce any excessive heat when turned on, unlike traditional fluorescent tubes that can get quite warm when operational and heat up the area when left on for long periods of time. By switching to LED it can help reduce A/C usage and consequently the general electricity consumption.

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