DOES ANYONE KNOW whether the 48" LED tubes (to replace fluorescent tubes) any good?

[NurseJackie]

DOES ANYONE KNOW whether the 48" LED tubes (to replace fluorescent tubes) any good? Is it a worthwhile replacement for existing 48" kitchen light fixtures?

Or, is the light too "institutional" and warehouse-looking? Should I just stick with replacing "warm-white" fluorescent tubes with new identical fluorescent tubes?

If you've had any experience with LED tubes, any comments or advice or guidance would be appreciated. -- Thanks!

[Blues Heron]

1. I stuck with flourescent - the leds are harsh

too bright for my taste, too weird and piercing. You need a different ballast too I don't think you can just slap them in the old fixture - I might be wrong on that though.

[NurseJackie]

2. I was wondering about that too. I saw...

I was wondering about that too. I saw a display full of them at Lowe's the other day, but didn't stop to look and read if it was 100% plug-and-play or if a different ballast was needed.

I did see that they're more expensive too... but would that be offset in energy savings over the extended lifespan of the bulb? (And, would I actually live long enough to realize those savings?)

Thanks for the feedback. Even though I've fully embraced LED bulbs throughout the rest of our home, I'll likely take the "safe" route and just opt for an identical replacement on these.

[Blues Heron]

4. Our building switched to all leds but I convinced them to let me stay flourescent

just in the kitchen. A few months later I needed a new tube and they brought an LED one and put it in the old flourescent ballast - It was like a buzzsaw to the eyes it was flickering a million times a second and had a godawful brightness to it. So I have yet to experience the actual LED/proper ballast combo, but from the outside, peoples LED kitchens look too bright for me..

Plus it's not as dramatic a wattage savings as the switch to LEDs from incandescent. The LEDs are a little ore efficient - I think you save about 13 watts/tube

[NurseJackie]

6. Yeah... I've seen those super-bright (blueish white) lights in homes and...

Yeah... I've seen those super-bright (blueish white) lights in homes and the occasional hotel room. So harsh that it literally does induce eye pain and headaches. I have a cozy kitchen... not a warehouse.

Plus it's not as dramatic a wattage savings as the switch to LEDs from incandescent.

I appreciate the info.

[SoCalNative]

28. I always go for the "soft" LED bulbs

instead of the harsh "daylight" white ones. Not sure if those are available for the tubes though.

[rampartc]

3. i've had good luck with the 18" leds

might be just as cheap/easy to replace the entire fixture.

I was stocking several sizes of fluorescent tubes and starters. nice to let that go.

[NurseJackie]

5. Yep... I was keeping a stockpile of fluorescent tubes too. Until now.

Yep... I was keeping a stockpile of fluorescent tubes too. Until now. --- One of the four 48" kitchen tubes is flickering at power-on and then dimmer than the rest, and when I went to grab a replacement... there were none! (That's what started this whole thing in the first place.)

Thanks for your feedback!

[hlthe2b]

24. Lowes has them (the 45 inch? 48inch? "standard" ones). I bought two on Amazon a few months ago.

I have them in my garage and don't choose to switch. But, beware, florescent bulbs are full of mercury. don't break them and dispose of appropriately in a approved landfill. I think Home Depot and/or Lowes will take them from you too.

[rurallib]

7. I switched my kitchen lights about two years ago and I love the LEDs

dependable and bright. I would never go back to the fluorescents.

[NurseJackie]

8. Did you replace the existing fixture? Or were you able to just swap-in the new LED tubes?

dependable and bright. I would never go back to the fluorescents.

Thanks for the feedback.

[rurallib]

17. just the bulbs

I had been having lots of trouble with lights dimming and burning out. I simply switched the lights out and VOILA! we had light, nice bright light.
We have for some reason a slight, low hum. It is barely noticeable.

[NurseJackie]

19. Hubby and I are both a little hard of hearing (more for me however)...

... so if there's any hum, then it won't be either one of us who notices.

[hlthe2b]

25. I read up on them and also consulted with a lighting contractor. You need a new ballast for LED

There may be adaptors, but slapping them in the old ones is a no no.

[randr]

9. I have used them throughout my home

I am a designer builder and live in a constant state of remodel. Our current home has needed a new lighting upgrade. I love the LED recess options. The bulb is the trim. Also you need to shop around and choose the color of light for each environment. I generally use dimmers and these also need to match. I have a shop that had a lot of florescent lighting that I spent a lot of time replacing bulbs n ballasts. Real pain as they were all up high. Started replacing with new LED tubes a while back and can't wait till the old ones are all gone.
Also to answer your question, the LED replacements for a florescent fixture may never work right. The ballast needs to be removed and rewired. The LED tubes replace the whole fixture with some design changes needed.

[NurseJackie]

11. Good info! Our fluorescent tube fixtures are also recessed...

Good info! Our fluorescent tube fixtures are also recessed... and the thought of having to replace the ballasts (if needed) or replacing the fixture itself is almost too much to consider. We live in a manufactured home, and replacing existing "trailer" fixtures with off-the-shelf stuff from Lowe's has proven to be a challenge in the past, so being able to continue to use these built-in recessed fixtures would be ideal.

Yes... it IS a pain to replace them... even with a utility step-stool, I'm just a little bit too short. I'll have to get my husband to do it for me (or bring in a full-sized folding ladder).

Thanks for the feedback and comments.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

10. Just choose one with warmer color temperature - measured in "K" You want one 3000 K or less - nt

[NurseJackie]

12. I did not know that! Thanks! I had seen the "K" designations before...

I did not know that! Thanks! I had seen the "K" designations before... but wasn't sure what it meant.

[Roy Rolling]

13. Small thing

Fluorescents actually flash so rapidly it is undetectable by the human eye. That’s why raw fluorescent lamps aren’t suitable for film and video projects.

It bothers some people, it’s imperceptible by others.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

15. Oh man, it bothers me. I see the flicker. nt

[Dr Hobbitstein]

14. LED is way better than fluorescent.

Doesn’t have the flicker rate that fluorescent has (not everyone notices this, but I do), uses less power, and a broken bulb isn’t dangerous waste.

Just pay attention to the lumens or color temp. LED can be WAY brighter.

[kysrsoze]

16. The ones I bought at Costco were same color temp and slightly brighter

They’re 48” tubes. I think they’re great. No ballast issues at all. I’m waiting for the other garage fixture’s fluorescents to burn out so I can go LED there too.

[NurseJackie]

20. I did not know that Costco sold individual LED replacement tubes...

I did not know that Costco sold individual LED replacement tubes... I have seen their 48" all-in-one hanging fixtures. Thanks for the info! I'll check it out.

[hurl]

18. Happy with them

It was a little scary because I had to cut the ballast wiring, so once I started the project, there was no going back. Plus, the fixture is a big, recessed box not easily replaced. Luckily it went well.

The LEDs are much brighter. I may have been able to replace the four tubes with just two LEDs, but I'm happy with them.

[NurseJackie]

21. Ah-ha! That's new information for me... thanks for sharing.

I thought that the LED tubes were just a plug-and-play solution. I didn't know that the ballast had to be unwired and removed from the equation.

[hurl]

22. Not a huge deal

Yeah, that wasn't clear to me either until I brought the new bulbs home. I thought they would be plug & play, and the information on the box seemed to imply that.

Luckily, it's just a matter of bypassing the ballast. Because my fixture is enclosed, I just left the nonfunctioning ballasts in there.

[GeorgeGist]

23. You can buy LED tubes with various 'warmth' categories ...

eg. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=led+tubes+4ft+3000k&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_5_13

[Miguelito Loveless]

27. We replaced them in our offices

and they look great, and use about half the power.

Be aware that their are two types: Those that are plug in replacements, and those where you have to bypass the existing ballast-resistor. The first are easier to install, but will stop working if the ballast fails (they also use a bit more power). The second require initial work by an electrician or competent amateur, but then work fine.

[NurseJackie]

31. Okay... things are becoming clearer now. Two types!

If I end up going with LED replacement tubes, I'll have to make sure I get the right type (that requires NO electrical modifications.)

[Miguelito Loveless]

38. We have had good luck with Hyperikon

Not the cheapest, but pretty reliable. Have not had any problem with 100+ installed so far in the last two years.

[Turbineguy]

29. Mine have been working great for over two years.

[Major Nikon]

30. If you are concerned about light quality, here's what you should know

Light fixtures and light sources generally have a color rating associated with them. This color rating is typically expressed in color temperature in degrees Kelvin. All sources of light have an inherent color cast to them. Incandescent bulbs produce a warm light that is lower on the scale. Fluorescent bulbs produce light that is higher on the scale. However, any light source may be modified in color by applying a filter. That filter will rob some of the efficiency of the bulb as it reduces the lumens available from the native bulb. LED bulbs tend to be very efficient, so most any filter applied still makes them more efficient than traditional bulbs.

Lights lower on the scale (warmer) are good for places like bedrooms and living areas where the warm light tends to render skin tones better and just generally creates a more aesthetic look to the environment. Bathrooms, garages, and utility areas do better with cooler more pure white color of light as it enhances contrast.

IMO kitchens do best with something in between warm and cool lighting as it does a decent job with contrast which helps with the tasks of food preparation, but is warm enough to still render food as appearing more appetizing. In the kitchen, I look for bulbs in the 4000-4500K range.

[NurseJackie]

32. The "incandescent" range is what I prefer.

Maybe it's just because I've grown up with that temperature of indoor lighting for all of my life, and that's why I prefer it (as opposed to it actully being "better" in some quantifiable way.)

Our outdoor security lights are bright-bright white LED's ... our property at night is bright enough to read a book. Any prowlers or kids up to no good won't find it to be very hospitable.

[Major Nikon]

33. That's around 2700K for traditional incandescent

[NurseJackie]

34. I'm learning a lot here today. Previously I had no idea what the "K" stuff meant...

I'm learning a lot here today. Previously I had no idea what the "K" stuff meant... although I had seen it on the boxes of LED bulbs. I just chose the ones that said "soft white" without really paying much attention to the technical specs.

[Major Nikon]

35. There's a pretty good variance within those terms

When you see the word "soft" it has more to do with the diffusion of the bulb than the color. A clear incandescent bulb produces a hard light with more pronounced shadows. A diffused bulb disperses the light more and produces a "soft" light.

So-called "cool white" is generally recommended for kitchens, but the range goes from 3000-5000K so there can be a pretty good variance between bulbs from different manufacturers. I like to be in the middle of that range which means I need to pay attention to the Kelvin rating.

Another reason for paying attention to the scale is inevitably the bulb will fail and will need to be replaced. Staying with the same Kelvin rating helps insure the replacement bulb will match the others and reproduce what you had before.

[NurseJackie]

37. Yeah, good point! I've seen many offices and businesses that had ONE fixture...

Yeah, good point! I've seen many offices and businesses that had ONE fixture... with a color of lighting that was different from all the rest in the room. (My dentist's office for one.)

I guess I can more easily ignore it at someone's office, but in my home... day after day... it would really start to annoy me to have half my kitchen lighting as "warm" and the other half as "cool".

[hunter]

36. We had to replace the ballasts in our laundry room lights to use LEDs.

The LED tubes we got didn't work with our old magnetic ballasts.

Electronic ballasts operate at a much higher frequency than old magnetic ballasts so the new LED lights don't flicker in any perceptible way. The flickering of the old fluorescent lights bothered me sometimes, especially when the lights were cold.

Replacing ballasts isn't rocket science, but it is electrical work. Watching a few instructional youtube videos may be helpful.

Since the late 'nineties I think most new fluorescent lights had electronic ballasts so replacing the ballasts might not be necessary.

We love our LED laundry lights.

[sl8]

39. Mine are better than the fluorescent ones they replaced.

The type I installed required that I disconnect the ballast and replace the tombstones (not required for all types).
The color temperature of mine is similar to the flourescents they replaced, but they're available in different color temps. They start more reliably than than my old flourescents.

Do you know what type tubes you have now, T5, T8, or T12? The number refers to the nominal diameter of the tube, in eighths of an inch, e.g., T12 diameter is = 12 * 1/8" = 1.5".

This looks like a decent, brief primer:
https://www.1000bulbs.com/category/t8-led-tube-lights/