Ballast Bypass vs. Plug and Play Lights (2024)

FAQs

Can I use a plug and play LED without ballast? ›

However, a high-quality plug and play LED tube - like Warehouse Lighting's Triple-Fit 4' T8 LED – can be used in direct wire fixtures as well as traditional fluorescent fixtures with ballasts. In other words, thanks to its flexibility, you use a plug and play led without ballasts or with.

Less energy used through elimination of ballast draw

An extra couple of watts is consumed when you pair an LED lamp with a ballast. Since you're bypassing the ballast, the wattage on the lamp is the wattage consumed.

LED T8 lights can be housed in lighting fixtures that accommodate T8 fluorescent bulbs, as their size is the same. The only differences are in the light produced.

Fluorescent and HID lights won't stay lit up for very long without ballasts to control current flow at different voltages. They'll quickly burn out, rendering them useless without ballasts.

Can LED lamps work off of existing ballasts? Yes, if they have an internal driver than can work off that ballast. Philips, for example, has designed a tube that is compatible with an existing electronic ballast. Cue buzzword plug-and-play.

Compared to fluorescent bulbs, LED lights are up to 80% more efficient. Unlike fluorescent lights, LED lights convert 95% of their energy into light and only 5% is wasted as heat; this is all while still using far less power to provide a strong and consistent output at a lower wattage.

According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years.

The environment surrounding the fixture is often the primary reason ballasts fail prematurely. Heat and moisture are enemies #1 and #2 to your ballast. Every ballast has an ambient operating temperature range and UL location rating.

Compatibility: Many LED tube lights are designed to work directly with line voltage, bypassing the need for a ballast. Removing the ballast ensures optimal compatibility and reduces the risk of compatibility issues.

How to tell if you have a T8 or T12 ballast? ›

T8 = 1-inch diameter. T12 = 1-1/2-inch diameter.

The most common issue with flickering is the dimmer and downlight compatibility issues. The dimmer and downlights must talk together in sync. Using old dimmers designed for halogen lights on LED downlights will most likely cause flickering. This is not to say they won't work, you will just need to test first.

The plug and play LED lights looks and are used like any ordinary fluorescent tube. Replacing a fluorescent tube with plug and play LED Tube lights is easy as they can be used without a ballast. It does not need any additional modification and is simple to install, like any incandescent or LED tube lights.

cons: Safety risk The most significant negative to a ballast-bypass linear LED is the risk of electric shock since the sockets carry line voltage.

The good news is that a typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, so you won't have to worry about replacing them very often. However, cold environments and bad bulbs can factor into the mix, causing the lifespan of the ballast to decrease significantly.

The catch with single-ended T8 LED bulbs is: You can direct-wire a 'plug and play' light but not vice-versa.

Type A LED tubes are also known as Plug & Play lamps. These tubes use the existing ballast, functioning as a traditional lamp.

Sure, you just need to wire up the fluorescent light unit with a standard flex and a plug with a 3A / 5A fuse. I use the same arrangement in my loft - I just open the hatch and grab the cable and plug it in.