LED VS Fluorescent

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TXLAKE

Member
Location
Burnet Texas
If you have a T-8 fixture with a direct wired LED what happens if someone places a T-8 fluorescent tube back in the fixture by mistake. I have ask two different vendors that sell these bulbs and got different answers. One says nothing happens it just want work the other says it will blow up. Have any of you had experience with this?
 

MD84

Senior Member
Location
Stow, Ohio, USA
I read about 3.5 ohms between the terminals on one side of an f32t8 lamp. I think it would either burn the filament out or trip the OCPD on that lighting circuit when turned on. If installed live you may be in for a shower of sparks or an otherwise unintended light show.

Maybe this is worth a try. Anyone feel like wiring 120 or 277 to the end of a T8 lamp?
 
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MD84

Senior Member
Location
Stow, Ohio, USA
Now that I think about it, if you were to apply line voltage to one end across the filament it would probably draw a higher current at first. It would quickly heat up and increase in resistance. The filament would either blow like a incandescent bulb does or possibly glow dimly.

I am not very familiar with the characteristics of the filaments used in T8 Lamps.
 

TXLAKE

Member
Location
Burnet Texas
TXLAKE

TXLAKE

After doing a little more research I found a U Tube video by Aleddra lighting demonstrating the hazards of changing from fluorescent to LED by the direct wired ballast-bypass method. If someone reinserts a fluorescent tube in either of the direct wired methods it poses two problems. There is an explosion hazard associated with the method of wiring the fixture with the line and neutral on the same end especially with 277 volts. There is not a explosion hazard with wiring the fixture with line on one end and neutral on the other but this does present a shock hazard, if you were to insert the direct wired LED tube in a energized fixture line end first the pins on the other end are now energized. Seems to be some safety concerns with fluorescent to LED rewire.
 

MD84

Senior Member
Location
Stow, Ohio, USA
All of the retrofits I have done require non shunted lamp holders and are wired at one end.

Was there an actual video of a T8 lamp being inserted into a retrofitted fixture?

It seems like a small ocpd would be nice in these retrofits. They only draw maybe 1/8A.
 

TXLAKE

Member
Location
Burnet Texas
TXLAKE

TXLAKE

There is a video. On u tube put in led tube safety in the search bar. There are at least two. They demo what happens when a fluorescent is installed in both direct wired methods.
 
Location
Australia
There is a video. On u tube put in led tube safety in the search bar. There are at least two. They demo what happens when a fluorescent is installed in both direct wired methods.

Agree! It will be a big help on your decision if you watch the video by Aleddra to give you a better idea on what will happen if you install fluorescent in both wire.
 
Location
Australia
Good question you have raise there. Personally fluorescent will not blow it has safety features like a fuse. The guy at the shop who told you fluorescent will explode must be selling sub standard fluorescent lights.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
What happens depends on type of lamp inserted and whether the line voltage is across pins on same end or across the lamp.

Lamp types that preheat the electrode on the ends do pass some current through that electrode to preheat it, this is usually a relatively low voltage. If you put 120 or 277 across that it probably burns out the electrode rapidly, but I doubt is an explosion issue, may be some arcing if installing the lamp while energized though.

Other lamp types need a high voltage across the lamp to start the arc, 120 and 277 are not high enough to start that arc and essentially nothing happens.
 
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