This text is machine translated.
About LED tubes
Efficient use of energy resources is increasingly becoming the focus of responsible entrepreneurs.
This is not surprising, because the advantages are obvious. In addition to protecting our environment, operating costs are also drastically reduced.
Especially with the lighting, massive savings potential results when converted from conventional fluorescent lamps to power-saving LED tubes.
Energy-saving LED tubes as ceiling lights in a Conrad branch.
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What was LED tube?
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How are LED tubes structured?
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Important technical parameters of LED tubes
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Conversion of neon lights to LED tubes
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Select the correct LED tube
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Bottom line
What was LED tube?
LED tubes have the same designs as conventional fluorescent tubes in terms of available lengths and diameters. The conventional fluorescent tube has existed as a technical idea since the mid-1920er. A gas discharge of inert gases was used to emit ultraviolet light.
The gas used was neon, which resulted in the term "neon tubes". The light layer inside the fluorescent tube is stimulated to glow by the UV irradiation of the luminous inert gas itself by fluorescence and emits visible light.
A starter is required for the function of fluorescent tubes. Together with a throttle coil, it generates the short-term high voltage required to start the gas discharge. The orifice is also commonly referred to as a ballast and also limits the power supply during operation.
The disadvantages of fluorescent tubes are the electrotechnical effort, the power consumption, the mains flicker, the cold-white light and ultimately the toxins in the tube itself
Classic fluorescent tube with connection contacts on one side.
And incidentally,
If a building has many fluorescent tubes in use, the choke coils create a high inductive load. This creates a reactive current that oscillates between the consumer and her producer. In order that this reactive current, which is recorded by industrial customers, does not increase the electricity bill unnecessarily, it must be compensated for in a complex way.
High-performance LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) open up completely new possibilities for maintaining the design of the fluorescent tube and overcoming its disadvantages. Flickering and poisonous neon tubes as well as humming lamp housings are now a thing of the past. In our LED guide you will find more interesting and extensive information about the functioning of LEDs.
How are LED tubes structured?
Powerful SMD-LED.
In the case of an LED tube, many bright LEDs are mounted on a long circuit board and inserted into the tube.
SMD LEDs (SMD: Surface Mounted Device) are used for industrial installation. The LED lights thus equipped are accordingly also referred to as SMD LED tubes.
The actual tube consists of a white-coated plastic housing, which in the case of OSRAM LED tubes is made of break-proof polycarbonate. The coating serves to protect the eyes in order to avoid glare by looking directly into the light of an LED.
The LED lights can be selected so that they emit light in the desired color, for example daylight white light, which does not seem so tiring for the human eye. Depending on the electronic equipment, the fluorescent tubes can also be dimmed.
Important technical parameters of LED tubes
Design
The lengths of the LED lights are mostly standardized: They are available in 600, 1,200 and 1,500 mm lengths. However, other lengths are now available.
For the diameter one usually finds the term T8. This designation is used as the base of a value of one eighth inch. T8 therefore means 8 times 3.175 mm (1/8 inch) and corresponds to approx. 26 millimeters.
Meanwhile, T8 is the standard measure of fluorescent tubes. Some slimmer models are also available with a diameter of T5 (16 millimeters).
LED tube G13 T8 by Philips Lightning.
Skirting
The number next to the base designation "G" indicates the distance of the base pins in millimeters.
The common socket G13 was retained by the conventional fluorescent tube, so that a conversion to LED tubes is possible without changing the tube socket. This also applies to the G5 socket.
Some of the tubes with LED lighting from suppliers such as OSRAM and Philips have rotating end caps, was designed to allow the light to be aligned with the mounted LED lights.
OSRAM LED tube with a G13 socket.
Operating voltage
The operating voltage is between 30 and 230 volts. LED tubes with an operating voltage of 230 V are usually operated with conventional or low-loss ballasts. If the operating voltage is lower, the LED tubes are operated on electronic ballasts (EVG).
Power
The power of an LED tube is specified in watts (W). Up to now, the product designation often also lists the adequate power value of a conventional lamp (also in watts).
For example, an LED tube with 19.1 W corresponds to a conventional lamp with 58 W.
The more LEDs are installed in the LED tube, the higher the light output.
Luminous flux:
The luminous flux in lumen (lm) indicates the brightness of the emitted light. By comparison, a conventional 25-watt incandescent lamp emits approximately 220 lumens. OSRAM's G13 T8 7.6 W LED tube offers 700 - 800 lumens in A+ energy efficiency class.
Approximately 280 lumens per square meter is recommended for an office. A single office of 10 square meters would therefore require thirteen 25-watt incandescent lamps, but only four OSRAM LED tubes.
Light colour
LED fluorescent tubes from OSRAM and other manufacturers are equipped with three-digit color codes. The first digit represents the color rendering index Ra (English CRI for Color Rendering Index), usually 8 for the value 80.
By comparison, daylight or light bulbs have a color reproduction index of 100 Ra due to the full light spectrum.
The following two digits indicate the thousands and hundreds of digits of the color temperature.
The number sequence 840 thus means: Color reproduction index 80 and color temperature 4,000 Kelvin (corresponds to neutral white). This information is usually put into words on the packaging, so that the selection is easy.
Packaging labeling of a T8 LED tube with
120 cm, 19 W, Ra 80 and 6500 Kelvin.
Durability and switching strength
LED tubes can have a life of several 10,000 hours, depending on the version. The LED lamps then generate about 70 percent of their original luminous flux.
The manufacturers often print the most important technical data on the narrow packaging in a clear form.
Further information such as the switching resistance can be found in the technical data sheets for the respective bulbs.
All important data of the LED tube at a glance.
Conversion of neon lights to LED tubes
It's all about the ballast
Electronic ballast for lamp installation.
In neon lights, ballasts with different technologies are used. Conventional ballasts (KVG) are in principle only choke coils, which generate the starting voltage for a short time and later limit the current through the neon tubes during operation.
Since conventional ballasts have high power losses, low-loss ballasts (VVG) have been developed. A larger mass and better magnetic materials have been used to reduce the power loss of the choke coils.
In the course of the technical development, luminaires with electronic ballasts (EVG) were introduced to the market, where due to the high switching frequency, massive inductors are no longer necessary. The power loss is significantly lower than with conventional or low-loss ballasts and a starter is also no longer required.
As a result, there are also LED tubes that are designed for the different ballasts:
Technical Note:
The LED tubes for lamps with conventional ballasts (KVG) or low-loss ballasts (VVG) are operated directly on the 230 V mains voltage. Therefore, when replacing the bulb, the starter must also be removed and replaced by an LED starter.
In principle, the LED starter is a short-circuit bridge, so that the mains voltage is passed directly to the connections of the LED tube.
In the case of LED tubes, which are designed as a replacement illuminant for neon lights with electronic ballasts (EVG), the technical documentation must carefully read whether they may also be used in combination with conventional or low-loss ballasts. Depending on the manufacturer of the illuminant and the type of illuminant, this is either permitted or expressly prohibited.
Legal Notice:
If only the illuminant and, if necessary, the starter are replaced when converting to LED tubes, retrofit versions are used for the LED tubes. A technical conversion of the lamp is not necessary in this case.
In the conversion variant of an LED tube, the existing light must be converted in a complex manner. Some components must be removed from the lamp and the wiring must be changed. This is not recommended, because this automatically turns the lamp operator into the manufacturer. This means that the operator of such a converted lamp must fulfill all obligations, which are also required by law by manufacturers.
In case of doubt, the manufacturer of the lamp as well as the manufacturer of the LED tube must be asked to what extent a combination is permitted.
Selecting the right LED tubes
The concrete choice of an LED tube ultimately depends on the available light and the required light at the place of use.
Lighting technology
Before an LED tube can be selected, the technology of the existing fluorescent lamp must be checked. If the lamp has a starter, an LED tube must be selected for conventional or low-loss ballasts. If the light does not have a starter, an electronic ballast is installed.
Bulb rating
The power of the LED light bulb must always be selected in such a way that the light output is approximately as high as the original light bulb. In order to facilitate the selection, the LED light bulb manufacturers often specify both values. The power of the LED bulb must not exceed the maximum permissible power of the neon tube.
Illuminant dimensions
Next, you have to select a bulb with the appropriate dimensions. In addition to the length of the LED fluorescent tube (e.g. 120 cm), the diameter (e.g. T8) also plays an important role in the distance between the contact pins (lamp socket).
Light colour
The color of the light depends on the application. In the office lights with daylight are pleasant and enable a fatigue-free working. In a sales room where colors and contrasts are to be highlighted, cold-light white is the better color of light.
Ambient conditions
Neon glass tubes cannot always be replaced by plastic LED tubes. Aggressive vapors or even high temperatures can make the use of LED tubes impossible. In case of doubt, the manufacturer must ask for the possibility of use.
Bottom line
Replacing a fluorescent tube with an LED lamp is not a big deal. However, there are some important points to consider, both in terms of technical implementation and on the legal side.
If you do not trust yourself or want to convert fluorescent tubes to a large extent, you should be advised in advance and on site by experts who are fully familiar with the topic.