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Direct Wire LED Tubes vs LED Tubes using Ballasts

3/20/2017

56 Comments

 
This article was updated on 10/24/17 to clarify that direct connect LEDs -- or LEDs that connect directly to ballasts -- do have drivers inside them, and these drivers are designed to work with the ballasts.

​* * * * *

As businesses continue upgrading from fluorescent lighting to LED lighting, one question sits at the crux of the upgrade: should you retrofit the lamps using existing ballasts, or remove the ballasts and direct wire the LEDs?

Here's what we mean:

As we discussed in our article, Replacing T8 Fluorescent Tubes with T8 LED Tubes, LEDs need something to safely modulate the energy running through them just as fluorescent tubes do. Fluorescent tubes use ballasts -- external to the lamp -- for this purpose and LEDs originally used something called drivers -- also external to the lamp -- which effectively do the same thing. (Many LED lamps still use external drivers.)

So originally to upgrade from fluorescent tubes, you would remove the old lamps and their ballasts; direct wire drivers instead of ballasts; and then connect the LED tubes to these external drivers. In the interest of making things simpler, manufacturers developed LEDs that could work directly off the ballasts that were already being used. No external drivers needed. (There is a driver inside the LED that works with the ballast; this must be an electronic ballast, and you still have to make sure LED and ballast specs are compatible.) Philips, for instance, came up with their InstantFit line of LEDs.

Many new LED tubes, however, come with integrated drivers, or drivers that are built in (much like the LED bulbs commonly used in homes) for direct wire purposes. These allow you to entirely remove old lamps and ballasts and connect the new LED lamp directly to the power source without a separate (external) driver.

In both instances, there are drivers inside the LED, one designed to work with electronic ballasts and one designed to work directly with the power source. [Article continues after image ...]

LED Tubes Direct Wire vs Ballast


​Pros and Cons of Each Option

Direct wire LEDs are more difficult to set up initially because the ballast must be removed. But by eliminating the ballast from the future equation, this means never having the LED go out because of a ballast failure. No time or cost involved in replacing ballasts.

Direct connect LEDs (those that work with ballasts) are much easier to set up because there's no need to remove the ballast. Simply remove the old fluorescent lights and replace them with LEDs and you're up and running. However, at some point that ballast is likely to fail ... probably long before the LED light would. And so you'll have the time and cost involved in replacing that ballast to get the LED working again.

As you can see, there are advantages to each option, so you can choose whatever type makes the most sense for you.
56 Comments
Jeff Bell
9/22/2017 05:08:45 pm

I find it very hard to believe that the direct fit (InstantFit) bulbs don't also include a driver in the tube. Ballast output is at best slightly more appropriate than line voltage to drive LED's which require a DC current source.

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Steve @ Lighting Supply
10/24/2017 09:41:40 am

Jeff, thanks for your comment. You're 100% correct that direct fit LED tubes have drivers in them, and I have rewritten this post to clarify this point. Thanks for helping us provide more useful content to our readers!

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Neil MacEachern
6/4/2018 04:08:46 pm

Is this to say that InstantFit tubes can also be used by bypassing the ballast, if the ballast you have is not compatible?

Keith Detro
10/25/2017 01:15:02 am

LED's are great, but dumping the ballast makes them so much better! Keep the ballast and you're still wasting energy (they generate heat), you're still wasting money (they need replacing) and you'll still have to put up with the frequent whines. If you are not going to dump the ballast then at least don't replace the fluorescence bulb until it fails.

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Steve @ Lighting Supply
10/25/2017 07:32:16 am

Thanks for the added details Keith -- great points, and hopefully this helps those who are wondering about their options. Plug-and-play appeals to a lot of people, but there are definite advantages to taking the ballast out of the equation for those who can do so up front.

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Ryan
10/27/2017 08:06:56 am

Can you direct wire a Philips InstantFit LED Tube or are the ballasts required?

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Steve @ Lighting Supply
10/27/2017 11:11:14 am

Ok, ready for a complex answer?

In general, we think of Philips InstantFit lamps as those that are designed to instantly replace fluorescent tubes. Pull out the tube, put in the InstantFit, and you're up and running. (As long as you're on a compatible ballast.) And I suspect when people reference this line, they're talking about this type.

But in fact, Philips does include some ballast bypass (direct wire) lamps in this line.

So you have to look at the specs on any given InstantFit lamp to know for sure. We do carry some direct wire linear LEDs, so if you need a hand finding the right product for a specific project, don't hesitate to give us a call. If we have it in stock, it will ship same day.

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Scott
11/4/2017 03:22:58 am

As I google for info I found your site. I purchased Costco tubes that state that they are plug and play for my old fluorescent tubes. Pull the tubes, replace with LED's and turn on. One of my fixtures the ballasts is humming pretty good. If the LED's state that they are plug and play, can I pull the ballasts and wire direct?
Thanks for your help, I don't want to burn my garage down!
Scott

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Steve @ Lighting Supply
11/6/2017 07:32:02 am

Thanks for the question! First, did you check the plug-and-play lights for compatibility with the ballast you're using? Name brands will usually list compatible ballasts with their LED tubes. As far as I know, all will work only with electronic ballasts, and even then some only work with instant start ballasts. So I would check that.

Regarding direct wire, there are some LED tubes sold as hybrids, where they can work either with a ballast or by direct wire. But I believe at this time most are either one or the other, and I would NOT direct wire something that was sold only as needing a ballast.

Hope that helps.

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Richard
5/2/2018 01:58:54 pm

my church has a sign the needs redone, we are wanting to do it ourselves, it currently has t12 HO and needs ballast and a couple sockets, i am wanting to switch to LED's and was interested in the direct wire LED's. is there anything special i need to know, i have wired ballast in the past, but want to get away from them if possible. our sign has 8 4' tubes
Thanks!

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Timothy A Casteel link
3/30/2020 11:21:50 pm

To bypass ballast for a direct wire LED you will have one side of the bulb that takes power (hot and neutral) and one side that does not. Check with manufacturer prior. To do a direct wire, you choose your hot side, and eliminate ballast wires from socket, then run hot and neutral to said socket. Remove ballast, leave other socket dead (preferably grounded) and install direct wire LED bulb. 4' T8 will fit in 4' T12 as long as it is bi-pin type bulb and not spring loaded sockets. If sockets will not match bi pin bulb, simply replace socket with twist in Bi pin sockets and do as above.

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Bethany Birchridge link
5/4/2018 01:38:50 pm

I found it interesting that there were different types of LED tubes. My uncle mentioned a T12 tube the other day, but I wan't sure what he was talking about. Now I have a basic idea, so thank you for this informative article.

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Leonard Krashoc link
7/23/2018 01:38:59 pm

One thing I haven't seen addressed is energy use. It seems to me that pulling the ballast and using direct wire LEDs, would be far more energy efficient, as you no longer have the energy cost of running a ballast, some of which you can fry an egg on, so they gotta be suckin some juice. So far I've replace several hundred tubes both 4 and 8' and always pull the ballasts.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
9/28/2018 01:56:26 pm

Leonard, you are correct in saying that using an LED lamp with an internal ballast, or driver, will use less energy!

Reply
Jason L Marietti link
3/28/2019 02:42:46 pm

Wouldn't two internal LED drivers consume the same energy as one external driver running two LED bulbs?

Joe M
8/24/2018 11:42:24 am

I want to replace a bunch of T12 fixtures (originally installed around 1999). I want to get rid of the ballast. My local energy guy said I should get bulbs with an external driver. What do you recommend?

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
9/28/2018 02:00:39 pm

Hi Joe -

Replacing bulbs with a direct wire (internal ballast/driver) or plug and play (using existing external ballast), is entirely up to you! Most people consider using the external ballast to be easier as it doesn't require any rewiring of the fixture.However, using a bulb with an internal driver does use less energy!

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Paul Sakrison
5/6/2019 04:19:45 pm

An important thing that will help determine your direction is whether the existing ballast(s) are magnetic or electronic. Old magnetic ballasts won't work with LED lamps. Instant on Electronic ballasts do. If your ballast(s) are magnetic you will either have to replace the ballast with an Instant On Electronic ballast or remove the old ballast(s) and go with direct wire LED lamps.

Johnthelandlord
10/23/2018 07:21:42 pm

This is a great article with very useful information. I was thinking about replacing the buildings garage T8s with some plug and play GE LED's on sale at the going out of business Orchard Supply Hardware. I have to agree with those saying that direct connect is the way to go. Even without any tubes in at all, there would have to be a serious electrical draw from the fluorescent ballast as it increases the charge not reduction like a transformer with nothing attached . I wonder if anybody knows exactly? Perhaps it's written on the ballast itself? The point being, going from fluorescent to LED is only around 50% as opposed to incandescent which is by far less efficient than fluorescent. So if the ballast is adding energy use, it really does not make sense. Add the fact that eventually the ballast will go bad although I have seen them last for 30 years it will go bad plus compatibility issues. Direct is the only way to go as long as you have the skill to rewire, which I have been doing since I was 10.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
10/25/2018 10:39:56 am

Thank you for the comment, John! Everyone will have their preference but it does seem that direct wire LED tubes are becoming more and more popular.

Reply
Reinaldo
11/20/2018 10:56:06 am

Can you confirm that Philips Instantfit LED tubes can be direct wired, I.e., removing the Ballast? (Has internal LED driver).

Brittney @ Lighting Supply
11/21/2018 04:08:47 pm

Reinaldo, Philips InstantFit LED tubes are ballast dependent, which means you must use the ballast. They are meant to be a "plug and play" option - meaning you take the fluorescent out and put in the LED bulb without any re-wiring involved. I hope this helps!

Richard Hopkins
10/26/2018 12:34:30 am

Thanks for this discussion. It's the first (and only) place where I got some definitive answers on this LED issue. The one thing which I haven't had answered is are there any physical indicators on an LED bulb to tell you that it (a) works with a ballast, (b) has internal driver to work as stand-alone, (c) hybrid, (d) maybe something else. Then there's the working 1 end vs. working 2 ends. I have bulbs without packaging and I can't figure what's what.

Reply
Steve Konopka
11/21/2018 12:17:35 am

I have discovered an additional reason to suggest direct-wire LED tubes. I had experienced severe radio and TV interference from my T8 fluorescent lights with ballasts. I therefore opted to go direct-wire, discarding the ballasts. No more interference, and the minor fixture rewiring job was simple.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
11/21/2018 04:10:31 pm

That's an interesting discovery, Steve! Thank you for the feedback!

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DG
1/8/2019 07:52:08 am

We replaced the incandescent bulbs around the home with the compact, spiral fluorescent bulbs many years ago. As those fail we are replacing with LED. I recently started replacing the old magnetic ballasted fluorescent tubes with LED. Philips does make some direct replacement LED tubes for replacing T12's and that work on compatible magnetic ballasts. We tried a couple and they work well and even appeared brighter than the T12 fluorescent lamps. We tested them in the 3 T12 fixtures around the home and they worked in all of them. But there is still some ballast hum and ultimately we are going with direct wire instead. I do have one problem though ... in the master bath, where the wife does her make-up, I installed two T5-HO lamps with dedicated reflectors on electronic ballast several years ago. I just pulled those T5's and installed a couple of LED tubes and the lumen level isn't even close. I think I would have to install at least 4 LED tubes to get near the level of light that those reflectorized HO T5's was putting out. At that point, it's probably not worth it from any energy savings standpoint with that being close to 80 watts worth of LED compared to about 108 watts with the T5's. I failed to think before I pulled those T5-HO's, not realizing that those T5-HO's put out 4000-5000 lumens each. I think that figure is with the reflector but either way, that's going to be hard to beat without loading up on LED tubes which, as I mentioned, removes any real energy cost savings. Just something to think about. LED's are the new wave and are great but maybe not the best choice for every application.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
1/8/2019 09:05:30 am

Hi, thank you for your input! You are correct, LED is not for everyone and the choice has to be made on individual cases.

I thought you may be interested, we do carry T5 LED bulbs that range from 2000-3500 lumens that may fit your need. You can view them here: http://ow.ly/ikFd30neu8N

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DG
1/12/2019 09:49:26 am

Hi Brittney.
Thank you for the reply and the link.
I did come across some of the T5 replacements during my research.
They were not as common and more expensive in general. However, I do have some T8's that are rated 28 watts and 3300 lumens. They have two rows of LED's. They are definitely brighter than the standard 48" T8 LED tubes. However, a pair of them still don't compare to those T5-HO's. 3 of them may be close enough but then we are near 90 watts and well into diminishing returns, even when considering lamp replacement. We get several years out of the T5-HO tubes with the amount of use they see.

I imagine as the technology grows, more efficient, higher lumen options may become available making it worthwhile to replace those T5's in that bathroom. I'm sure I'll revisit it when the time comes.
As it stands, we are very pleased with the rest of the replacements around the home.

Thanks again for your input.

Brad Szymanski
1/20/2019 08:27:50 pm

It should also be noted that some direct wired LED tubes need to use non shunted tombstones. make sure you check your bulbs to see if they are double or single ended as this makes a HUGE difference.
single ended=non shunted, double ended=non or shunted

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
1/22/2019 11:21:06 am

Thank you, Brad! That is a great additional note and is important to take note of!

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Michael Jones
2/10/2019 04:58:35 pm

Direct Connect LED tubes seem to be the most commonly carried by local stores. Is there a way to Direct Wire a Direct Connect tube?

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
2/11/2019 12:48:56 pm

Hi Michael. If by "direct connect" you mean the bulbs are using the existing fluorescent ballast, to my knowledge, there is no way to re-wire these bulbs to run without the ballast. However, it does seem that direct wire bulbs are becoming more and more popular as people are trying to get away from using ballasts.

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Fern
2/18/2019 09:57:16 am

I have replaced 18 in tubes in my bathroom. The light is great but has a loud hum. What do I need to do to get rid of the hum

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
2/21/2019 09:43:15 am

Hi Fern,

Since all of your tubes are new, it leads me to believe you may need to replace your ballast. That's where the humming typically starts. Also, there are ballasts that are residential grade, where you may be using a commercial grade ballast that may have too much power for your home's fixtures.

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Jordan
5/8/2019 07:32:05 pm

If I put a direct wire LED bulb into a ffixture that still has the ballast in place and functioning is there the potential for failure and/or fire?

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
5/10/2019 02:46:06 pm

Hi Jordan -

Thanks for the question. There definitely are potential dangers of not removing the ballast from the fixture before installing the direct wire LED bulb. The ballast should be disconnected and/or removed to avoid any hazards.

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Norman link
6/29/2019 10:07:27 am

We are considering to replace all fluorescent tubes with Direct Wire LED's in the common and parking areas of our apartment. Knowing that our maintenance service staff has turn overs, what safety hazards (i.e. Fire, electrical shock, etc.) to be mindful of if someone accidentally puts a fluorescent tube into a Direct Wire LED 120VAC fixture?

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
7/3/2019 08:42:58 am

Hi Norman,

Great to hear you are looking to make the switch to LED.

Now, we don't claim to be expert electricians and are not certified to give electrical advice. However, with a direct wire LED tube, you would be using your existing fluorescent fixtures and just disconnecting the ballast and directly wiring the bulbs to the fixture. If someone were to insert a fluorescent tube into the fixture at a later time, it could cause the fluorescent tube to explode due to the direct current running to the fixture. Most LED direct wire tubes that are sold in cases come with labels for your fixtures that say that the fixture has been replaced with LEDs and not to insert fluorescent tubes. It's highly recommended to label your fixtures once they are switched so the next person does not risk any harm to themselves or the tubes/fixture.

I hope this was helpful. If you have any further questions, please give us a call at 877.231.2852 to speak to one of our Customer Service Representatives!

Reply
Rich Jordan
8/8/2019 02:23:40 pm

I have not seen my question addressed anywhere. I use the direct wire LED 4 ft tubes to replace fluorescent tubes.The pins are marked with an L and N but since it is AC voltage does it really matter if the bulb is installed "backwards"?
Thanks.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
8/8/2019 02:38:51 pm

Hi Rich -

For direct wire tubes, you should wire the end marked with an "L" (meaning live). The other side marked with an "N" (meaning neutral) is simply used to hold the tube into place in the fixture and should not be wired. The only time this would not matter is if you are using a double-ended direct wire tube, in which case both ends are wired.

Hope this was helpful! Thank you.

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JB
8/14/2019 01:16:13 pm

A electronic ballast still uses electricity if LED Bulbs are in the fixture.

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
9/18/2019 09:04:53 am

Hi JB,

You are correct that an electronic ballast will still use electricity even with LED bulbs. This is true when using LED tubes that "ballast compatible" or "plug and play. If you are using a "direct wire" LED tube, the ballast will need to be disconnected and not used.

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Jeff P
11/27/2019 11:00:27 am

With respect to RF interference from electronic ballasts, I discovered earlier this week that the FCC has previously issued regulation (circa 2015) around this issue.
Per those regulations, there are two classes of electronic ballasts: commercial (class “A”) and residential (class “B”). Class “B” has more stringent requirements around minimizing allowable RF “leakage” specifically to address other equipment interference and human exposure concerns.
Based on my experience over the last few days, I found it very difficult to determine if a given ballast is residential classified. The vast majority of ballast “technical details” and web page sales summaries that I reviewed did not include any mention of FCC class. So I would suggest that anyone looking for a new electronic ballast for installation in a residential environment carefully research which ones are certified for home use in order to avoid RF interference issues and to minimize RF exposure to your family and guests.

Reply
matt carlisle
1/5/2020 01:43:23 pm

can i use a led build that can be used with a ballast and direct wire it.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
1/6/2020 11:37:59 am

Hi Matt,

If an LED tube is designated as a ballast-compatible bulb, it will need to be used with a ballast and not directly wired.

However, there are some LED tubes that are hybrids and can be used either with a ballast or direct wired.

Reply
Malik Lighting and Sign link
1/24/2020 03:11:35 am

Thanks for sharing. Its really Informative.

Reply
Pete Hamann
5/27/2020 08:23:16 am

How can I know if the T5 LED I just bought is direct wire? I plugged it into the ballasted fixture and it's not lighting up, and I know the ballast is good. Can I assume it's direct wire?

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
5/27/2020 01:20:41 pm

Hi Pete -

Always refer to the manufacturing specifications. If you do not have any physical paperwork for the bulb, I'd research the part number or SKU online to find the wiring instructions.

If you need further help, please call our Customer Service team at 877.231.2852.

Reply
Paul labrecque
6/21/2020 08:06:59 pm

I am considering direct wire vs plug n play retrofi . All of the articles talk about the physical task of the two options. However, my question is on the light output in lumans. As I recall, the light output of a florescent light was the lumans of the bulb times the ballast factor of the balast. So with plug and play lamp do I get full rated output of the lamp or is it reduced by the balast factor?

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
6/25/2020 07:32:04 am

Hi Paul. Great question!

LED lighting is considered "unidirectional", meaning its light output is directed into one direction, whereas fluorescent lighting shines in all directions. The lumen count for an LED tube is less than that of the fluorescent bulb for this reason. However, the LED bulb will appear just as bright, or sometimes brighter, since the lighting is being used more effectively. I hope this helped!

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Su
6/27/2020 10:49:00 am

I tried replacing my 48" T12 florescent tubes with Philips Universal Fit LED tubes. My fixtures are about 20 years old and have ballasts. The bulbs will light, but after a time the whole fixture goes dark. A while later it will relight. I can't have the lights in my studio randomly turning off and on. I suspect a thermal issue, but wondered if removing the ballasts would eliminate the problem. Other suggestions??

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
6/29/2020 07:39:36 am

Hi there! The Philips Universal Fit LED tubes are meant to be used with a ballast so they must remain in use for the bulbs to operate. However, if the fixture is 20 years old, I'm assuming the ballasts may be a bit on the older side as well. I'd recommend starting with replacing the ballast with instant start electronic ballasts first. If the problem persists, please give us a call at 877.231.2852.

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C M TAI
7/17/2020 12:26:13 am

Hi, Do direct wire LED light bulb fixture need to be grounded?

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Brittney @ Lighting Supply
7/21/2020 08:46:13 am

Hi there,

In general, fixtures/bulbs typically need to be grounded. However, without knowing more about your set-up, I would recommend contacting a licensed electrician with installation questions.

Reply
Harper
9/22/2020 01:39:27 pm

What happens to the LED plug and play tube if the ballast is not compatible? I changed out all of my tubes 2000+ over a year ago in some 4 lamp fixtures but now I am having some of the tubes only partial light up or go out (1 out of the 4 tubes in the fixture). Would the ballast not being compatible cause this? I am confused why it started now since it has been over a year since I replaced them.

Reply
Brittney @ Lighting Supply
9/23/2020 07:30:10 am

Hi Harper,

If the ballast you are using is not compatible with your LED tubes, it could shorten the life of the bulb. Also, the ballast may be failing and you may need to replace a few of them as well.

Unfortunately, with these types of tubes being fairly new to the lighting world, you may run into a few bulbs here and there that don't live up to the guaranteed lifespan. However, if it is a large group of bulbs from the same purchase, I would suggest contacting the company you purchased them from or the manufacturer to take advantage of the warranty.

If you have any further questions, please contact our Customer Service Team at 877-231-2852. Thanks!

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