Yes! You can use LED light bulbs in any regular fixture. However, it should not be air-tight or enclosed and simply not an old-style dimmer system. Apart from fixture types, other factors like lumen capacity, wattage, and heat dissipation play significant roles. Consider all these factors before deciding between switching to LED lights bulbs.
If you don’t consider all these factors, it will shorten your led bulb’s lifespan. Also, please make sure the fixtures are well ventilated, enable good heat dissipations, and ensure it’s open from all ends. Although due to the efficiency of LED light bulbs, the wattage number is generally very low. That’s why they turn on and work efficiently in any fixtures that allow at least minimum wattage needed. These bulbs can withstand too much or too little wattage to a certain level. This is one of the things they share with halogens and incandescent bulbs.
The most limiting factor, though, is lumens. Allowing too little or too much voltage to any light will lead to fluctuations in the amount of light it emits, which can be dramatic with LED. Since their power requirements fall far below other types of light bulbs available in the markets, always check the wattage and lumens of LED bulbs before buying.
Luckily, most LED bulbs have in-built limits that stop them from blowing up or emitting a crazy amount of light if given much more than they need. It’s the main reason why you can stick most LED bulbs in any regular fixture.
Can You Use LED And Incandescent Bulbs In The Same Fixture?
Unfortunately, having both incandescent and LED bulbs in the same fixtures is not a good idea at all. It will harm your LED bulb because the other bulbs bring in the ambient temperature inside that fixture. Even though your LED bulb is a well-designed heat sink with good quality, there is a probability it might fail due to unforeseen excessive heat that wasn’t designed for.
Some people buy the LED light bulb for one fixture one-by-one to monitor while replacing them gradually. But be warned! Such exercise is not good; it’s advisable to change all of the bulbs at a go. By doing so, you eliminate the risk of reducing the LED bulb’s lifetime. Note that incandescent heat will slowly destroy the active semiconductors, electronic chips and drivers inside the device.
Typically, LED bulbs thrive in cool temperatures, and placing them next to incandescent bulbs shortens their lifespan. Furthermore, these traditional bulbs draw more energy than LED when both are put on the same circuit. As time goes by, the LED get lesser power, making them vulnerable for other possible issues such as buzzing, flickering or outright failing. Don’t even think of it if you have a dimmable type fixture as it might not work at all, dim poorly, or flicker. Now, it’s even better if you buy all LED bulbs for one fixture from the same brand since it is rated under similar conditions and usage.
Can You Replace Fluorescent Bulbs With LED Bulbs?
Absolutely, yes! You can replace fluorescent bulbs with the LED bulbs. As long as the fluorescent fixtures are compatible with LED bulbs, you are good to go. Just remove the fluorescent. If the bulb needs a voltage level than the regular 230v, additional elements must be considered.
It is even more beneficial for you to replace those bulbs with LED light bulbs due to the following benefits:
1. Durable
2. Offer better light performance
3. Very low energy consumption, which cut down on your electricity lighting bills
4. Eco-friendly due to their mercury and lead-free factor.
5. Can handle all the hues of white lights, meaning the yellowish light of fluorescent bulbs is perfect within reach.
Why Are LED Lights Not Suitable For Enclosed Fixtures?
Heat is the major obstacle for LED light bulbs. That’s why it’s not suitable to use enclosed fixtures due to lack of air ventilation. When the enclosed fixtures don’t enable proper ventilation, it purposely affects the LED bulb’s temperature. It eventually leads to overheating as well as shortening the lifetime of these bulbs.
Though LED bulbs may have common shapes with traditional bulbs, their interior is almost similar to the chips in your laptops. Due to that, you can’t use them in ovens or microwaves. Simultaneously, larger LED bulbs might utilize an internal fan or passive heat to stop the electronics from overheating. Therefore, some brands clearly state that you should not use the bulbs in fully enclosed porch or enclosed ceiling fan light fixtures.
For better understanding, an enclosed fixture is any application or fixture where your light bulb is encased, meaning it doesn’t permit proper airflow ventilation. It includes encased mason jar lights fixtures, porch light with bottom glass or plastic rather than open, and so on. Typically enclosed bulbs are rated for consumer usage. However, you can use an enclosed rated bulb in open fixtures.
How Do I Convert Fluorescent Light Fixtures To LED?
There are mainly a few methods to use while making the changes to durable and efficient lights. The first one is redoing your general lighting by replacing the old fluorescent fixtures with brand new LED fixtures. Secondly, you can decide to convert the old fixtures to work with LED. Lastly, retrofit the tube and ballast.
Just imagine! not long ago, fluorescent lights were considered the most energy-saving and cost-effective lighting solutions. However, today LED has outshined them in different areas that would make you want to switch. Back to our question, here are the three ways you can use to convert fluorescent fixtures to led ones.
Three Methods Of Converting Your Old Existing Fluorescent Tubes With LED Tubes
Retrofit The Fluorescent Tubes
You can retrofit a fluorescent tube easily by using hybrid LED tubes or plug and play. Commonly, called ‘universal ballast compatible’ minimizes the need for complex wiring. The installation procedure is usually straightforward, like following the instructions of sliding in and connecting your new led tube.
However, the plug and play tube way comes with its disadvantages like:
1. High energy usage than other properly installed led tubes.
2. Possible ballast failure
3. Potential ballast incompatibility with the fixtures
Retrofit The Tube And Ballast
You can use direct wire tubes to retrofit the tubes while bypassing the ballast. To achieve this, you need to disconnect the wire to the ballast then tying them off with wire nuts. Afterwards, rewire the fixtures before any installation of the LED tubes.
The only challenge is that; this method is complicated as compared to retrofitting the tubes alone. Similar to other electronic installation cases, it needs the fixture power to be disconnected at the source. Even so, it’s worth your time and effort as it will eventually eliminate the problems coming from ballast incompatibility and failure. Also, it is more cost-effective compared to other methods at long last.
Replacing The Whole Fixture System
You can choose to replace your existing fluorescent fixture with new LED ones. Try using LED panel/troffer or magnetic mount kits to accomplish your task quickly. It will be costlier to replace the existing fixtures than just retrofitting the tubes. Remember, after rewiring, you need ceiling remodelling, especially where the existing fixtures were.
But when you look back, the benefits are worth the cost. You get to enjoy the modern lighting fixtures that last longer, slimmer and versatile. It is thus future proof and probably the best option.
What Kind Of Bulb Goes In An Enclosed Fixture?
There is a clear warning in numerous LED bulbs regarding their use in a fully enclosed fixture. Luckily, EarthLED has entered into a partnership with a popular manufacturer of LED light bulbs. They have come up with products that can be used safely in enclosed fixtures in commercial and industrial applications. EarthLED now offers safe LED lighting to use in fully enclosed fixtures like jelly jars, shower trims, ceiling mounts, and explosive-proof fixtures.
Before deciding what light bulb is suitable for enclosed fixtures, it’s also crucial to know the type of light you require. Is it Omni-directional or directional? Pick directional ones when you need light to be directed in a specific area. In contrast, the Omni-directional one is used when you want the light to cover all directions or spaces. Another type of bulbs includes think lux led par38, 18 watts, 1150 lumens, or think lux led metal halide.
Can Philips LED Bulbs Be Used In Enclosed Fixtures?
In one of the emails written by Philip customer service to Amazon in July 2017, it clearly states that “currently the hue bulbs are not designed to work in ceiling fan fixtures or enclosed fixtures. Having your bulb in this application cause your hue bulbs to fail and void the warranty. Most instructions indicate, “with your bulbs being used in closed fixture application, we will not be able to warranty your hue bulb at this time”.
Conclusion
Unless the traditional system and existing fixture catch up with the growth of LED technology, there would always be compatibility issues between them. By now, you understand pretty well the benefits of using LED lights bulbs, and your efforts to switch your lighting system will not be in vain.
It is good to buy one bulb first and try it to see if all goes well, without mixing them with others. If you are successful, purchase enough LED bulbs in your house and enjoy its benefits. If need be, replace the whole fixtures system in your home. Yes, it is expensive but worth it in the end.
