

T5 lamps come in different lengths than T8 and T12 lamps. T5 lamps cannot replace T12 or T8 lamps because of differences in physical and electrical characteristics. A T8 lamp (on the right in the figure below) is eight-eighths of an inch, or one inch (2.54 cm), in diameter. The number immediately follow- ing the T gives the diameter of the lamp in eighths of an inch.

The “T” designation in fluorescent lamp nomenclature stands for tubular - the shape of the lamp. T5 lamps operate at frequencies greater than 20 kilohertz. In most cases, the T5 ballasts will not work with T12 or T8 lamps, although at least one manufacturer offers electronic ballasts that can operate either T5 or T8 lamps with appropriate wiring. T5 lamps need special ballasts to operate.
#8 foot fluorescent black light bulbs install#
Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you need higher levels of lighting, the T5 might be ideal for your situation. If you do not need as many lumens, the lesser wattage T8 would be the better choice since it offers lower lumen and watt consumption. Design Lumens are the average lumen output of the lamp after 40% of its rated life. But the standard T12 lamp produces 2,300 design lumens and the T8 produces 2,660 design lumens. The standard T8 produces 2,800 initial lumens per lamp, 6% brighter. The Standard T12 lamp produces 2,650 initial lumens per lamp. Since that time, lamps and bulbs have been developed that just work better. In effect since July 2012, the legislation eliminates nearly all 4-foot T12 lamps, some 4-foot T8 lamps, most 8-foot T12 lamps, and almost all standard halogen PAR38, PAR30 and PAR20 lamps from the market. T8 LED tubes won’t fall out if you try to install them in a T12 fixture-they’ll fit just fine. All other things-socket sizes, lengths, distance between pins-are the same. T12 tubes are 1.5″ in diameter while T8s are just one inch.

The main difference between T8 and T12 tubes is the tube’s diameter. There is the possibility of burning out components pre-maturely also due to overcurrent and overvoltage conditions particularly if using a larger ballast on a smaller fixture. If you use a wrong sized ballast the LRC will not be tuned so you are likely to not start the lamp at all. For some applications, one T5 bulb can replace two T12 bulbs, providing even greater energy savings (a process called “de-lamping.”)Oct 9, 2015. T8 bulbs use about 35% less electricity to produce the same amount of light as a T12. The smaller the lamps the more energy efficient they are. In an effort to make LED tube lights compatible with the internal dimensions of most fixtures, you will find that most LED tube lights feature a T8 or 1 inch diameter. T8 tubes are simply 1 inch in diameter versus the 1.5 inch diameter of T12 tubes.
