LED Tube Lights & T8 LED Tubes

What Are LED Tube Lights?

LED fluorescent tubes are cylindrical LED lamps designed to replace legacy T8, T5, and T12 fluorescents without changing fixture layouts. Most contractors see them as the most straightforward lighting upgrade on the market. A quality T8 LED installs into existing housings, delivers cleaner light, and eliminates the flicker, hum, and mercury issues tied to fluorescent lamps. These retrofit led tubes reduce energy consumption by 30–50% while dramatically extending service life. A modern led t8 tube lamp also produces instant-on light with consistent color output, making it a reliable choice for offices, warehouses, schools, and retail spaces where lighting is on all day and downtime isn’t an option.

What Are the Different Types of LED Tube Lights?

When it comes to upgrading fluorescent fixtures, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Different jobs call for different install methods, and that’s why we stock a full range of LED fluorescent tubes to suit how contractors actually work in the field.

• Plug-and-Play (Type A): These led plug and play tubes are designed to run off an existing fluorescent ballast. Swap the old lamp for a T8 LED and you’re back up and running fast. Ideal when ballasts are in good condition and time is tight.
• Direct-Wire/Type B: Also known as direct-wire LED tubes, led ballast bypass tubes, or full ballast bypass installs. These remove the ballast completely and wire the t8 led tube bulbs straight to line voltage for maximum reliability and long-term savings.
• Hybrid (Type A+B): Flexible retrofit led tubes that work with a ballast today and convert to direct-wire later.
• Type C: Uses an external driver for advanced control and performance in demanding applications.

Where Are LED Tube Lights Used?

If a building was originally designed around fluorescent lighting, there’s a good chance LED fluorescent tubes are the cleanest upgrade path. We see T8 LED solutions specified across a wide range of everyday commercial and industrial environments where fixtures run long hours and reliability matters. These four foot LED tubes are commonly used in:

• Offices and commercial buildings
• Warehouses and distribution centers
• Schools and universities
• Healthcare facilities
• Retail stores and supermarkets
• Garages and workshops
• Parking garages and stairwells
• Manufacturing facilities

Whether you’re installing led plug and play tubes for quick turnarounds or direct-wire LED tubes as part of a larger ballast bypass retrofit, t8 led tube bulbs provide consistent output, lower energy costs and fewer maintenance issues. For contractors and facility teams, retrofit led tubes offer a practical way to modernize lighting without ripping out existing fixtures.

Benefits of LED Tube Lights

For contractors replacing fluorescents day in and day out, LED fluorescent tubes deliver improvements you can see immediately, and savings that add up over time. Whether you’re installing T8 LED lamps in an office or upgrading a warehouse with retrofit led tubes, the advantages go well beyond energy reduction.

• Energy savings: Cuts power use by 30–50% compared to fluorescent lamps
• Long lifespan: 50,000+ hour ratings reduce replacement cycles and callbacks
• No flickering: Instant-on performance with stable, flicker-free output
• Mercury-free: Safer to handle and dispose of than traditional fluorescents
• Lower maintenance: Fewer failures mean less time on ladders
• Better light quality: High-CRI output improves visibility and comfort
  Cool operation: Reduced heat helps lower HVAC strain
• DLC listed: Eligible for utility rebates and incentive programs

How Do You Connect LED Tube Lights?

How you wire LED fluorescent tubes depends entirely on the tube type you’re using and how permanent you want the upgrade to be. This is where planning upfront saves time later.

• Plug-and-Play (Type A): These LED plug and play tubes are the quickest option when existing ballasts are in good condition. Shut off power, remove the old fluorescent lamp, drop in the T8 LED, and restore power. The ballast stays in place and powers the tube, making this ideal for fast changeouts.
• Direct-Wire / Ballast Bypass (Type B): With direct-wire LED tubes, also known as LED ballast bypass tubes, the ballast is removed entirely. Power is wired straight to the tombstone sockets following the manufacturer’s single-end or double-end wiring instructions. This full ballast bypass eliminates a common failure point and delivers long-term reliability.

Direct-wire installs should always be completed by a licensed electrician. When done correctly, T8 LED tube bulbs provide a clean, dependable upgrade that reduces maintenance and simplifies future service.

Maximum Run of LED Tube Lights

One of the advantages of upgrading to LED fluorescent tubes is how straightforward circuit planning becomes. Unlike LED tape or continuous lighting systems, tubes don’t have run-length limitations.

Each T8 LED operates independently within its fixture, so capacity is determined by circuit load rather than physical distance. As a general guideline, a 20A circuit at 120V can support approximately 100–130 tubes rated at 18W each. At 277V, that same circuit can handle roughly 230–300 T8 LED tube bulbs at the same wattage.

For large retrofit projects using retrofit LED tubes or full ballast bypass conversions, fixtures are typically spread across multiple circuits to balance loads and meet code requirements. Reviewing electrical plans is always recommended, especially when replacing higher-wattage fluorescent systems with more efficient LED solutions.

Why Buy LED Tube Lights from Duralec?

When contractors source LED fluorescent tubes from Duralec, they’re buying from a team that works with tube retrofits every single day. This category is one of the most common upgrades our customers tackle across offices, warehouses, schools and retail spaces.

At the center of our offering is Intrinsix, our in-house brand developed specifically for dependable fluorescent replacements. Intrinsix T8 LED products are built for clean installs, consistent light output, and long-term reliability. Whether you’re using LED plug and play tubes to keep a good ballast in service or switching to direct-wire LED tubes with a full ballast bypass, our LED ballast bypass tubes are designed to eliminate common failure points and reduce maintenance over time. Every LED T8 tube lamp is tested for instant-on performance and stable color, so what you install on day one looks the same months later.

Many of our four foot led tubes ship directly from our Illinois warehouse, which helps us turn orders around quickly and keep projects moving when timelines tighten. Contractors with Commercial Accounts also gain access to preferred pricing on retrofit led tubes, making large-scale upgrades easier to plan and more cost-effective.

With Duralec, tube lighting is a solution we actively support, stock, and ship every day.