Everybody knows that energy-efficient CFL and LED light bulbs save you money on your electric bills. What most people don’t realize is that for some people, installing them can even save lives. But first, let’s answer the question: Can you mix LED and fluorescent lights on the same circuit?

Can You Mix LED And Fluorescent Lights On Same Circuit?

Both kinds of lighting are energy efficient, it seems logical that you could use both in the same room. However, since the ballast for fluorescent lights is more power-hungry than the ballast for LED lights, mixing the two on one circuit could create a hazardous environment for your electrical system.

Can You Mix LED Lights And Regular Lights?

Yes, you can mix LED lights with other types of light bulbs. The most important thing is to make sure all of your fixtures are the same type. You can mix incandescent and halogen bulbs in the same circuit as long as they are all the right voltage and wattage for the fixture.

LEDs are the most energy-efficient type of bulb available, using a light-emitting diode that offers a long life span and can be used in any application. LED lights run at lower temperatures than traditional metal halide lamps or fluorescent lamps, and this helps to reduce the load on your air conditioner in the summer.

However, LED lights also cost more to purchase than other types of lighting. The upfront cost may be difficult for some businesses to cover, so it is possible to mix LED lights with regular lighting options to save money while still reaping some of the benefits of LEDs.

What Happens If You Put LEDs In Regular Sockets?

The other important thing is that you want to keep your fixtures separate from each other when mixing types. So, don’t screw a 100W halogen bulb into a fixture with an LED one because it will melt the socket and could cause a fire.

If you want to mix them up and keep them separate, you can use adapters like these. They allow you to use different types of bulbs in the same socket. Just be sure not to exceed the maximum wattage for the socket.

Why Can’t You Use LED Bulbs In Enclosed Fixtures?

LED bulbs are great. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, which makes them easy to fit anywhere in your home without blocking light from fixtures above or below. They last for years, so you don’t have to swap out bulbs as often. They use very little energy and are excellent for the environment.

LEDs do have some disadvantages though. Most notably, they don’t work well with enclosed fixtures — such as recessed cans, track lighting, and other fixtures that are part of the ceiling or wall structure.

That’s because LEDs don’t produce as much light from within the fixture as conventional incandescent bulbs do. That means that when you put an LED bulb inside a recessed fixture, there’s less light coming out than there is with a traditional incandescent bulb.

The difference between an incandescent bulb and an LED is actually quite significant — an incandescent bulb produces about 60 lumens per watt of power; an LED produces only around 40 lumens per watt of power (an efficient 60-watt incandescent replacement uses about 10 watts).

Can I Use LED With Ballast?

The first thing to know is that the fixture needs to be compatible with the bulb you are putting in it. The most common installation is a standard tube light replacement. For example, if your fixture uses a (T8) 4-foot fluorescent tube, you would buy a T8 LED Tube Light.

If your existing fixture is using a magnetic ballast, you will need to change it to an electronic ballast or simply remove the ballast and wire it directly to line power (120v-277v). This is called rewiring or bypassing the ballast. In most cases, it is fairly simple, but sometimes there are some more complex fixtures that require specific rewiring techniques.

A magnetic ballast will cause flickering in LED tubes as well as drastically reduce their life span. It is important that you check for compatibility before making any purchases.

Can A Fluorescent Light Work Without A Ballast?

As far as I know, you cannot use a fluorescent bulb without a ballast. If you were to try to power one from the mains, it would immediately fail, probably bursting.

The reason for this is that the voltage on the mains is not constant, instead, it is “choppy”. The positive half cycles are slightly higher in voltage than the negative half cycles. A typical mains supply could be anywhere between 185V and 245V depending on your location in the world.

A typical fluorescent tube needs around 320V to 350V to light up. Now if you try to power that directly from the mains, what will happen? Well during the positive half cycle when the voltage is higher than usual, you will get an overload and the tube will burst. During the negative half-cycle when the voltage is lower than usual, you won’t even get any light at all!

So how does a ballast solve this problem? Well, a ballast basically takes whatever voltage comes from the mains and converts it into a steady stream of electricity. The ballast then provides this steady flow of electricity to your fluorescent tube and voila! You have light.

How Do I Convert A Fluorescent Light Fixture To LED?

Convert fluorescent fixtures to LED by removing the ballast and rewiring the fixture. After making sure that the power is off, unscrew the fluorescent bulbs, remove the ballast cover, disconnect the wires on the existing ballast and remove it. Open up the sockets to remove any wiring attached to them as well.

The fixture may also have a starter. If it does, take out all wires attached to it and remove them from the fixture, as well. Once all of these components are removed from the fixture, use wire connectors to connect the wires that are supplying power to one side of each socket pair. Screw in new LED tubes into each socket and turn on the power.

Can You Use 4ft LED Bulbs In Fluorescent Fixtures?

You can use 4ft LED bulbs in fluorescent fixtures because the fixture is designed for the brightness of a T8 bulb. A T8 is three times as bright as a T5, which means it’s often brighter than a traditional incandescent bulb.

But because fluorescent light bulbs are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs, you can save money by replacing your fluorescents with LED bulbs and making better use of your energy.

What Is A Fluorescent Light Fixture?

A fluorescent light fixture is a device that contains the tube(s) that are used to produce fluorescent lighting. These fixtures include all of the electrical components necessary to energize and operate the fluorescent lamps.

Most fluorescent fixtures consist of two major parts: the ballast and the tombstone sockets. The ballast provides the necessary voltage and current for starting and operating the fixture’s lamp(s). The tombstone sockets (or bi-pin sockets or just “tombstones”) provide support for the electrical contacts at each end of the lamp(s).

Which Is Better Single Ended Or Double Ended LED Tubes?

If you are looking to replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes, you can find plenty of options on the internet. One of the first decisions you are likely to make is whether to go for single-ended or double-ended LED tubes. This is because most LED tubes on the market are either single-ended or double-ended, with a few rare exceptions.

Single-Ended LED Tube

A single-ended LED tube has one end that plugs into one end of an existing fluorescent fixture. The other end remains open and no power is connected. In some cases, an internal driver may be present at the closed end.

Double-Ended LED Tube

A double-ended LED tube has two ends that plug into both ends of a fluorescent fixture.

Compatibility with Existing Fixtures

You may have heard that it is not possible to install a single-ended LED tube in a double-ended fixture and vice versa. This is not necessarily true because most modern ballasts support both types of tubes. This means that you should be able to use either type of tube in any fixture compatible with T8/T12 fluorescent tubes as long as you remove the ballast before installing the new tube.

Can I Replace 48 Inch Fluorescent Bulbs With LED?

Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.

Can You Mix LED And Fluorescent Lights On Same Circuit – Conclusion

As a recap, here’s the answer we gave to the question, Can You Mix LED And Fluorescent Lights On Same Circuit?

“Both kinds of lighting are energy efficient, it seems logical that you could use both in the same room. However, since the ballast for fluorescent lights is more power-hungry than the ballast for LED lights, mixing the two on one circuit could create a hazardous environment for your electrical system.”

Thank you for reading.