5 Things to Consider Before Buying TLEDs

Energy Focus Blog

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING TLEDS

If you are looking to make the switch to tubular LEDS (TLEDs) in your school, healthcare facility, commercial or industrial space, there are 5 things you should know before you purchase.

1. Sturdy Construction

Cheaper TLEDs can sag and warp after just a year of use, because of their cylindrical plastic design. Energy Focus TLEDs are made U.S. Navy tough with an aluminum backbone, which acts as a support system and a heat sink. A heat sink draws away any heat that may be generated from the light emitting diodes, allowing the tube to remain cool to the touch even after hours of being illuminated. A plastic tube with a plastic heat sink or no heat sink is a recipe for disaster as it can lead to warping or early failure of your light.

2. Flicker is the Unseen Enemy

If you read our recent blog post about the DOE’s flicker in LED lighting presentation from LIGHTFAIR International 2018, you know that flicker is a real problem. Flicker can cause headaches, eye strain, and even more debilitating symptoms to those in the autism spectrum. If flicker is present in a TLED, it is caused by the driver within the tube. When flicker occurs, it is the modulation of light as the LED driver is converting AC power to DC power and creating light. You can see a perfect example of Energy Focus TLED versus competitor’s TLEDs in the video below.

3. Quality of Light

Quality of light is a very important issue. If you’ve ever had the unpleasant experience of working in a windowless office in the Midwest in winter, you know that you may not see the sun for several months. It is dark upon rising and dark again when coming home from a day job. Imagine having an office fitted with TLEDs that mimic the light spectrum you would see outside on a spring day. In addition, when all your installed TLEDs produce the same light output and the same color temperature, it makes for a seamless, beautiful presentation. This is what you get when you purchase a TLED from Energy Focus. The bright white color doesn’t fade or turn pink like other LEDs either. Quality of light and the longevity of the quality of the diodes means so much when you work in a place that does not give you much natural sunlight.

4. Lumens, Not Watts

Frequently with LEDs, you will see lumens used instead of watts. This is because the watt usage of LEDs is much lower than its predecessors – the incandescent light and the fluorescent light. This is true not just for LED tubes, but all types of LED products. Lumens is the amount of light a lighting product can produce. The best bang for your buck will be the highest lumens per watt (lm/w) ratio, also known as the efficacy. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. The lower the wattage, the more money you are saving. For Energy Focus, this would be our 500D series TLEDs where each tube provides 150 lm/W, which is perfect for office spaces and commercial spaces. For industrial spaces or spaces with very high ceilings, our Commercial T5HO TLED is the best on the market with a whopping 3,380-lumen output.

5. Warranty Coverage

Finally, the most important thing a company that sells TLED products can offer is a warranty. We are so confident in the quality of our products that Energy Focus includes a standard 10-year warranty for most of our TLED products. This is extremely helpful if you are looking for replacements for high bays or high ceiling applications. Getting up that high to change a lighting tube is no easy feat. Imagine not changing a lighting tube for 10-years!

Energy Focus keeps the consumer in mind when creating our products. If you are interested in purchasing our TLEDs or have questions, please fill out our contact form and a customer service agent will be in touch to get you started.

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