Fluorescent lighting has become very popular in the households and offices. But recent researchers have confirmed that these can be very harmful to the environment. There are chances for the occurrence of severe head aches in the people who are exposed to fluorescent tubes for a long time. These lights contain mercy and lead which are hazardous to the environment. Even when these lights are disposed of they remain as harmful toxic waste.
LED tube which does not emit mercury or any other kind of toxic gases is the new innovation which is now popular recommended to replace the usual incandescent bulbs and other fluorescent lights. LEDs are more environments friendly and cost effective. They consume less that 60% of the energy consumed by incandescent bulbs. These will have a longer lifespan as well. It will remain intact for 50,000 to 100,000 hours. These advantages make it both cost effective and very efficient compared to other lighting technologies.
LED is a light emitting diode. It is a semiconductor diode which emits light. These are manufactured using a different technology compared to that of fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lights normally use electrodes and a combination of argon and mercury to produce light. On the other hand LEDs are small bulbs which produce light. The movement of electrons in the diode helps in producing light. An LED tube is made of hundreds of LEDs. The indicator lamps in the LED tube produce low intensity red light or very high bright light.
The LEDs are now popularly used by commercial and motor industries, agriculture sector and even in the traffic lights. It is not a difficult task to install this tube. It is designed for a drop in replacement for fluorescent bulbs. But sometimes simple modifications need to be made.
The cost of the tube is cost when compared to fluorescent ones. The cost is usually $ 50 to $ 100. As the life span of these lights is more, it will not be a loss even if you spend these much money. These tubes come in different sizes and colors. The available sizes are 2, 4 or 6 feet. These lights can be treated like any other waste. They can be purchased along with new fixtures. These do not need ballasts which are commonly used by fluorescent lights and so when these tubes are fixed ballasts are to be removed.
With all these advantages LED tubes are gaining popularity over the CFL bulbs. These are efficient energy savers and consumer friendly.
