Your Guide to Choose between Double and Single-Ended T8 LED Tubes

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LED lights are a revolution in the lighting industry. As government and local initiatives help bring down LED lighting fixtures’ costs, more people gravitate towards the smart lighting solution. From homes to commercial facilities, LED lights are ‘’tried and tested’’ to perform in various indoor and outdoor locations. Even so, planning to invest in an LED lighting replacement for fluorescent tubes can get confusing. There are a plethora of options available in the T-series, and the best is yours to decide.

What is the difference between a single and double-ended LED tube light?

Like fluorescent lights, T8 LED tubes have pins on both ends, and they serve two functions. First, the pins act as the contact point from where the electric current enters the light fixture. Second, the pins allow a tight grip so that the LED tube does not fall off a fixture.

The difference between single and double-ended LED tubes is as follows:

Single-ended LED tubes take input power from one end of the fixture, which means that one has to connect the live and neutral wires to one side of the light fixture.
Double-ended LED tubes get input power from both the ends. Therefore, one has to connect the live wire to one end and the neutral wire to the other end of a light fixture.

Nevertheless, single-ended tubes still have pins on both sides. The pins on the ‘’non-energized’’ allow secure installation and ensure that the tube light fits tightly in the fixture.

When should you choose single-ended T8 LED tubes?

Unlike fluorescent tubes, most single-ended tubes do not rely on ballasts. Also known as ‘’plug and play’’ type tubes, they need a ‘’ballast-bypass’’ installation. Therefore, if you want to replace an existing fluorescent fixture so that the new fixture would never need a ballast, go for single-ended tube installation.

You can also choose a single-ended tube installation when replacing an existing T8 fluorescent fixture with rapid start ballast. As both T8 single-ended LED and fluorescent bulbs work with non-shunted tombstones, there will not be any problem during and after the installation.

Read this article to know more about single-ended tube replacement.

When should you choose double-ended T8 LED tubes?

Unlike fluorescent tubes, most double-ended tubes need non-shunted tombstones. Thus, installing a double-ended LEDtubelight will require a ‘’ballast-bypass.’’ Nevertheless, there are ‘’hybrid’’ double-ended T8 LED tubes that can work with or without a ballast. So, you can choose a ‘’hybrid’’ design and decide the installation method afterward!

Know more about double-ended T8 tube installation by reading This article.

P.S.
I post articles on LED lights and lighting fixtures. So, if you ever want to know more about Energy-saving LED lights, feel free to go through my blog posts!

Confused by LED T8 tube options? Unsure if you need single-ended or double-ended LED tubes? Orilis can help by simplifying the jargon! 

In a nutshell - Single-end powered simply means your light fixture is wired to one end of the led tube(s) only (The other end is un-powered). Double-end powered means your light fixture is wired to the tube(s) on both ends. Remember that these tube types are not interchangeable. The wiring will be different for each type.

A double-ended LED tube is a tube that has the live and neutral pins on the opposite side of each tube. Fluorescent tubes are typically double-ended as well, making retrofit applications easier to complete with double-ended LED tubes.

A double-ended tube can use either shunted or non-shunted tombstones. When upgrading to LED tubes using an LED Retrofit Kit, you can the existing tombstones if they are in good condition, helping to reduce the average retrofit installation time. Check any tombstones to be reused for damage. It is not uncommon for old tombstones to be broken either from long exposure to heat or from replacing the tubes. If damage is found it is best to replace them.

A single-ended LED tube is a tube that has the live and neutral pins on the same side of the tube. This end will be the “Input” end.  A simple way to know if you have a single ended tube is to look for the L/N or AC INPUT sticker at the end of the tube. Since the single-end powered tubes only use one side of the tube, both live and neutral power will be on the same side, but different pins.  The "L" indicates the pin that live power will go into. The "N" indicates the pin that neutral power will go into.

If the tube is being installed as part of an LED Retrofit Kit into a fluorescent fixture, you will need to replace the existing fluorescent, shunted tombstones with non-shunted tombstones on at least one side of the fixture, the ‘live’ or powered end of the fixture.