Some of the biggest retrofit mistakes we see are with Compact Fluorescent PLL bulbs. CFL PLL bulbs are long plug-in bulbs that utilize an existing ballast for power. Sounds standard considering there are many linear fluorescent as well as CFL PL bulbs that have been retrofitted to LED, but before you jump in and buy an LED PLL bulb you should understand some basics first.
First off, length matters so start off by measuring your lamp. A few years back when LED PLL lamps became a thing, almost all of them were of the 22 inch variety. This was the most common CFL PLL length however there are other shorter lengths out there, so many users ordered the 22″ LED PLL and came to realize they acquired a bulb that was too long to fit within the fixture.
Looking at wattages can be a clue as well. If you have a 40W CFL PLL, you will need a 22″ LED PLL. A 36W CFL PLL is a bit shorter as you would need one of these 16″ LED PLL lamps. The really smaller lamps are a bit rare – for a 24W CFL PLL LED Replacement you will need an LED PLL that measures nearly 13″ (12-11/16″). The smallest is the 18W CFL PLL LED which measures 8-15/16″. As you can see from the links above, Green Creative is a leader in LED PLL technology especially with the more rare options in both Type A or Type B.
Like other fluorescent retrofit options, you will have the option to bypass the ballast and wire direct, or use an LED PLL that uses the existing ballast (if compatible). For the smaller lengths, the only option so far is a bypass option. But for the 36W and 40W CFL lamps, you can sort them by Type A Ballast Compatible LED PLL or Type B Ballast Bypass LED PLL.
The easiest way to make sure you order the right lamp as with any retrofit is by looking inside your existing fixtures and pulling a bulb out to get the part number. With the odd look of a CFL PLL many incorrectly think it’s a 2′ linear T8 or a fluorescent Ubend, but those are entirely different lamps that require different solutions. Always check first and if you have any questions, comment below or contact us direct.