Replacing plug-in compact fluorescents with LED

Next to linear fluorescents, plug-in compact fluorescents are one of the most common light sources found in commercial buildings. Given their popularity, there has been a huge focus on energy-saving LED alternatives to these plug-in compact fluorescents. Many commercial-grade LED PL lamps are now DLC rated, allowing consumers to get rebates for converting to LED. The available LED options for replacing compact fluorescent plug-in bulbs are following the same path as LED T8 Tubes.

Before we get into the energy saving options, it is important to understand what the current plug-in compact fluorescent bulb options are. The first thing to understand is base type. There are 9 common base types for plug-in compact fluorescents, but the easy way to narrow down what you have is to look at how many pins there are. You will have either a 2-pin or 4-pin lamp. From there you can determine the exact base type you have by looking at the chart below:

Another item to keep in mind when understanding your available energy-saving options is that 2-pin compact fluorescent have a magnetic ballast whereas 4-pin compact fluorescent have an electronic ballast.

With the base type figured out, the next thing to determine is what specific compact fluorescent plug-in bulb you have. There are 4 options available: Single Tube (aka PL), Double Tube (aka Quad), and Triple Tube (aka Triple), as well as Single Tube Long (aka PLL).

Once you understand which type you have, you need to figure out what wattage and kelvin temperature you have. That should be listed on the side of the base of the bulb. One example is F26DBX/841/ECO4P. The first number 26 is the wattage = 26 watt. The 841 number is the color = 4100 kelvin (cool white). Here is a chart showing all of the color temps:

The last item to consider is the size of your fluorescent plugin lamp and how it is mounted – vertically or horizontally. It might not matter for your specific application, but understand that there are options for both mounting types.

Once you have all of this information in hand, you can now determine what LED replacement options you have available:

Replacing CFLs with Type A LED PLs

Depending on which specific 4-pin lamp you have, there may be options for Type A (works off existing electronic ballast), Type B (remove ballast and wire directly to line voltage), and/or Type D (Combo – works with or without ballast) technology. For more information on the pros and cons of each type of technology read this article – Should You Replace Your Fluorescent T8 Lighting with LED T8 Tubes

Type A LED PL lamps that operate off the existing ballast generally have a compatible ballast sheet that you will want to cross-reference with your current fluorescent PL ballast. This will save the headache of ordering a bulb that is not compatible with your existing ballasts. Most will be 4-pin electronic ballasts but if you have a 2-pin CFL it may have a magnetic ballast. These are a little trickier to find but there are some Magnetic Ballast Compatible LED PLs.

You will find that in general there are two main styles of Type A LED PL lamps: ballast compatible vertical LED PL lamps and ballast compatible horizontal LED PL lamps. The vertical base lamps are generally installed in applications where the base is facing down, with the lamp acting as downlights with a concentrated downward spread. The horizontal orientation lamps have a similar 120° beam spread and are found in any other PL application. Some come in the same shape as the old fluorescents like the TCP LED Quad 4-Pin PL.

Breaking these down further into the base, you will find some 2-pin GX23 LED PL lamps and some 2-pin G24 LED PL lamps. Make sure you verify the base type of your fluorescent PL to make sure you get the right one. Most 4-pin G24q LED PL lamps can replace any G24 base fluorescent but always check to confirm.

Replacing CFLs with Type B LED PLs

Type B LED PL lamps bypass the ballast and wire direct to line voltage within the fixture. This is the most popular retrofit option as often times the CFL ballast is failing or can cause compatibility issues; bypassing it ensures this won’t be a problem. But there are still many considerations before you jump in.

Just as above, there are vertical LED PL lamps that bypass the ballast and horizontal LED PL lamps that bypass the ballast. The vertical lamps are generally found in downlights and as you see from the link above, Keystone has a standard vertical and extended vertical for the deep recessed fixtures.

The Horizontal LED PLs are generally separated by those bulbs that are designed to replace 2-pin GX23 base CFLs and then others that are 4-pin CFL LED replacements with a G24q base. There are also Omni-Directional LED PL lamps with a G24 base and wide 260°-360° beam spread.

Replacing CFLs with Type D LED PLs

Type D LED PL lamps, often referred to as Type A+B or Hybrid LED PL lamps, are able to work with the existing ballast and then once the ballast dies out, they can be wired direct. Interest in this technology has grown recently as end users wish to use up their remaining ballast life, and once that is gone (or if the lamp is not compatible with the ballast) they can wire it direct to 120-277V line voltage.

The same considerations remain; if you want to use it on the existing ballast, you will need to check compatibility. For Type A+B LED PL lamps, you may be dealing with a magnetic 2-pin CFL ballast or an electronic 4-pin CFL ballast. Consequently you would want a Type D 2-pin Magnetic Ballast Compatible LED PL or a Type D 4-pin Electronic Ballast Compatible LED PL, both of which would be able to wire direct once the ballast dies.

Next, you need to look at the shape of the bulb and the base. For example, most of the 2-pin magnetic ballast CFL pl bulbs are tiny horizontal G23 base but there are some 4-pin magnetic ballast CFL bulbs with G24 base as well. This link shows all Type A+B Horizontal Orientation LED PL bulbs. If you have a downlight or uplight application, you would want a Type A+B Vertical Orientation LED PL at this link. Again, most of these are going to be G24q base but there are some GX23 options as well. There are some unique options in these categories with TCP just putting out a new adjustable LED PL that is Type A+B, making it versatile enough to fit most PL applications that use a G24Q base.

Replacing CFLs with an LED Recessed Can or Fixture

If you have plugin CFL lamps, you may wish to just replace the fixture entirely. Often times the sockets are brittle so this can make using a retrofit bulb difficult, not to mention all the variance with base type, 2-pin/4-pin, ballast compatibility, etc can make users want to start fresh with LED. The GE LRX Downlight is a popular option for this but there are many others as well; the key is understanding your existing fixture and the proper size LED fixture you would need. You may need an 8″ LED Recessed Can, 6″ LED Recessed Can or a 4″ LED Recessed Can, or something entirely different depending on your fixture. If you have some emergency CFL PL fixtures, this would be another reason to get a new LED fixture as many of them feature optional emergency battery backup with their integrated LED fixtures.

In summary, there are many ways you can go when replacing your CFL lamps to LED. It is important to be knowledgeable about your existing fixtures as well as the current LED landscape when determining what is the best fit for you. If you have any questions or thoughts, you are welcome to comment below or contact Premier Lighting direct and we’ll be happy to assist you.