A Tubelight is well, a Tubelight. It flickers, flickers a bit more and then starts. From Bollywood to everyday jokes to real life, a tubelight represent things that are slow and take their own good time to react. If you still have those conventional tubelights at home, you very well know the problem of flickering and taking your super intelligent guesses of which has conked off, the choke or the starter. Well, if it’s so, it’s time you make the switch to new-age LED battens that offer high lumen efficacy with huge energy & cost savings, come without any choke or starter and put and end to the age-old problem of flickering tube lights.
An LED batten replaces a tube light with an instant-start fixture that needs no choke or starter. Orient's 18W batten is positioned as a replacement for a 40W tube light and saves about 80 kWh a year at 10 hours of daily use.
Why do tubelights flicker and start slowly?
A fluorescent tubelight flickers and starts slowly because its starter and choke struggle to ignite the gas inside an ageing tube. The usual causes are:
• a worn starter that needs several attempts to fire
• an ageing choke (ballast) that no longer gives a steady current
• darkened tube ends, a sign the tube is near end of life
• low mains voltage
Replacing the starter or tube fixes it for a while. An LED batten removes the choke and starter altogether, so it lights instantly.
LED batten vs T12, T8 and T5 tubelights
|
Feature |
Fluorescent tube (T12, T8, T5) |
LED batten |
|
Typical tube power |
T12 40W, T8 36W, T5 28W, plus choke losses |
18W, 20W or 24W for Orient battens |
|
Start-up |
Flicker and delay as the starter fires |
Instant |
|
Extra parts |
Choke and starter |
None |
|
Mercury |
Yes |
No |
|
Rated life |
Several thousand hours |
More than 20,000 hours |
How much money does an LED batten save?
An 18W LED batten saves about 80 kWh a year compared with a 40W tubelight used 10 hours a day.
• Power saved: 40W − 18W = 22W
• Units a year: 22W × 10 hours × 365 days ÷ 1,000 = 80.3 kWh
• Money saved: 80.3 kWh × tariff. At an illustrative Rs. 6 per kWh that is about Rs. 480 a year.
• Payback in months = batten price ÷ (yearly saving ÷ 12)
• CO2 avoided: 80.3 kWh × grid factor.
How to choose an LED batten
Choose a batten by lumens, length and colour temperature, not by watts alone.
1. Lumens: match or exceed the tube you are replacing, using the lumens printed on the pack.
2. Length: common sizes are 2 ft and 4 ft. Measure the existing fitting.
3. Colour temperature: warm white (2700–3000 K) for living areas, natural white (about 4000 K) or cool white (5000–6500 K) for kitchens and workspaces.
4. Flicker: for study and work areas pick a low-flicker model such as the EyeLuv range.
More Brightness, More Savings
Whether it’s a residential space or a commercial one, LED battens, with their high luminous efficacy, effective light distribution and compact design, are an ideal replacement for the conventional tubelights (T12/T8/T5). When it comes to energy savings, conventional tubelights are a no match. If you replace just one 40-watt conventional tube light with an 18-watt Orient LED batten (average usage of 10 hours daily), you will get an annual saving of about Rs. 480* while also saving 80 kWh of annual energy and reducing annual CO2 emissions by 0.03 tons. To paint a better picture, we would suggest you try our LED Battens Energy Saving Calculator.
Orient LED Battens – Now, that’s a bright idea!!
Let us have a look at key features of Orient Electric LED battens that make them a smart choice for replacement of conventional tube lights.
Instant start, Flicker free light
Up to 80% savings in comparison to conventional tubelights.
High Grade polycarbonate and non-yellowing co extrusion for more durability, better aesthetics and long life.
Green Lighting Technology - Eco Friendly, No mercury, No UV and IR radiation
High Power factor > 0.90
High lumen efficiency – 100 lumens per watt
Long life of more than 20000 hrs.
Ease of installation
Can the Battens change colours, yes they do!
Orient is offering LED battens in a variety of lengths and wattages to suit varied aesthetic preferences and usage environments. It has recently expanded the range to include three new variants – 18W tri-colour Moodlight LED batten which can provide three distinct colours of light as per consumers mood and or according to the ambience of the room, 24W Sunlight LED batten that offers high brightness and 20W Pearl LED Glass Tube batten with unique fixture free design & low glare light.
Scoring big over fluorescent tubelights (FTLs) in terms of design, light output, maintenance and energy efficiency, LED battens are a must-have for your home. After all, a ‘tubelight’ is just a ‘tubelight’…right???
FAQs
Q: Can I replace a tubelight with an LED batten without changing the fitting?
A: A complete LED batten is a new fixture, so it replaces the old tube, choke and starter together. Only LED retrofit tubes fit an existing fixture, and they may need the starter removed. Because this involves mains wiring, have a qualified electrician do it.
Q: How much electricity does an LED batten save compared with a 40W tubelight?
A: An 18W LED batten saves about 80 kWh a year against a 40W tubelight when both run 10 hours a day. At an illustrative Rs. 6 per kWh, that is roughly Rs. 480 a year per fitting. Multiply by the number of tubelights in your home.
Q: What is the difference between an LED batten and an LED tube?
A: An LED batten is a self-contained fixture with its own driver and body. An LED tube is a bulb-style replacement that fits an existing tubelight fitting. A batten is simpler to install as a new fitting; a tube suits a quick swap where wiring is already suitable.
Q: Do LED battens flicker or take time to start?
A: LED battens start instantly because they have no choke or starter. Flicker depends on the quality of the driver, not on the LED itself. For study and work areas choose a model with a stated low flicker, such as Orient's EyeLuv range.
Q: Which LED batten wattage replaces a 36W or 40W tubelight?
A: Look for an LED batten of about 18–20W, then compare its printed lumens with the tube it replaces. Orient's 18W and 20W battens are positioned for this swap. Lumens, not watts, tell you whether the new light is as bright.
Q: How do I dispose of an old fluorescent tube?
A: Fluorescent tubes contain a small amount of mercury, so do not put them in household waste. Hand them to an authorised e-waste or lamp recycler, or a retailer take-back scheme.
