T8 bulbs are popular in home and businesses. You may find the phrase in your project. What is a T8 bulb?
“T” means “tubular”. It describes shape of the bulb. So, you may find T8, T5 and T12 bulbs. They are all tubular bulbs.
“8” is value of diameter. It means 8/8 inch. So, actually T8 is a tubular bulb whose diameter is 8/8=1 inch. T5 is tubular bulbs whose diameter is 5/8=0.625 inch.
Regards T8 bulbs, LED is more and more popular due to energy saving, long lifespan and eco-friendly. There are three types of T8 LED tube bulbs.
- Type A LED Tube – Plug and Play (Compatible with Ballast)
- Type B LED Tube – Ballast Bypass.
There are two kinds of type B LED tube, which are single ended power and double ended power LED tube. Single ended power LED tube need rewire, but it’s cheaper. Double ended power LED tube can work directly on fluorescent light fixture after remove ballast. - Type C LED Tube – External driver
If you are choosing T8 LED tube for a new project, we highly recommend that you choose Type B single ended power T8 LED tube. Product cost and maintain cost is the best.
If you are planning a LED retrofit project, please read this post How to Convert My 4ft Fluorescent Tube Light to LED.
So, I believe you know what is a T8 bulb. It’s just a tubular bulb whose diameter is 8/8=1 inch.
