Tube Lights

Which cap does your tube light need?

Start with the cap, as a tube only fits a holder made for it. Most of our tube lights have G13 caps, with two pins at each end like a standard straight fluorescent tube. We also stock 2G11 tubes, which plug in at one end through four pins in a row; 2G11 is the cap used on long compact fluorescent lamps, in fittings such as square ceiling panels. The cap code is usually printed on the old tube or on a label inside the fitting.

What size tube light do you need?

A G13 tube must reach the lampholders at both ends, and a 2G11 tube must suit the length of its fitting, so measure the old tube from end to end, including the caps. If the old tube is missing, the fitting's label usually names the tube it takes. Most of the tube lights we stock are smaller sizes, with many medium or large and a few extra-large.

Swapping a fluorescent tube for an LED tube light

Almost all of our tube lights are LED, and your fitting decides how the swap is done. An older switch-start batten usually has a small plug-in starter, which you may need to change for the type the tube calls for, while a fitting with an electronic ballast may need the ballast bypassing so the tube runs straight from the mains. Before you buy, check which of these the tube is made for.

Bypassing a ballast means rewiring the fitting. In England and Wales, electrical work in a home must meet Part P of the Building Regulations, so have a qualified electrician do it, and always isolate the circuit before you take out a tube.

Choosing tube lights for a kitchen

Many of our tube lights suit kitchens. A kitchen tube light in a ceiling batten throws broad, even light across worktops and cupboards. Where you can, place it over the front edge of the worktop rather than the middle of the room, so you are not working in your own shadow. Cool white and daylight give crisp light for chopping and cooking, while warm white feels gentler in a kitchen where you also eat. If the batten sits close to the sink or hob, check that the fitting itself suits that spot.

Which white should your tube lights be?

Most of the tubes we stock are cool white, a clean, neutral white, and many are daylight, the crispest and bluest white. Many are warm white, nearer the soft tone of a household lamp, and a few are CCT-adjustable, so a single tube can be set warmer or cooler. As a guide, choose cool white or daylight where you work, such as a utility room or workshop, and warm white where you relax; an adjustable tube helps if a room changes use.

Tube light wattage and brightness

Most of our range draws 10W to 25W, many tubes draw under 10W and some draw 25W to 50W. Watts tell you the power a tube uses rather than how bright it looks, and an LED tube is normally rated lower than the fluorescent tube it replaces, so compare light output in lumens where the specification gives it. As a rough guide, a longer tube lights a wider area.

What to check before buying tube lights

Almost all of the tubes we stock are non-dimmable, so run them from a standard on and off switch rather than a dimmer. Many are rated IP20, a rating for dry indoor spaces that gives no protection against water. Many have an opal finish that softens glare from the tube, and we stock tubes in both polycarbonate and glass. Finally, if your batten holds a pair of tubes, replace both at once so they match in colour and brightness.