Benefits of T8 LED High Bays vs. Integrated High Bay Lights

T8 LED light fixtures are simple and easily maintained. There are no external electronic ballasts or drivers inside the fixture itself, only drivers inside the T8 LED tubes. These drivers inside the tube automatically bring the electricity to the correct voltage for the LED T8 tube, anywhere from 110Volt to 277Volt and in between (there are external high voltage transformers available up to 480Volt). The T8 LED High Bay light could only have 1 possible failure, which would be the LED tube itself. The failure rate is less than 0.02%, which is industry standard for DLC listed tubes. Although rare, you will always know what the problem is without getting on a ladder! And the fix – just remove the old bulb and turn in the new one, no tools or electrical knowledge required. Simple DIY fix and on with your day.

As for integrated LED High bay fixtures, they are a little more complicated. The fixtures consist of LED boards & chips, a heat sink housing, and an external driver. There are some good quality ones out there, but there are also many imports. It can be difficult to sift through thousands of products to find one that is of high quality. For quality, you will likely spend more money; and always look for the fixture to be “DLC” or “DLC 4.2” rated. Most have rare parts that can be difficult to obtain or match. To fix one of these fixtures, you will need one of the following; An electrician, time for trial & error, or a complete fixture replacement. Most people do not have the knowledge required to safely switch out a driver or an LED chip board. It is highly recommended that a licensed electrician diagnose & repair these types of fixtures.