A PL light bulb typically works as a plug-in light bulb. LED PL lamps offer an energy saving replacement for compact fluorescent lamps, or CFL PL bulbs. TCP Lighting offers PL light bulbs with direct wire, plug-and-play, and hybrid installations.
Direct Wire - also known as ballast bypass. These installations require removing the existing ballast on the fixture and running off line voltage instead.
Plug-and-play - simplest installation option. You remove the old bulb and replace it with a new one.
Hybrid - uses both plug-and-play and direct wire technology. They can work as a plug-and-play bulb until the ballast no longer works and then bypass the ballast to work off line voltage.
PL bulbs often use a pin base with either two or four pins. These pins stick out of the base of the light bulb. Instead of screwing in, like traditional light bulb bases, pin base bulbs simply plug into the fixture.
PL bulbs often work in commercial lighting fixtures designed for use with PL bulbs, like recessed downlights, sconces, track lights, display lights, or general light applications.
These bulbs require a fixture with the correct socket and may not work with every lighting fixture. For example, a PL lamp with a 4-pin base requires a fixture that uses a 4-pin socket.