Check the label on the tube itself: Type A LED tubes work with an existing fluorescent ballast and are marked "ballast compatible" or "plug-and-play," while Type B tubes are marked "ballast bypass" or "direct wire" and connect straight to line voltage after the ballast is removed.
The label is the fastest method, but the base pin configuration also gives it away on 8ft tubes. Type A LED tubes retain the original FA8 single-pin or G13 bi-pin base and draw power through the ballast circuit — no rewiring required. Type B LED tubes use the same base physically but are wired directly to the fixture's line voltage, bypassing the ballast entirely. If the packaging says "ballast bypass required," it's a Type B. If it says "works with existing ballast," it's Type A.
- Type A LED tubes are labeled "ballast compatible" or "plug-and-play" and require no rewiring.
- Type B LED tubes are labeled "ballast bypass" or "direct wire" and connect to line voltage — ballast must be removed or disabled.
- ELEKICO 8ft LED tubes are Type B (direct wire), using an FA8 single-pin base wired to line voltage.
- Ballast bypass installation adds approximately 15–30 minutes of wiring time compared to a Type A drop-in swap.
- Type B tubes eliminate the ballast as a failure point and typically improve fixture efficiency by 10–15% over Type A.