Votatec supplies LED PL lamps wholesale to Canadian contractors, facility managers, and building owners. We carry 5CCT adjustable options in 9W and 16W, covering the most common CFL PL replacements - no ballast rewiring needed on Type A. All lamps are cUL certified for the Canadian market.
What Is a PL Lamp?
A PL lamp is a plug-in compact fluorescent or LED lamp with a folded-tube design and a multi-pin base. The format was originally developed by Philips and became the standard in commercial downlights, wall sconces, and recessed fixtures across offices, schools, hospitals, and retail spaces across North America. The "PL" designation covers several physical variants: PL-C (compact twin or quad tube), PL-S (single tube), and PL-L (long compact), each with 2-pin or 4-pin bases to match different fixture ballast types.
Today, LED versions replace the original CFL PL lamps directly - same base, same fixture, far lower energy draw and a much longer service life. Votatec's LED PL lamps are designed as drop-in retrofits for the Canadian commercial market.
Types of LED PL Lamps We Carry
PL-C (Compact Twin/Quad Tube)
The PL-C format is the most common PL lamp in Canadian commercial buildings. It fits standard G24 bases (G24d for 2-pin, G24q for 4-pin) and is used in downlights, track heads, and wall fixtures. Votatec's 9W and 16W 5CCT LED PL-C lamps replace 13W-18W and 26W-32W CFL equivalents respectively.
PL-S (Single Tube)
The PL-S is a smaller single-tube format on a GX23 or G23 base. Common in wall sconces, exit sign fixtures, and hospitality accent lighting. The smaller footprint makes it a go-to for decorative commercial fixtures where a standard PL-C won't fit.
PL-L (Long Compact)
The PL-L is a long, single-piece 4-pin lamp on a 2G11 base. Widely used in recessed ceiling fixtures and industrial task lighting. If you're retrofitting PL-L fixtures, contact our team - we can confirm the right LED replacement wattage and base compatibility for your specific fixture model.
Type A vs Type B LED PL Lamps - Which Do You Need?
This is the question our technical team gets most often. Here's the short answer:
- Type A (ballast-compatible): Works with the existing magnetic or electronic ballast in your fixture. Swap the CFL lamp for the LED and you're done. No rewiring. No electrician needed for each fixture change. This is the fastest retrofit path for large facilities with hundreds of fixtures.
- Type B (direct-wire / ballast bypass): Bypasses the ballast entirely and wires directly to mains voltage. It's a one-time fixture modification that removes the ballast as a future failure point - ballasts fail more often than the LED lamp itself. Long-term, it's the lower-maintenance option.
- Type A+B (dual mode): Works either way. Gives you flexibility across a mixed fixture inventory where some units have compatible ballasts and others don't.
Not sure which type fits your fixture inventory? Send us the fixture model number and we'll confirm compatibility before you order.
CFL to LED PL Lamp Retrofit - What Changes, What Stays the Same
The base stays the same. The fixture stays the same. What changes is the lamp itself - and your energy bill.
A 9W LED PL lamp replaces a 13W-18W CFL at equivalent lumen output, reducing energy consumption by 40-50% per fixture. A 16W LED replaces a 26W-32W CFL with similar savings. Across a 200-fixture facility, that adds up fast - and most Canadian provinces offer utility rebate programmes for commercial LED retrofits that can offset a significant portion of the upfront cost.
Votatec's 5CCT adjustable lamps let you set the colour temperature at the time of installation - 3000K for warm hospitality environments, 4000K for offices and retail, 5000K or 6500K for task-critical areas. One part number covers five applications. That means simpler inventory management and fewer SKUs to stock.
Why Facility Managers Choose Votatec for LED PL Lamps
- cUL certified - every lamp in our catalogue meets Canadian safety and compliance standards
- 5CCT in one SKU - no need to order different lamps for different zones of the same building
- Wholesale pricing - volume pricing available for contractors and FM teams managing multi-site retrofits
- Technical support - our team confirms fixture compatibility before you order, not after
- Canadian stock - no cross-border delays; we ship across Canada from Canadian inventory
- Quote in 24 hours - send us your fixture count and we'll turn around a line-item quote the same business day
Get a Wholesale Quote Talk to Our Technical Team