T8 flouresent bulbs

[Kenneth in Texas]

im confused. I switched to the newer t8 bulbs as opposed to the old t12 bulbs but these t8s just dont seem as bright and as white as the old t12's were. Educate me on what type t8 bulbs i should be buying. All the fixtures indicate they use a 32 watt bulb.

 

[mbohuntr]

Your ballast needs to be rated for t8's as well. I do not know the specific reason though.

 

[George2615]

Agree with Mbohunter that you have to replace the ballast. If you've changed the ballasts and tubes the check the lumens on the tube box.
I switched my garage over to all T8 fixtures and tubes. Also, at work I have been switching out old T12 fixtures to T8 when the ballasts go bad. Lights are much brighter.

 

[ultrarunner]

Ballast and light spectrum...

Bulbs come in many different spectrums and color rendering.

Most of the bulbs I buy are 3500 also have 4100 and 3000... the difference in light is very noticeable when side by side.

Color and Mood | Products | ENERGY STAR

 

[Rustyiron]

T-5's are are being put in many commercial space as a efficiency gain.
FWIW, the number behind the "T" is the size (diameter) of the bulb, in 1/8"ths. T-5 = 5/8, T-8 - 1", etc.
All I know is the older I get, the more light I need

 

[newbury]

And to lead this off the OP's original question - if you have to get new ballasts you can swap in new T12/T8 form factor LED's that don't need a ballast.
I've a bunch 8' T12's with failing ballasts that are wired through conduit and it seems easier for me to clip the ballast out and put in new LED tubes with minor rewiring than it is to replace everything.

 

[Oldtink]

Ballast and light spectrum...

Bulbs come in many different spectrums and color rendering.

Most of the bulbs I buy are 3500 also have 4100 and 3000... the difference in light is very noticeable when side by side.

Color and Mood | Products | ENERGY STAR

Amen to that! You get what you pay for when it comes to the different phosphorous coatings.
I replaced 4 twin bulb 8 foot fixtures with 4 quad bulb t8 fixtures and used Phillips Alto 841 bulbs and the light output is noticeably brighter than my old 8 footers

 

[LD1]

Agree with others. Make sure the ballasts are rated for T8. I like the 5000k. In my old shop with the old t-12's I had everything 6500k.

New shop now has all 5000k stuff because thats what we use at work. And we just changed every single bulb in the plant 1-1/2 years ago. So I have about 30 boxes with 30 bulbs each that were used, but still work. Gonna be awhile before im out.

All the cree and phillips LED's in the house are 5000k too. Wife had to run to dollar general to grab a few bulbs for one of the apartment units, she got 2700k CFL's. Had to use one in a pinch in the basement. MAN thats YELLOW. Especially with 5000k LED's everywhere else in the basement.

 

[Bird]

Had I known about the LED tubes at the time, that's what I'd have gone to. But since I didn't know about them, and my T-12s were getting pretty erratic, I had all eight, four foot, two tube fixtures in my shop changed to T-8 tubes and ballasts in Feb. 2014 (yep, almost 2 years ago), then in May, 2014, I had the 3 tube fixture in the kitchen changed from magnetic ballast and T-12 tubes to the electronic ballasts and T-8 tubes.

So far, I've been happy with them. Now if I could just get rid of the two 8' T-12 2 tube fixtures in the garage . . . . .

 

[Mendonsy]

I am slowly replacing all of my T12's with LEDs. Every time that one fails, I replace the fixture with a new LED fixture.

 

[Ford850]

T-5's are are being put in many commercial space as a efficiency gain.
FWIW, the number behind the "T" is the size (diameter) of the bulb, in 1/8"ths. T-5 = 5/8, T-8 - 1", etc.
All I know is the older I get, the more light I need

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Deere Dude]

I am slowly replacing all of my T12's with LEDs. Every time that one fails, I replace the fixture with a new LED fixture.

How is that working out for you for brightness? I have 6 fixtures, double two foot T12s cool whites in my workshop with drywalled 8 foot ceilings. I use it but is not like daylight. I looked at Costco double four foot LEDS for $30 but chickened out because of the unknowns.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

yes these are new t8 fixtures in my new shop, just seems they are not as bright as the T12s in my old shop, guess i will have to watch what i buy at the hardware store, before i just got whatever t12 bulb was the cheapest but if i do that now with the t8's they are not as bright.

 

[George2615]

yes these are new t8 fixtures in my new shop, just seems they are not as bright as the T12s in my old shop, guess i will have to watch what i buy at the hardware store, before i just got whatever t12 bulb was the cheapest but if i do that now with the t8's they are not as bright.

When I changed my T12 fixtures to T8's I bought a case of T8's. 30 tubes to a case.
To me they are much brighter than the T12's. The tubes I bought are:

F32T8/TL741 Alto II.
Light output 2800 lumens
Color rendering index 78
Color temperature 4100K
Life 30,000 hours

 

[Winmac]

Could be a few variables coming into play comparing different buildings, ceiling height, wall and ceiling finish, light output per square foot, etc

Personally I like the 6500k in t8

 

[ultrarunner]

At the hospital I use SP 3500 for general locations and SPX 3000 for areas warm and cozy...

The difference is so pronounced people swear the areas are painted different colors and they are not.

 

[mbohuntr]

And to lead this off the OP's original question - if you have to get new ballasts you can swap in new T12/T8 form factor LED's that don't need a ballast.
I've a bunch 8' T12's with failing ballasts that are wired through conduit and it seems easier for me to clip the ballast out and put in new LED tubes with minor rewiring than it is to replace everything.

We have been replacing t12 ballasts with t8 ballasts, and then putting in led tubes... dunno if that is cost efficient or not, but those are the directions from mgmt.

 

[LD1]

We have been replacing t12 ballasts with t8 ballasts, and then putting in led tubes... dunno if that is cost efficient or not, but those are the directions from mgmt.

Dont sound cost effective to me to install a new ballast and THEN a LED tube. Just get rid of ballast all together and buy the right LED tubes. One less thing to fail and consume energy (make heat)

 

[k0ua]

Dont sound cost effective to me to install a new ballast and THEN a LED tube. Just get rid of ballast all together and buy the right LED tubes. One less thing to fail and consume energy (make heat)

I would definitely be in agreement with this. The whole concept of the LED tube that makes use of the ballast is easy no tools retrofit of existing fixtures, but putting in a new ballast and THEN putting in an LED replacement tube seems dumb to me.

 

[George2615]

Maybe they have something besides the standard 110-277V supply voltage. At work I have 277V light fixtures (thousands of them). As the T12's go bad I've been replacing the ballasts with electronic ballasts for T8 tubes. The T8 ballasts run at roughly .33 Amps compared to .60 Amps for T12. I too have to abide by what management says to do when replacing or upgrading lighting. Exit lighting has already been replaced with LED fixtures.
I believe that when most (but not all) people become managers or part of Administration and get that sheepskin to hang on the wall they lose the common sense sheepskin it replaces.