Since its invention, fluorescent light bulbs have been a mainstay of all
types of lighting. When it comes to lighting up a work area, office, warehouse,
or garage, fluorescent bulbs tend to be the ones chosen more often than
other types of bulbs. They are chosen most often because of the great light
output and good color along with energy efficiency as well. When compared to
incandescent lighting, fluorescent light bulbs are longer lasting, using much
less energy making them a perfect choice for almost any type of commercial
lighting. There are several kinds of fluorescent bulbs; the most common of these
is the T12 and the T8 bulb. The letter 'T' indicates the shape of the bulb
(tubular) and the '12' represents the diameter of the bulb in eighths of an inch
(12 eighths, or 1 1/2 inches). The T8 has a smaller diameter of 1 inch and is
one of the most common energy-efficient light bulbs that are used to replace
less efficient types.
As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures
in order to make them work. Ballasts are available from Universal, Magnatek,
Advance, Osram Sylvania, among others. Almost all fixtures for circline bulbs
come with ballasts already mounted and wired. The ballast is important because
it is specific for each type of lamp. You can't change from one type of
fluorescent to another without changing the ballast in most cases.
On a rare occasion there may be a ballast that is made for several different
types such as in the case of T8 lamps. Most of the time the ballast in the lamp
are matched electrically and so it's good to make sure the ballast you have is
the right one for the lamp you choose.
You can get these in almost any color you want including the
more desirable full spectrum light. The full spectrum has
special phosphors that give it a similar color to daylight or natural sunshine.
It produces light the way our eyes naturally use it, giving better visual acuity
and reducing problems like eyestrain. But fluorescents can come in many
other colors as well and are identified by their Kelvin temperature. By definition, virtually all are full spectrum in that they contain some of all colors in their
spectral range. However, the term full spectrum is primarily used when referring to those lamps
that fall into the white to blue/white color temperature range. Color
temperature is measured by a term called Kelvin. 3000 Kelvin would be a warm
tone color, 5000 Kelvin would be a white color and 6500 Kelvin would be a
blue/white color. There are some of the older types of fluorescents
that don't use these terms but sometimes are called by a certain color such as
"cool white" or warm white".
With the advent of higher electrical costs, many businesses are looking for ways
to save energy with lighting. There are many choices in this area right
now and one of the most popular type of lamps are the T8 fluorescent lights
with matching electronic ballasts. This combination has been a standard for
saving energy and many times has electric utility rebates associated with it.
What makes him such a natural is that the sockets used for less efficient T12
lamps are exactly the same making it an easy retrofit. The very latest
enhancement to T8 bulbs is the eco-friendly design. According to Sylvania,
"Ecologic is a comprehensive program focused on addressing environmental issues
at all stages of lamp life." They go on to say that bulbs in this category "are
designed to meet the Federal Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP)
criteria for classification as non-hazardous waste in most states." If you are
sensitive to the impact of hazardous material in the environment we live in,
then energy saving T8 bulbs from the Ecologic line are for you. If saving energy
while delivering minimum impact on our environment is your choice, then these
fluorescent bulbs are the right choice for you.
Remember that there are many types of fluorescent lighting, we describe some
of the most common used in commercial lighting here. There are also the
compact fluorescent type which screw into regular light bulb sockets and there
are the plug-in type which are used in many original architectural fixtures.
Whatever type you choose or have, you will be saving energy while getting the
most light you can for your money. We have a large inventory of
fluorescent bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in the field. If
you need help identifying the bulb you have, our customer service
representatives can help you determine what you have.
that don't use these terms but sometimes are called by a certain color such as
"cool white" or warm white".
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