ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Fluorescent Lighting?

Are you guys taking on the new T-5 tubes like we are here in NZ?.
Do you guys have reservations about using fluoro's?.
Are you still using the old Series tubes (1 1/4" 38mm)?.
I'd sooner use T-5 than old HPS Hi-Bays.
What are your thoughts on this?.

Mike. the old 1 1/4" tube has been out of favour here for some 10 years or more now, still available for the die-hards at a cost though. T5 much better longer life better colour, used with high frequency gear instant start. Have to agree with you HPS High-Bays come second choice now.

Here in the UK we use a number of different Fluorescent formats, but T-5's are certainly making inroads into the market in a big way.

Personally I prefer different fluorescent formats, namely TL-C, TL-D and PLL, much smaller fittings, more light output and much longer life.

Yep, many fluoro fittings come with a T5 tube fitted these days and the larger size seems to be falling out of favor.

I've noticed that some of the smaller, local hardware stores only carry T5 tubes for the smaller sizes (4 or 5 ft.) now.

I hear ya about the high-bays Trumpy. Anyone who has had to work on a high bay light 10 metres above a crowded factory floor, without some kind of hoist, will agree that suspended low-level fluoros are a more practical option.

Guys,
Thanks for your comments!.
Alan,
You can still get the old 1 1/4" tubes here but they are pretty rare, which is a good thing, considering the mercury content that they have.
T8 (25mm) is the most common type of tube here these days and with the advent of Tri-Phosphor tubes, with next to no mercury in them and a lot better light output quality, I would imagine they will be around for a wee while yet.
However, they would (I would imagine) be used in conjunction with HF ballasts.
I'm not going to be shedding any tears when the last Wire-wound ballast finally gets put to rest.
Fluorescent fittings are a lot lighter and easier to fit, with HF ballasts in them and without the heat dissipation.
The only aspect of the new T5 fittings that I'm not sure that a lot of people realise is, the fact that maximum light output is attained when the tubes are at an ambient temperature of 25-30 degrees C.
I'm not really sure how achieveable this would be in a normal installation.