DIYbanter - View Single Post

Don Klipstein

In article .com,
wrote:
A 48" fluourescent kitchen light bulb died.
Has a Sylvania "Super Saver F40ww/ss" bulb, also labeled "Rapid Start
34W" with another hard-to-read vertical label with E, 0 and 4.

a little over 15 yrs. old.

I would like to replace it with a "Daylight" spectrum bulb.
Local Ace Hardware has this
but it says "40 W" and I wonder if mine is actually 34W ?
Box: GE Ecolux F40T12 ( I know that T12 means 1" diam. - which
matches)
label on glass:
F40C50-ECO
Chroma 50 40W USA

I see no other writing on outside of the
existing bulb or the lamp fixture.

If I open it up and read the ballast label - what is meaningful on
that?
The fixutre is by "Lampi."

T12 is 1.5 inch diameter, which is very common.

I did see your next post about what the ballast said. It appears to me
that the ballast is for 1.5 inch diameter "lamps" (bulbs) as opposed to
the 1 inch diameter T8 32-watt ones.

MEANWHILE, I have plenty of comments on color/spectrum!

If what you want is a replacement for "Chroma 50", then the Philips
"Natural Sunshine" available at Home Depot should be close enough and
should not be in any way a disappointment!
Just keep in mind that both of these as well as other "broad spectrum"
types ("Deluxe Cool White" and the various equivalents, improvements, and
fine-tunings thereof including versions tuned to color temperatures in the
5000-6000 Kelvin range or higher) have light output less than the "full"
available from 4-foot fluorescents!

I have my own favorites here! The color rendering index is only 82, but
the color distortions are majority towards directions of "brighter and
more vivid", while most other fluorescents do the opposite.
Furthermore, these lamps with CRI of 82 or slightly more have no
compromise in light output. These are the higher of the two color
rendering index grades of triphosphor fluorescents. Philips makes ones in
T12 sizes with the name "Ultralume".
Triphosphor in general and "Ultralume" specifically come in different
colors noted mainly by "color temperature" numbers:

3000 or 30 - "warm white shade" roughly incandescent approximation
3500 or 35 - "whiter warm white" that I really like for home use
4100 or 41 - "cool white"/"regular white" shade, like that of "average
sunlight" (my words), but better for colors than "old tech
cool white"
5000 or 50 - "noontime tropical sunlight" icy cold pure white, like
"Chroma 50" and Philips "Natural Sunshine"

Keep in mind that "cooler" (higher color temperature) colors 4100K or
higher color temperature can cause a "dreary gray" effect unless you
achieve the bright illumination levels (roughly 100-plus footcandles,
1100-plus lux) typically achieved in classrooms and offices. As a result,
my favorite for most home use is 3500K, even if you want something whiter
than incandescent (roughly 2700-2900 K).

- Don Klipstein )