On Wed, 06 Jun 2018 22:02:00 +0100, Brian Reay wrote:

On 06/06/2018 21:29, T i m wrote:
On Wed, 6 Jun 2018 20:58:26 +0100, Brian Reay wrote:

When checking the Screwfix catalogue for something else, I noticed
they did 5ft LED tubes for £14.99, claimed to be equivalent to 100W
and decided to try one.

They come with a 'special' started (a fuse it seems) and you can then
just fit without any rewiring. (I may remove the ballast later.)

I think the 'special' starter switch is just a dummy starter with no
innards. They're intended to remove the temptation to fill the otherwise
empty hole with an actual starter switch.


Having installed it, it looks good- as bright as the two existing
tubes.

IIRC, the later T12 in the 5 foot size had a rating of 65W whilst their
T8 successors (which can work with a cheap ballasted with starter switch
fitting) were rated at 58W. I think the original 1940s lamps had an 80W
rating.


Plan is to replace the rest (2 more in garage and 2 in workshop) when
I next visit Screwfix.

Wouldn't it be wise to wait a bit and see if these suffer the same
uncharacteristically short life as your conventional tubes (as I
believe that was why you were looking for an alternative)?

A LED replacement tube won't suffer the T8 tubes' fate.


I suspect the problem is that the fittings are old, T12, types and I'm
using T8 tubes- ARW's post provided the clue. Some other tubes, used in
a suspended ceiling, haven't given any trouble in 20 years (since we
bought the house). They've just been removed (part of a bathroom
replacement) and are the larger diameter, T12, style.

We have CFLs in several other places and they've been fine.

JOOI, did those tubes you've just decommissioned after 20 years of
faultless service, happen to light up with no flicker within a quarter of
a second of being switched on?

--
Johnny B Good