Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
oups.com...
On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

Thanks for responding.

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

Would that it were so. It's an old house we're renting. No label.

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.

On 12 Oct, 14:37, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

oups.com...

On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

Thanks for responding.

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

Would that it were so. It's an old house we're renting. No label.

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?



2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up
or otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

Uh, what point did you think I was making?

When I said "The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage" I
meant the wattage might "mess up or otherwise be incompatible with the
"ballast" thing-ee"

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
ps.com...
On 12 Oct, 14:37, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

oups.com...

On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

Thanks for responding.

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

Would that it were so. It's an old house we're renting. No label.

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?



2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.- Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up
or otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

Uh, what point did you think I was making?

When I said "The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage" I
meant the wattage might "mess up or otherwise be incompatible with the
"ballast" thing-ee"

OK. One of the fluorescent light FAQs on the web implied that one might
also worry about the rating of the circuit powering all of it. which is what
I assumed you were referring to.

Cheers.

sinister wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S


What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?

TDD

"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
...
sinister wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S


What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?

GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg


TDD

on 10/12/2007 3:47 PM sinister said the following:
"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
...

sinister wrote:

Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S


What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?


GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg
That's a utility shoplight! That's made for a building or warehouse, so
that people don't trip over stuff on the floor.
Wouldn't you want a cool white in the bathroom?
A Cool white lasts almost twice as long as a shoplight. 2000 hrs. on a
CW vs. 1200 hrs. on a SL.
No wonder you don't get a close shave. :-)

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

"willshak" wrote in message
...
on 10/12/2007 3:47 PM sinister said the following:
"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message
...

sinister wrote:

Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S


What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?


GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg
That's a utility shoplight! That's made for a building or warehouse, so
that people don't trip over stuff on the floor.

Like I said, it's an old house that I'm renting. Plumber says there's all
sorts of crazy mismatched sh*t in here.

Wouldn't you want a cool white in the bathroom?
A Cool white lasts almost twice as long as a shoplight. 2000 hrs. on a CW
vs. 1200 hrs. on a SL.
No wonder you don't get a close shave. :-)

Tell that to my wife; it's her BR actually. :-)

I couldn't really find a 48" 25W T12 online, so the guy at the light store
gave me a 48" T8 32W. Seems to work OK, though it flickers at a low rate
somewhat.

Cheers.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

On Oct 12, 3:00 pm, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

ps.com...





On 12 Oct, 14:37, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

groups.com...

On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

Thanks for responding.

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

Would that it were so. It's an old house we're renting. No label.

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.- Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up
or otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

Uh, what point did you think I was making?

When I said "The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage" I
meant the wattage might "mess up or otherwise be incompatible with the
"ballast" thing-ee"

OK. One of the fluorescent light FAQs on the web implied that one might
also worry about the rating of the circuit powering all of it. which is what
I assumed you were referring to.

Cheers.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- "One of the fluorescent light FAQs on the web implied that one
might also worry about the rating of the circuit powering all of it."



Someone correct me if I'm wrong...like I even have to ask.

I can not imagine a circumstance where one would need to be concerned
about the "rating of the circuit powering all of it" when considering
replacing a 25W fluorescent tube with a 32W fluorescent tube.

Please post a link to the FAQ...I'm always willing to learn something.

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Oct 12, 3:00 pm, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

ps.com...





On 12 Oct, 14:37, "sinister" wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message

groups.com...

On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does
that
matter?

TIA,

S

Thanks for responding.

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

Would that it were so. It's an old house we're renting. No label.

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.-
Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up
or otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

Uh, what point did you think I was making?

When I said "The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage" I
meant the wattage might "mess up or otherwise be incompatible with the
"ballast" thing-ee"

OK. One of the fluorescent light FAQs on the web implied that one might
also worry about the rating of the circuit powering all of it. which is
what
I assumed you were referring to.

Cheers.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

-- "One of the fluorescent light FAQs on the web implied that one
might also worry about the rating of the circuit powering all of it."



Someone correct me if I'm wrong...like I even have to ask.

I can not imagine a circumstance where one would need to be concerned
about the "rating of the circuit powering all of it" when considering
replacing a 25W fluorescent tube with a 32W fluorescent tube.

Please post a link to the FAQ...I'm always willing to learn something.

My bad. Went back and looked at the FAQ and indeed it was in the context of
the ballast not matching.

sinister wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.
I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does
that matter?

TIA,

S

Maybe. Pull the outside cover and glance at the ballast inside: It will
usually state what wattage lamps it's designed for. It may be rated to
handle it, or may not. From 25 to 32W is a little "iffy" for new fixtures,
more likely to be OK for older ones, but check anyway unless you're willing
to replace it if you're wrong.
Or, you could just replace the ballast at the same timeg.

BTW: Are you sure it's 25W and not 22W? Just asking. Anyway, if you can't
find out what it's rated for, wait for the right bulb, IMO.

HTH
Pop`

DerbyDad03 wrote:
On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does
that matter?

TIA,

S

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

"Fixture"?? No. Ballast, maybe, but not the fixture.


2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

It's unlikely a 25 to 32W bulb's brightness is going to be much perceived
and certainly won't be a problem. Just going to a new 25W bulb will likely
make a nice increase in the light output but not much different than a new
32W would. 40W is stretching it and I'd seriously doubt the ballast would
handle it.

Regards,

Pop`


Easy answer: If the fixture can handle the high wattage, try one and
see. The borg will take it back if you don't like it.

P.S. - I use incandescents in the bathrooms so I can use dimmers.

sinister wrote:
"willshak" wrote in message
...
on 10/12/2007 3:47 PM sinister said the following:
"The Daring Dufas" wrote in
message ...

sinister wrote:

Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a
brick and mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and
40W. Does that matter?

TIA,

S


What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?


GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg
That's a utility shoplight! That's made for a building or warehouse,
so that people don't trip over stuff on the floor.

Like I said, it's an old house that I'm renting. Plumber says
there's all sorts of crazy mismatched sh*t in here.

Wouldn't you want a cool white in the bathroom?
A Cool white lasts almost twice as long as a shoplight. 2000 hrs. on
a CW vs. 1200 hrs. on a SL.
No wonder you don't get a close shave. :-)

Tell that to my wife; it's her BR actually. :-)

I couldn't really find a 48" 25W T12 online, so the guy at the light
store gave me a 48" T8 32W. Seems to work OK, though it flickers at
a low rate somewhat.

Cheers.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

If you can live with that flickering, then OK. It is, however, a sign that
the bulb is drawing more current than the ballast can supply at the proper
voltage so the voltage starts to drop, the bulb reignites, current drops,
bulb reignites, and so on. If the ballast is aging, you could even get the
same effect with a 25W eventually.
Personally, I'd look around to see what the locals have for bulbs, buy a
compatible ballast, and exchange the ballast for a new one.
Doesn't sound like it's happening to you, but flourescent lightes also
require the fixture to be properly grounded. Just in case it gets to the
point where it won't come on at all.
Still got the 25W on order? Might be the best plan, just switch that in
when it arrives.

BTW, those shoplites actually go well in bathrooms although the fixtures
aren't pretty; they don't have "that light" that makes a woman's face seem
so ugly to themg. It's closer to the blue than the others, I think it is.

Pop`

In article , sinister wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

I suspect a fair chance the ballast is an el-cheapo "residential grade"
one with fairly low efficiency.

What I would do: Get a ballast for a 32 watt T8 bulb. Then get a T8
3500K bulb of the "upper" color rendering index (85-86), and of the "Big
3" brands these a

Philips F32T8/TL835, F32T8/ADV835
Sylvania FO32/D835
GE F32T8/SPX35

The lower color rendering index ones have 7 in place of 8, or with GE SP
in place of SPX.

3500K is a "semi warm white", which I consider halogenlike though it is
a little whiter and less yellow. I find it very pleasant, especially in
brighter areas such as a bathroom with this much light.

If you want a warmer color, these also come in 3000 K. Change 35 to 30
in the color code.

Where to get: Electric/lighting supply shops. Big box home centers in
my experience only carry the lower color rendering index grade (color
rendering index in the upper 70's), though I often see both 3500K and
4100K (cool white color) ones.

The usual ballasts for F32T8 lamps are high quality high efficiency
electronic ballasts.

- Don Klipstein )

In article , sinister wrote
in part:

Aside from the point you make, changing the wattage won't mess up or
otherwise be incompatible with the "ballast" thing-ee?

It is normally a "Bad Idea" to use bulbs of wattage that the ballast is
not specifically rated for. In some cases, this may even be a fire
hazard.

However, if a 40 watt 4-foot bulb appears to run OK on a ballast for
same size 25 watt bulb/"lamp", you won't overheat anything, at least not
worse than anything that would happen with a 25-watter. The 40-watter
may have shortened life from the filaments running too cool to work
properly as electrodes.

One thing to check: Open the fixture and read the ballast label. Not
only see what "lamps" (bulbs) the ballast is rated for, but also see if
the ballast is one of those el-cheapo stool specimen shop light ones that
require the fixture to be suspended in mid-air for the ballast to reliably
not overheat.

Also see if the ballast is for running more lamps than the fixture takes
- this requires replacing the ballast, otherwise the ballast can overheat.
Most ballasts for 25 watt lamps are for 2 of them.

Maybe you might find the ballast was for 40/34/30, 40/34 watt lamps or
40 watt lamps only. In that case the ballast could have overheated on the
25-watter.

Ballasts for 2 4-footers usually have "Class P thermal protection" - a
"bulb" with a bimetal switch. If the ballast overheats, it cycles on/off
every several minutes or a couple to a few times an hour. However, I
suspect the bimetal switch could "get stuck" if this goes on too long
without the situation being fixed.
I have also seen this switch appear to me to not be sensitive enough:
My experience includes a dual-40-watt rapid start ballast with a shorted
output series capacitor. That makes the ballast run much hotter than it
should, but I did not see that thermal switch cut in. The main visible
symptom was that the ballast "eats bulbs" (life only a couple thousand
hours). If you have a clamp-on AC ammeter and put it around one ballast
input lead, you will see obviously abnormally high current if that
capacitor is shorted - not only does the fixture take more watts, but also
the power factor goes down. But I digressed from the point of that
thermal switch not always being what I think it should be.

- Don Klipstein )

In article [email protected], Pop` wrote:
DerbyDad03 wrote:
On 12 Oct, 13:46, "sinister" wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent
bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick
and mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does
that matter?

TIA,

S

It *could* matter for 2 reasons:

1 - The fixture might not be rated for the higher wattage. There
should be a label on the fixture stating the maximum wattage to use.

"Fixture"?? No. Ballast, maybe, but not the fixture.


2 - Assuming the fixture can handle one of the higher wattage bulbs,
the question is - can you? If you're used to 25W and are comfortable
with the lighting effect, then 32W or 40W might be too bright,
especially in a bathroom in the middle of the night.

It's unlikely a 25 to 32W bulb's brightness is going to be much perceived
and certainly won't be a problem. Just going to a new 25W bulb will likely
make a nice increase in the light output but not much different than a new
32W would. 40W is stretching it and I'd seriously doubt the ballast would
handle it.

32 watt bulbs are a different animal, requiring more volts and less amps
than 25, 30, 34, 35, and 40 watt ones. OK, maybe about the same amps as
25 watt ones, but more volts.

It is safe for the ballast and fixture to put a 25-watt bulb in if the
ballast is rated for any or any combination of the other wattages that I
mentioned, as long as you donj't get obvious malfunction.

If the ballast is rated for 25 watt bulbs and appears to run a 32-watt
one OK, you should be OK. Bulb life may be compromised, though I think a
little more likely not.

The main issue then becomes liability should the ballast burn the place
down anyway, even if for reasons other than not being used as directed
(such as being a low quality stool specimen, or misused by the landlord by
being in a fixture not meeting possible ballast requirement of the fixture
to be suspended in mid-air like a shop light). UL listings are invalid
when eectrical equipment is used in a manner violating instructions that
come with them, such as using lamps/"bulbs" other than ones that the
ballast label/nameplate says that the ballast is rated for, or a different
number of lamps/"bulbs" than one/ones the ballast label/nameplate says the
ballast is rated for.

My experience suggests to me that fixtures for 25 watt 4-footers are
el-cheapo cheapies, and I have dim expectations of the kind of ballasts
that go into those.

- Don Klipstein )

In article , willshak wrote:
on 10/12/2007 3:47 PM sinister said the following:

GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg
That's a utility shoplight! That's made for a building or warehouse, so
that people don't trip over stuff on the floor.

No, warehouses and commercial buildings don't use the garbage known as
25 watt 4-foot fluorescent. The 25 watt rubbish is often known as
"residential grade" to those who know some things about this trade. The
25 watt trash goes into home basements and garages, and sometimes
contributes to ill feelings to fluorescents.

Wouldn't you want a cool white in the bathroom?

No, I would want something warmer, though whiter than incandescent.
There is such a thing - 3500 K.
For old technology lower color rendering index 40 watt 4-footer, this is
called "white" and has color code /W.
One of the "Big 3" made a higher-color-rendering-index
light-output-compromised version that I think of as the "Deluixe", though
it was called "Merchandising White", with color code MWX.
A good one with color rendering index 85 and color distortions mostly
being towards "more vivid" and full uncompromised light output is Philips
Ultralume 3500.

A Cool white lasts almost twice as long as a shoplight. 2000 hrs. on a
CW vs. 1200 hrs. on a SL.

Multiply by 10 - but only when averaging near or over 3 hours per start
and with a good quality ballast that is rated for the bulb/"lamp" being
used (which I think is less likely with a cheap "residential grade" "shop
light").
Keep in mind how long overhead fluorescent bulbs last in offices and
classrooms!

- Don Klipstein )

In article , sinister wrote
in part:

I couldn't really find a 48" 25W T12 online, so the guy at the light store
gave me a 48" T8 32W. Seems to work OK, though it flickers at a low rate
somewhat.

The low rate flicker usually fixes itself after a few to a dozen so
operating hours followed by a couple on/off cycles. If not, then you have
a bulb/ballast mismatch causing this and you need to have the bulb match
the ballast (and in this case I would change the ballast and not the bulb
- thankfully "big box" home centers tend to have good ballasts for
F32T8!).

- Don Klipstein )

In [email protected], Pop` wrote in part (I edit for space):
sinister wrote:

Tell that to my wife; it's her BR actually. :-)

I couldn't really find a 48" 25W T12 online, so the guy at the light
store gave me a 48" T8 32W. Seems to work OK, though it flickers at
a low rate somewhat.

If you can live with that flickering, then OK. It is, however, a sign that
the bulb is drawing more current than the ballast can supply at the proper
voltage so the voltage starts to drop, the bulb reignites, current drops,
bulb reignites, and so on. If the ballast is aging, you could even get the
same effect with a 25W eventually.

Actually, if this effect does not fix itself in several to a dozen or
two operating hours and a few on/off cycles, then the problem is that the
lamp is being unmderpowered or has an instability. I suspect that in
this particular case this is occurring because the lamp/"bulb" has a
higher voltage requirement than that of the lamp/"bulb" that the ballast
is specified for.

Personally, I'd look around to see what the locals have for bulbs, buy a
compatible ballast, and exchange the ballast for a new one.
Doesn't sound like it's happening to you, but flourescent lightes also
require the fixture to be properly grounded. Just in case it gets to the
point where it won't come on at all.

Grounding does not affect stability if the darn thing comes on.

Still got the 25W on order? Might be the best plan, just switch that in
when it arrives.

BTW, those shoplites actually go well in bathrooms although the fixtures
aren't pretty; they don't have "that light" that makes a woman's face seem
so ugly to themg. It's closer to the blue than the others, I think it is.

In my experience, shop lights make skin look pale and
greenish/yellowish. What does not, even makes skin look a bit more
pinkish than "proper": Upper grade triphosphor fluorescents, including
most non-dollar-store CFLs and also F32 and F17 T8 ones with 8 rather than
7 in the color code preceding 2-digit-abbreviated color temperature, and
with GE this is SPX rather than SP without an X. Also good he Philips
"Ultralume".

Color rendering index of these good ones (majority of colors distorted
in a "more vivid way" and full uncompromised light output) is in the
82-86 range. Fluorescents with color rendering index close to or a
little above 90 can't say the same - the color distortions, though less,
are in the direction of "duller/darker/less-vivid" and light output is
significantly compromised. If CRI is 95-98, colors get close to normal
but light output is reduced a good 30%.

- Don Klipstein )

In article [email protected], Pop` wrote in part:

Maybe. Pull the outside cover and glance at the ballast inside: It will
usually state what wattage lamps it's designed for. It may be rated to
handle it, or may not. From 25 to 32W is a little "iffy" for new fixtures,
more likely to be OK for older ones, but check anyway unless you're willing
to replace it if you're wrong.
Or, you could just replace the ballast at the same timeg.

Note: 25 and 32 watt 4-footers have significantly different
ballast output voltage requirements. A 32-watter may have starting
difficulties or flickering or unsteady brightness where a 25-watter works
well, due to ballast having lower output voltage and lower output
impedance. The 32-watter requires more ballast output voltage and more
ballast output impedance than 25, 30, 34, 35 and 40 watt fluorescents
require.

BTW: Are you sure it's 25W and not 22W? Just asking. Anyway, if you can't
find out what it's rated for, wait for the right bulb, IMO.

I have yet to hear of a 22 watt 4-footer. In my experience so far, 22
watt fluorescents have only been "circline" ones of circumference a little
over 2 feet. I have even seen a few ballasts for those that are also
rated for 20 and 15 watt fluorescents, sometimes also 14 watts,
occaisionally also 13 watt T8, but never rated for over 22 watts when
rated for multiple wattages unless appearing to me to be
"circline"-specific.

On a bit of a digression, I do want to add:

1. Most "circlines" have "older tech" phosphors, and color rendering
index usually close to 62 (usually 50's for warm white).

2. The multi-wattage ballasts rated for 15 and 20 watts, including those
also rated for 22 watts, in my experience tend to supply about 16 watts
to 20 watt "bulbs" and 16-17 watts to 22 watt circline "bulbs". I have
also seen a few ballasts rated for 20 watt "bulbs" and not for lower
wattages similarly underpower 20-watters (and 22 watters when rated for
those and being used as directed).
Expect 20 and 22 watt traditional size fluorescents to normally only
slightly outshine 15 watt traditional size ones, and to often fall short
of claimed light output by 15-20 percent!

- Don Klipstein )

sinister wrote:
Light went out in the bathroom. It's a 48" 25W T12 GE fluorescent bulb.

I can get one online, but I'd rather rush it and buy one in a brick and
mortar store. Problem is that they only have 32W and 40W. Does that
matter?

TIA,

S

What is the actual label printed on the bulb?
Is something like F48T12CW?

GE Utility Shoplite
F48"/25W/UTSL
25W
USA
Hg


Those 25w tubes are actually just 40w tubes with electrodes optimized
for lower power. They will run on a 40w ballast, but with shortened
life.

It's likely this fixture has a cheap uncorrected residential 40w
ballast in it, and some previous owner/tenant that didn't know better
put the 25w tube in there. Your best bet would be the 40w tube then.
I would avoid those 25w tubes at all costs unless you have a 25w
shoplite that specifically says it can use them. They're only really
designed for low power use in those 25w shoplites.

Yes, I have seen 32w tubes in these types of ballasts with little ill
effect. These residential ballasts do actually underpower even a 40w
tube somewhat, and a 32w T8 tube have a higher operating voltage and
will be only slightly overpowered.

When all set and done, I would not chance a 34w tube in any
residential ballast unless it specifically says it can use them.
That's because 34w tubes have a different gas misture and cheap
uncorrected residental ballasts will severly overheat.