I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long) which is
not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so it is
brighter?

In article , Susan P writes:
I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long) which is
not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so it is
brighter?


If the lamp is really old, then a new replacement lamp (bulb)
may help. Fluorescent lamps lose some light output with time,
and if the lamp is very old (or was really cheap) a new lamp
may be more efficient and give you more light.

And, not to be insulting, but the next most common cause of
loss of light output is dirt. You don't say if the fixture is
open or closed, or if there is any cover over the lamp, but
dirt can cause more light loss than you might think.

If those two things don't do enough, then you'll probably need
to get a different fixture. Re-wiring an existing unit to take
a different lamp can be done, but it's really for people with
experience, or who like to tinker and don't mind if they spend
more to make the change than to buy a new lamp.

Bart Z. Lederman wrote:
In article , Susan P writes:

I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long) which is
not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so it is
brighter?


If the lamp is really old, then a new replacement lamp (bulb)
may help. Fluorescent lamps lose some light output with time,
and if the lamp is very old (or was really cheap) a new lamp
may be more efficient and give you more light.

And, not to be insulting, but the next most common cause of
loss of light output is dirt. You don't say if the fixture is
open or closed, or if there is any cover over the lamp, but
dirt can cause more light loss than you might think.

If those two things don't do enough, then you'll probably need
to get a different fixture. Re-wiring an existing unit to take
a different lamp can be done, but it's really for people with
experience, or who like to tinker and don't mind if they spend
more to make the change than to buy a new lamp.

Get yourself a triphosphor tube, these have higher output than the
older halophosphates. And output falls over time with halos, and dirt
does have quite an effect. Hopefully between those 3 you'll get enough
light again. If not, step up to a 2' fitting or a 23w cfl..

Note about tubes: there are good and bad. You'll want anything from
2700K to 3500K, I would not buy anything higher, such as 4500K.


NT

In Susan P writes:

I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long)
which is not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so
it is brighter?


Bart Z. Lederman wrote:

If the lamp is really old, then a new replacement lamp (bulb)
may help.

[snip]

If those two things don't do enough, then you'll probably need
to get a different fixture. Re-wiring an existing unit to take
a different lamp can be done, but it's really for people with
experience, or who like to tinker and don't mind if they spend
more to make the change than to buy a new lamp.

Get yourself a triphosphor tube, these have higher output than the
older halophosphates. And output falls over time with halos, and
dirt does have quite an effect. Hopefully between those 3 you'll
get enough light again. If not, step up to a 2' fitting or a 23w
cfl..


On 24 Oct 2006, wrote:

Note about tubes: there are good and bad. You'll want anything from
2700K to 3500K, I would not buy anything higher, such as 4500K.


I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?

What about the need for improved things I hear about like electronic
balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems unlikely to have
any of those.

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components would
it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and fitting? I
hear that T8 may be the best value.

------

If so then where can I get such a thing from as the DIY shops I have
tried (Focus, Homebase, local shops) don't seem to stock anything marked
"triphosphor". Are they usually marked like that?

Alex wrote:
On 24 Oct 2006, wrote:

Note about tubes: there are good and bad. You'll want anything from
2700K to 3500K, I would not buy anything higher, such as 4500K.

I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?

yes

What about the need for improved things I hear about like electronic
balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems unlikely to have
any of those.

theres no need for any of those

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components would
it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and fitting? I
hear that T8 may be the best value.

If your fitting works ok theres no need to replace it. If you do, and
you pick an electronic one, you'll get:
- an unnoticeably small light output increase
- no flicker & flash during starting
- longer tube life, which given the cost of tubes now is of small
value.
- lower reliability and shorter fitting life
- less money left in your pocket
- some unnecessary extra work to do


NT

In article . com,
writes:
Alex wrote:
On 24 Oct 2006, wrote:

Note about tubes: there are good and bad. You'll want anything from
2700K to 3500K, I would not buy anything higher, such as 4500K.

I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?

yes

Yes, providing it has switch-start control gear (i.e. a plug-in
starter and the tube flashes a few times when switched on).
The tube will operate with some other types of control gear,
but at the wrong power rating, which may or may not matter.
A T8 58W tube is designed to run on a ballast for a T12 65W tube.
So, in theory you should check the fitting has a 65W ballast
rather than an 80W ballast. (5' fittings were originally 80W
in the UK, but were reduced to 65W around 1970, although 5' T12
tubes remained dual rated 65/80W for a further 10 years. If the
fitting is only 15 years old, it should be a 65W ballast.)

What about the need for improved things I hear about like electronic
balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems unlikely to have
any of those.

theres no need for any of those

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components would
it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and fitting? I
hear that T8 may be the best value.

If your fitting works ok theres no need to replace it. If you do, and
you pick an electronic one, you'll get:
- an unnoticeably small light output increase
- no flicker & flash during starting
- longer tube life, which given the cost of tubes now is of small
value.

Depends on the starting style of the electronic one and the
average time you have the tube on each time. Switch-start will
give longer life than electronic instant start (at least in the
UK, although this seems not to be true in the US on 120V mains
where switch-start doesn't work too well). Electronic pre-heat
might give slightly longer life than switch-start, but I've
never seen any real-life evidence of this.

Note that it is very difficult to tell in advance if an electronic
ballast is instant start or preheat from any markings on it.
Unfortunately, the term "instant start" in Europe is increasingly
used to refer to any type of electronic ballast, including those
which don't start instantly.

Also note that the US uses the same control gear names to mean
completely different types of control gear. I have stuck to the
UK/European names here, which means this posting probably looks
like complete garbage to a US reader in sci.engr.lighting.

- lower reliability and shorter fitting life
- less money left in your pocket
- some unnecessary extra work to do

- significantly reduced choice of fittings

--
Andrew Gabriel

On 24 Oct 2006, wrote:

Note about tubes: there are good and bad. You'll want anything
from 2700K to 3500K, I would not buy anything higher, such as
4500K.

Alex wrote:

I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?



What about the need for improved things I hear about like
electronic balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems
unlikely to have any of those.


On 29 Nov 2006, wrote:

theres no need for any of those

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components
would it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and
fitting? I hear that T8 may be the best value.


If your fitting works ok theres no need to replace it. If you do,
and you pick an electronic one, you'll get:

- an unnoticeably small light output increase
- no flicker & flash during starting
- longer tube life, which given the cost of tubes now is of
small value.
- lower reliability and shorter fitting life
- less money left in your pocket
- some unnecessary extra work to do


Hey, I thought that an electronic light fitting for a fluorescent was
the smart modern smart thing to get. You make it sound like a backward
step!

What am I misunderstanding?

Is there no real advantage to an electronic fitting (electronic starter
and ballast) other than instant-on and a slightly longer tube life?

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:48:07 GMT, Alex
wrote:

I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?

I passed on your message the first time around since I
didn't have data on UK lamps handy. However, I don't want
you to have only the advice of an anonymous person who goes
by the dual names of meow2222 and NT.

If the F65W/35 is a has a diameter of 1.5 inches (T12) and a
length of 5 feet, yes, there is a triphosphor version
available. However, it is most likely more expensive than
an equivalent T8 lamp.

What about the need for improved things I hear about like electronic
balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems unlikely to have
any of those.

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components would
it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and fitting? I
hear that T8 may be the best value.

An electronic ballast will reduce energy consumption, reduce
lamp flicker and increase lamp life. Moving to T8 would
probably provide the best value - I know it would in the US
but I don't have as much information about the UK market.

If so then where can I get such a thing from as the DIY shops I have
tried (Focus, Homebase, local shops) don't seem to stock anything marked
"triphosphor". Are they usually marked like that?

The lamps are not marked triphosphor. They use have a three
number color code such as 835 for a CRI in the 80's and a
CCT of 3500. To make sure it is a triphosphor lamp you will
have to check the lamp manufacturer's on line catalog.

--
Vic Roberts
http://www.RobertsResearchInc.com
To reply via e-mail:
replace xxx with vdr in the Reply to: address
or use e-mail address listed at the Web site.

This information is provided for educational purposes only.
It may not be used in any publication or posted on any Web
site without written permission.

On 30 Nov 2006, Victor Roberts wrote:

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:48:07 GMT, Alex
wrote:

I am in the UK.

In my kitchen I have a five foot tube (1.5 inches diameter) marked
Philips F65W/35 which has been there for about 15 years.

Can a triposphor tube simply be put in where this old style
(halophosphate?) tube has been?

I passed on your message the first time around since I
didn't have data on UK lamps handy. However, I don't want
you to have only the advice of an anonymous person who goes
by the dual names of meow2222 and NT.

If the F65W/35 is a has a diameter of 1.5 inches (T12) and a
length of 5 feet, yes, there is a triphosphor version
available. However, it is most likely more expensive than
an equivalent T8 lamp.

What about the need for improved things I hear about like
electronic balasts and quick start devices. My old fitting seems
unlikely to have any of those.

Rather than upgrade the tube and perhaps have to change components
would it be a whole lot better to get a new triphospor tube and
fitting? I hear that T8 may be the best value.

An electronic ballast will reduce energy consumption, reduce
lamp flicker and increase lamp life. Moving to T8 would
probably provide the best value - I know it would in the US
but I don't have as much information about the UK market.

If so then where can I get such a thing from as the DIY shops I
have tried (Focus, Homebase, local shops) don't seem to stock
anything marked "triphosphor". Are they usually marked like that?

The lamps are not marked triphosphor. They use have a three
number color code such as 835 for a CRI in the 80's and a
CCT of 3500. To make sure it is a triphosphor lamp you will
have to check the lamp manufacturer's on line catalog.



Victor, I guess you differ and are saying that you feel the value of an
electronic fitting is greater than posted by meow2222/NT.

Against that the other poster lists that lower reliability and shorter
fitting life is a disadvantage and so is the extra cost of the unit plus
the cost/effort of installing it.

I sense that you feel that reduced energy consumption, reduced lamp
flicker and increased lamp life outweigh the disadvantages.

Would I be right in getting the impression that, very broadly speaking,
it is a close call as to whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice
versa?

In message , Susan P
writes
I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long) which is
not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so it is
brighter?

If the tube has been in use a while then it may be fairly dim anyway.
In this case a new tube could be much brighter.

There are certainly some good quality tubes with high efficiency
phosphors available. I'm not sure how available they are for the older
13W 21"(?) tube.

--
Clive Mitchell
http://www.bigclive.com

On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:23:49 +0100, Susan P
wrote:

I am in the UK.

I have an old 13 watt linear fluorescent lamp (20 inch long) which is
not really bright enough for my needs.

Can I replace the tube with a tube of a different technology so it is
brighter?