Do twin HF fluorescent fittings need two good tubes to work or should they
work with one? Or is the answer 'it depends'?

Fitting in question:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HF236.html

One tube was getting noticeably dark at one end so presumably near end-of-
life. Now neither tube illuminates. Removing the failed tube does not
enable the remaining one to illuminate.

Don't want to get 2 new tubes if the fitting has gone bad, but the sales
blurb says how failed tubes aren't a problem compared to failed LF ones,
yada yada.

If I decide to ditch the current fittings and go for LED strips, some of
the ones available output significantly fewer lumens. To the human eye,
what's the difference between say 5000 lumens and 3500?

On 01/02/2021 19:22, Scion wrote:
Do twin HF fluorescent fittings need two good tubes to work or should they
work with one? Or is the answer 'it depends'?

Fitting in question:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HF236.html

One tube was getting noticeably dark at one end so presumably near end-of-
life. Now neither tube illuminates. Removing the failed tube does not
enable the remaining one to illuminate.

Don't want to get 2 new tubes if the fitting has gone bad, but the sales
blurb says how failed tubes aren't a problem compared to failed LF ones,
yada yada.

If I decide to ditch the current fittings and go for LED strips, some of
the ones available output significantly fewer lumens. To the human eye,
what's the difference between say 5000 lumens and 3500?


I fitted electronic ballasts to two four foot double tube flourescent
lights in my kitchen. The lights come on immediately with no flickering.
In each light fitting a single electromic ballast drives both tubes.

--
Michael Chare

On Mon, 1 Feb 2021 19:22:12 -0000 (UTC), Scion
wrote:


Do twin HF fluorescent fittings need two good tubes to work or should they
work with one? Or is the answer 'it depends'?

Fitting in question:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HF236.html

One tube was getting noticeably dark at one end so presumably near end-of-
life. Now neither tube illuminates. Removing the failed tube does not
enable the remaining one to illuminate.

Don't want to get 2 new tubes if the fitting has gone bad, but the sales
blurb says how failed tubes aren't a problem compared to failed LF ones,
yada yada.

If I decide to ditch the current fittings and go for LED strips, some of
the ones available output significantly fewer lumens. To the human eye,
what's the difference between say 5000 lumens and 3500?


I have a friend who complained her kitchen was too bright (it was)
with its twin tube fitting. I tried taking out one tube but the other
one then didn't work, so the fitting relied on having both. I later
heard that an electrician had fitted a single shorter tube in a new
single fitting which solved the problem.
--
Dave W

I had one of those double 8 watt fittings, and soon discovered that in
effect they never used the filaments at all, they simply joined the two free
ends of the tubes together and then put the voltage up across them till they
struck and they n reduced it to its normal running level, Not too sure that
would work on large tubes though!

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Michael Chare" wrote in message
...
On 01/02/2021 19:22, Scion wrote:
Do twin HF fluorescent fittings need two good tubes to work or should
they
work with one? Or is the answer 'it depends'?

Fitting in question:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HF236.html

One tube was getting noticeably dark at one end so presumably near
end-of-
life. Now neither tube illuminates. Removing the failed tube does not
enable the remaining one to illuminate.

Don't want to get 2 new tubes if the fitting has gone bad, but the sales
blurb says how failed tubes aren't a problem compared to failed LF ones,
yada yada.

If I decide to ditch the current fittings and go for LED strips, some of
the ones available output significantly fewer lumens. To the human eye,
what's the difference between say 5000 lumens and 3500?


I fitted electronic ballasts to two four foot double tube flourescent
lights in my kitchen. The lights come on immediately with no flickering.
In each light fitting a single electromic ballast drives both tubes.

--
Michael Chare

Brian Gaff (Sofa) formulated on Tuesday :
I had one of those double 8 watt fittings, and soon discovered that in effect
they never used the filaments at all, they simply joined the two free ends of
the tubes together and then put the voltage up across them till they struck
and they n reduced it to its normal running level, Not too sure that would
work on large tubes though!

That's how it works on the larger tubes too.

In article ,
Dave W wrote:
I have a friend who complained her kitchen was too bright (it was)
with its twin tube fitting.

Is she a vampire? Artificial light never gets close to sunlight, etc.

--
*Toilet stolen from police station. Cops have nothing to go on.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 02 Feb 2021 02:12:27 +0000, Dave W wrote:

On Mon, 1 Feb 2021 19:22:12 -0000 (UTC), Scion
wrote:

Do twin HF fluorescent fittings need two good tubes to work or should
they work with one? Or is the answer 'it depends'?

Fitting in question:
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/HF236.html

One tube was getting noticeably dark at one end so presumably near
end-of-
life. Now neither tube illuminates. Removing the failed tube does not
enable the remaining one to illuminate.

Don't want to get 2 new tubes if the fitting has gone bad, but the sales
blurb says how failed tubes aren't a problem compared to failed LF ones,
yada yada.

If I decide to ditch the current fittings and go for LED strips, some of
the ones available output significantly fewer lumens. To the human eye,
what's the difference between say 5000 lumens and 3500?

I have a friend who complained her kitchen was too bright (it was) with
its twin tube fitting. I tried taking out one tube but the other one
then didn't work, so the fitting relied on having both. I later heard
that an electrician had fitted a single shorter tube in a new single
fitting which solved the problem.

Sounds like it needs both tubes to complete the circuit. I'll risk the £5
or so :-)

Thanks to all who replied.