Replace your fluro tubes!

Had a flickering fluro tube in the workshop, so I thought bugger it, I'll get some decent ones this time.

So off to Bunnies I go (after several stops at local guys, none of which stocked anything but one type of Chinese junk).

Umm'ed & arr'ed for a while then grabbed 6 x NEC quad-phosphor tubes. Not cheap - $16 a piece. Figured if they're not up to scratch I'll bring them back.

Got home, replaced all tubes in the main lights in the workshop.

WOW. HUGE difference. At least twice the light in there now, and it's clean white light, not a mucky yellow colour.

DEFINITELY worth doing guys. You'll be amazed how much better they are. 20,000 hour life & 3 year warranty as well.

At the other end of the spectrum, I buy my fluoro tubes from the local tip. Yes, that's right. For $3 I bought a box full of tubes and starters. Many of them are stuffed but so far most work fine. They come from clubs and shopping centres etc. A local sparky has a contract to replace tubes and starters and instead of replacing them as they go bung, he goes through and replaces them all periodically, whether they need to be or not. Apparently works out more cost effective.

Also a good place to pick up fluoro fittings of all shapes and sizes. I got 4 double bar 4 footers there awhile ago for $5.

Hoots mon!!

Don't forget your local electrical wholesalers. Even if you walking off the street with no account you will still do well.

As I have just completed wireing the shed it now boasts six double fluoro's with tri phosphor tubes. Great during the day but at night wow really good
Cheers sam http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...cons/icon3.gifhttp://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...cons/icon3.gif

Wow!!

I installed some tri phosphor tubes last week, I cant beleive how bright they are.
Now quad phosphor!!! :eek:

Al :)

I agree with sam.
We are replacing all our fluros with the tri phosphor tube and they are like working in daylight.
Even changed the tubes in the kitchen and now the cook can see what she is doing, still doesnt improve the cooking but at least she knows what she has burnt.

I agree with DarrylF, I replaced all the tubes in my workshop with the NEC quad-phosphor tubes. Yes, expensive, but boy what a difference.http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ons/icon14.gif

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Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

I agree with sam.
We are replacing all our fluros with the tri phosphor tube and they are like working in daylight.
Even changed the tubes in the kitchen and now the cook can see what she is doing, still doesnt improve the cooking but at least she knows what she has burnt.

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Wait until I see the Blonde. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by

Wait until I see the Blonde. ;)

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You couldn't be that much of a mongrel, axe wielder.
He doesn't deserve that, look at his first name. :D

Sam: Good point. Would have waited until Monday and visited the electrical wholesaler we use at work for them - but I had one tube flashing on & off and another flickering a bit and no spares and it was Sunday morning, so I figured bugger it :)

BTW - several of the tubes I replaced were tri-phosphor, and the new ones are definitely better. Tried side-by-side comparisons in double fixtures and there is a real visible improvement.

How do these tri phosphor tubes stack up re the running costs?Regards..........AL

Al.

A watt, is a watt, is a watt.
It will cost the same to run per wattage no matter what you run.
I.e. a 32 watt bulb will cost the same as a 32 watt flouro, tripple, quad or what ever to run.

Al :)

Thanks for the heads up. I just replaced mine (tri-phosphor) with 3 new quads. Difference is amazing. :)

Sooo Gumby, mate.

What are you going to do with the old Tri's, mate.

Al :D

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Originally Posted by ozwinner

Sooo Gumby, mate.

What are you going to do with the old Tri's, mate.

Al :D

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ebay of course :D :D

OZWINNER.............Thank you for that.........Lead me on,Oh guiding light!

Only comment I'd make on the cost issue is that if you take Ozwinner's approach of adding cheap fluros until you have enough light, you theoretically will wind up running more of them than if you use good tubes - so obviously that costs more in electricity.

But then you can run a double 4ft fluro fitting for 33 hours for the cost of running a heater for 1 hour - so maybe it's not a big deal either way :)

Well I bought one and while its better than the standard fluro by a large margin I dont think it is quite as good as a Philips Alto. I have 3 fluro's in a line from left to right. Standard, NEC then the Philips and I think the Philips gives off a whiter light than NEC, has anyone else tried the Philips offering?

Haven't tried the Alto's, but put 2 quads in last week. They are that good I will have to save up & replace the rest of the old ones.

Ken

David,

Several of the ones I replaced were Philips Alto that I put in around a year ago. They were good when they went in, but had gone very yellow and dull - and no, they weren't covered in dust :)

Remains to be seen how the NEC quads do over the long haul, but with all of my tubes now replaced it's one hell of a lot brighter in there. My better half reckons it looks like an operating theatre! :)

I put in NEC Quad Phosphor 32W lamps in my workshop and kitchen 2 years ago. They were noticably brighter than the Tri's which were in previously, I have had to replace my first one today. The original packaging rated them for 9000 hrs however I only have had 4000. This may be a one-off but I'll be interested to see how the rest last.:)

I have used tri phosphor lamps for many years, while they are very good, particularly the NEC I dont believe you get the life quoted for them. Also they age and discolour over time the light output goes down and they go yellow.

Have used a number of different ones, some better than others

Doug