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IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

1 edit

IowaCowboy to nunya

Premium Member

to nunya

Re: need help on replacing a kitchen light

said by nunya:

You can get electronic ballasts for t12 lamps, but why? T12s are going away.
You get new ballasts and new lamps and the pleasure of rebuilding the fixture. It's probably better to just replace the fixture.

Back in 2010, I installed new T12 fixtures in my basement and a T12 fixture in my Grandma's basement near the laundry area.

Is there any real advantage of T8 over T12. When I was shopping for fixtures at Lowe's the T8 fixtures were twice as expensive as the T12 fixtures.

Another question: If I replace the remaining screw base fixtures in Grandma's basement with F40T12 fixtures (currently one F40T12 and three screw base, would be upgraded to 4 f40t12 fixtures), would they overload the switch that they are on. There is currently one switch controlling the lights in grandma's basement. I want to upgrade the lighting down there because grandma has poor vision.

nunya
LXI 483
MVM
join:2000-12-23
O Fallon, MO
·Charter

nunya

MVM

T12s are obsolete. They shouldn't even be put into consideration. T8 and T5 are more efficient and readily available. T12 magnetic ballasts have been phase out. Most standard T12 lamps were "banned" at the same time as the 100W bulb. They will be going away.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

said by nunya:

T12s are obsolete. They shouldn't even be put into consideration. T8 and T5 are more efficient and readily available. T12 magnetic ballasts have been phase out. Most standard T12 lamps were "banned" at the same time as the 100W bulb. They will be going away.

I thought it was just the magnetic ballasts for F40T12 luminaires that were banned. If I would have known the lamps were being phased out as well, I would have shelled out the extra cash to get the T8 fixtures.

So I guest this means I'll be changing the ballasts when the time comes to relamp the fixtures as well as I'll be unable to get the lamps for them.

Maybe Lowe's knew of the impending ban and sold the fixtures cheap as they knew they would become unwanted inventory that would have to be written off when the ban took effect.

jrs8084
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Statesville, NC

jrs8084

Premium Member

Another thing I like about the T-5s (haven't looked at much at the T-8s) is that you have a lot more color temperature options. (They may have been there for T-12, but I never really saw anything more than warm, cool, and daylight (well, there was a better Alto line from Phillips)

With the t-5s, you have a lot more phosphor options. And, you can get some high CRI bulbs that are impressive (depending on application)