Florescent shop lights

Lamont in NC · Jul 22, 2015

What would make one tube brighter than the other? 2 tube 4', T12 florescent shop light. I noticed one tube wouldn't come one today--ends bright like trying to light but couldn't. I went to my storage room and got 2 new bulbs and the 10' step ladder. By that time they were on but the one bulb was not as bright as the other. I replaced both bulbs with new ones--that side is still not as bright as the other side. Ideas?

Steve@Advance · Jul 22, 2015

Most likely the ballast is failing. Not going to be easy finding a T12 ballast. If you do, it will probably be an old stock magnetic ballast that will fail rather quickly.

I would convert it to electronic T8 ballast, change the lamps to T8's.

Or replace it with the new HO T5. Very bright light, long life, efficient.

Bryan inIowa · Jul 22, 2015

I am switching all my 4 and 8 ft lights over to LED . 4 ft bulbs were 15.99 off Amazon . Bypass ballast . % minutes to rewire and BOOM ! One 4 ft LED bulb in each fixture is bright enough, very bright ! . Eight footer are 34 bucks a bulb .

Gambles · Jul 22, 2015

Yea, T5 is what the world is going to. We recently replaced a John Deere dealership's shop with those lights and they couldn't be happier. Now to everybody who says "But they don't last as long as T8 bulbs!", that's because some people buy the cheapest T5 fixtures that they can find and then they find out that they bought a cheap fixture.
T5 bulbs are rated to light at -20 below zero.

showcrop · Jul 23, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:35:36 07/22/15) I am switching all my 4 and 8 ft lights over to LED . 4 ft bulbs were 15.99 off Amazon . Bypass ballast . % minutes to rewire and BOOM ! One 4 ft LED bulb in each fixture is bright enough, very bright ! . Eight footer are 34 bucks a bulb .

So you can just bypass the ballast and put them in your existing fixtures? You must have to bypass the starters as well, or probably that type of fixture has no starter?

Fred Werring · Jul 23, 2015

Hmmm...liking the sound of this.

Got a couple workbenches in my shop I could really use more light.

A few cheap fixtures, these led's....no cold weather issues...might have to do this.

Didn't know these were available...thanks

Fred

Bryan inIowa · Jul 23, 2015

No starters . You just wire one pin on the lamp holder hot , other neutral. I have not found them in Menards or stores yet. Can get them on ebay or I got mine off Amazon , Hyperikon was the company . Real good to work with . Several packages and prices depending on how many you buy .

Gundoctor · Jul 23, 2015

We just change all lighting in business from 8 foot to 4 foot t5. The good part the State of Vermont paid for all the lights & labor to do this.

rustred · Jul 23, 2015

ya they are a bit brighter, but pretty much on the wayout. the led lights put those to shame. much much brighter. you cant look at them with out sunglasses.

Lamont in NC · Jul 24, 2015

Well, I took down and pulled the "bad" fixture apart today. No ballast like I'm used to anyway. It had a tiny transformer and a AA battery looking thing--I guess it was a capacitor--enclosed in the plastic at both end caps. I took a rarely used even older florescent light with a ballast and put that where the bad light was then put a single bulb one I had here in it's place. It'll work for now.

Florescent shop lights

Lamont in NC

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Steve@Advance

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Bryan inIowa

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Gambles

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showcrop

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Fred Werring

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Bryan inIowa

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Gundoctor

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rustred

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Lamont in NC

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