[Shop-talk] Shop light problems - update

[David Scheidt]

On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 7:29 PM, Randall <tr3driver at ca.rr.com> wrote:
>> If you turn them on
>> and off a dozen times a day, you'll kill tubes pretty quickly,
>
> I guess "pretty quickly" is a relative term ... I've got instant start T12
> bulbs & (mostly) mag ballasts in my garage, and probably half the bulbs
have
> never been changed since we moved in some 20 years ago.
>
> One of the kitchen lights is as Darrell described : electronic "instant
> start" ballasts driving T8 bulbs. B It gets turned on & off many times per
> day, but was only installed about 4 years ago, so no idea how long the
bulbs
> will last.
>
> I agree that doing "instant start" on a bulb not designed for it will
> quickly kill the bulb (I once built a fluorescent strobe light that would
> kill bulbs in a few days); but the garage T12 bulbs are designed for it
> (only one pin per end), and it's my understanding that the T8 bulbs are as
> well (even though they have two pins per end).

The last time I looked at a spec sheet, there were four numbers, for 3
and 12 hour run times, using IS and RS ballasts.  The IS life time was
about 50% of the RS for 3 hour run time, and about 80% for 12 hour.
I'd expect it to be worse for 1 hour run times.  I'm willing to put up
with that, for the most part.  I like lights that come on when I flip
the switch in my living spaces.


--
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com