[Shop-talk] Fluorescent lights (I need help here)

[Steven Trovato]

New fluorescent tubes require a "break in" period to achieve full 
brightness.  Did you leave them on for a while before you judged them 
inadequate?

-Steve Trovato
strovato at optonline.net

At 07:57 PM 3/13/2013, eric at megageek.com wrote:
>OK, I know we beat this horse to death, and I thought I understood it, but
>I guess i didn't.
>
>Here is the situation, I need to add lighting for the shop. I'm replacing
>two- 4' fluorescent fixtures.  The ceiling is at 14'  and the area I want
>to light in front of where I work on cars.  So I figured I would add four-
>4' fluorescent light fixtures in a "U" shape around the area.  (Think of a
>parked car...  One light on each side of the front 1/4 panels and two
>perpendicular to the front of the car so the lights are wrapped around the
>front end.)
>
>I wanted the brightest fluorescent lights I could find.  I hung 32watt,
>dual bulb T8 fixtures with 6500 Lumens about 1' down from the ceiling (so
>about 13' off the ground, I need it them this high for clearance issues.)
>
>Anyway, I turned them on and I was quite disappointed.  So disappointed
>that I hooked up my old 4' fluorescent fixtures with unknown T12 bulbs and
>wattage.  The different was huge!  The new lights were nothing compared to
>the old ones.