Flourescent Troubleshooting and Upgrade ???

[CamarosRus]

Will you please help me troubleshoot my lighting problem and suggest
best value improvements.

Bought 30' x 45' x 13' (ceiling) shop with the below lighting in place.

4 parallel rows of 8' fixtures, fastened directly to sheetrock ceiling and into
bottom chord of trusses. Each row on its own wall switch.

2 of the rows have 5 x 8' (approx 40') continuous (**** to ****) fixtures
2 of the rows have 4 x 8' (approx 32') continuous (**** to ****) fixtures

Two of the rows have gone completely dark. Ive bypassed wall switch
and still no light.

Tubes are imprinted with: SYLVANIA Cool White
F96 T12/W/HO/CoolTemp (may I assume these are T-12??)

Ballast mfg is Universal Lighting Technologies 480-XLH-TC-P
High Output Rapid Start Ballast

This my personal shop not a commercial or 24/7 situation.
I restore Camaros ann tinker with misc projects

1) How do I figure out why two complete rows are dark

2) How do I learn what new/same/different tube to buy in quantity
I saw www.1000bulbs.com and started nosing around. Any other
online sites (like AMAZON) to buy lower cost, case quantity free shipping
no sales tax light tubes

3) How could I ? Why would I ever consider replacing ALL my flourescent
fixtures with ????? fixtures/lamps


Thank for the education


Below picture is how I bought the shop just to show lighting.

I have since 1) epoxy coated floor 2) installed two and four post lifts
3) removed side roll up door and filled hole and 4) turned bottom stairs 90'
and parallel with wall.

 

[pattenp]

Have you verified that you have power at the fixture(s) using a volt meter?

 

[frankush]

Yes your existing lamps are t-12s. The easiest way to troubleshoot is to check for incoming voltage at the feed to the row. Sounds like you lost a feed or two. You don't mention how many circuits are feeding this lighting array. What you have is a classic example of how large areas with tall ceilings were lit in the old days. Why would you replace them? To save energy costs. They are not the most effecient fixtures or lamps.
Those lamps are probably still around but I don't think they are being produced any more.

 

[pattenp]

.......
Those lamps are probably still around but I don't think they are being produced any more.

T12 HO lamps are still being made.

 

[CamarosRus]

I will go out once again and trip ALL the breakers OFF and ON again.

I do not know but have assumed that ALL the above ceiling lights were on one breaker.

I still need to learn if there is a better/lower power usagage ???? bulb/tube to change over too.

Thanks "I'll be back"

 

[Norcal]

Check for power in the dead rows & check at the switch also. If your circuit breakers are older GE, make sure they are turned off all the way,before turning them on they trip in between the "OFF" & intermediate position & will "wiggle" a bit if tripped, VS just being turned off.
The T12 HO's are great for colder areas but the downside is humming ballasts, in a recent project for myself, ended up reusing the T12 HO's just because of the light output & was even comparing more T8 tandem fixtures then the HO's.(6 tandem T8, compared to 4, 8' T12 HO's).

 

[CamarosRus]

It was the BREAKER and yes I'm the dumb azz who didnt turn all the way off and back on
as they were in that between position.......DOH!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry about wasting ALL you guys valuble time.......

I do hear the humming from some/all (??) the ballasts.

Should I buy more more T-12 HO's now ??? as what would a
future alternative be.

My shop has a overhead REZNOR natural gas heater, but I dont keep it turned on when
Im away from the shop for long periods. Maybe I should set T-stat to 50' ??? as inside
shop has been getting down to below 40'.

Is that on line www.1000bulbs.com a good value site to buy from ??

Thanks again

 

[djjsr]

Should I buy more more T-12 HO's now ???

Stock up on bulbs and ballasts. As the T12 phaseout program progresses, they will be more difficult to find. Ballasts are no longer being made.

 

[pattenp]

........

Should I buy more more T-12 HO's now ??? as what would a
future alternative be.

T12 HO's are not in the phaseout program. The magnetic ballast have been replaced with electronic ballast. There is outside signage and cold storage that needs good cold start lighting so the T12 HO was exempted.

If replacing fixtures you could switch to T8 HO. You can get fixtures that use 4' lamps which are easier to handle than 8' lamps. From your picture it appears that the T12's you have use 8' lamps.

 

[djjsr]

I'm not sure where I got this info but it includes some HO ......


What T12 Lamps are affected by this phase out?

• T12 4-ft. & 2-ft U-lamps with medium bi-pin bases
- Majority of F40 and F34T12 lamps and all FB40 and FB34T12 U-lamps
- 4-ft. requires 3560 lumens @ 40W and 3030 lumens @ 34W to pass @ 89 LPW
- 2-ft. U-lamps require 3360 lumens @ 40W and 2856 @ 34W to pass @ 84 LPW

• T12 8-ft. Slimline with single pin bases
- All 75W F96T12 lamps
- All 60W F96T12/ES except for the 800 Series

• T12 8-ft. 800mA HO with RDC bases
- All 110W F96T12 HO lamps
- All 95W F96T12/ES/HO lamps

 

[pattenp]

I'm not sure where I got this info but it includes some HO ......


What T12 Lamps are affected by this phase out?

• T12 4-ft. & 2-ft U-lamps with medium bi-pin bases
- Majority of F40 and F34T12 lamps and all FB40 and FB34T12 U-lamps
- 4-ft. requires 3560 lumens @ 40W and 3030 lumens @ 34W to pass @ 89 LPW
- 2-ft. U-lamps require 3360 lumens @ 40W and 2856 @ 34W to pass @ 84 LPW

• T12 8-ft. Slimline with single pin bases
- All 75W F96T12 lamps
- All 60W F96T12/ES except for the 800 Series

• T12 8-ft. 800mA HO with RDC bases
- All 110W F96T12 HO lamps
- All 95W F96T12/ES/HO lamps

Oh yes.. some of the T12 HO lamps are gone, but the T12 HO was not totally done away with as is most of the standard T12. There are some T8 lamps that fail the EPACT requirements.


*

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I still need to learn if there is a better/lower power usagage ???? bulb/tube to change over too.

There are not bulbs that you can easily install that will be more efficient. Any thing you do to make these more efficient will either be modifying or replacing the fixture.

Charles