Fluorescent Decision: T8 vs T5

[kbuhagiar]

Hello GJ Nation,

I am completing the fluorescent light installation in my garage. The previous owner made a nice start with the first 75% of the garage, installing six Lithonia 8-tube T8 96" tandem fixtures like this one:

I am very happy with these lights, and was planning to install a few more of them, or some similar 96" T8 fixtures in the remaining 25% of the garage. I went to Home Depot to review my options, and now I am not so sure; should I stick with the T8 platform and keep all of the fixtures similar, or should I do the remaining 25% with T5 lights/fixtures?

The reason for my concern: In a side by side comparison at the store, the brightest T5 bulbs (841 high output?) were at least 50% brighter than the brightest T8 bulb; in fact, it was almost uncomfortable to look into the T5 bulbs. The picture below was taken in the store, the top is the T5, the bottom is the T8.

With my fading eyesight, maximum brightness is a definite plus. The fixtures were priced about the same, so that is a wash. The T5 bulbs were about 40% more expensive than comparable T8 bulbs, but I understand that the T5s last longer and consume less energy.

I have heard that the T8 platform will be obsolete in a few years, can anyone verify that? And does the T5 have enough long-range advantages to justify a partial (25%) install in my garage? Are there any downsides to the T5 platform?

The OCD portion of my brain wants me to get T8 fixtures to maintain lighting uniformity, ...
...but I would not want to pass up a chance for an upgrade if there are benefits to be realized.

Your opinions, advice, and guidance are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[exranger06]

T5 bulbs consume MORE energy than T8s, not less. T8s are typically 32w per tube, T5s are about 54w if I remember correctly.

 

[cybrdyke]

Hello GJ Nation,



I am very happy with these lights, and was planning to install a few more of them, or some similar 96" T8 fixtures in the remaining 25% of the garage. I went to Home Depot to review my options, and now I am not so sure; should I stick with the T8 platform and keep all of the fixtures similar, or should I do the remaining 25% with T5 lights/fixtures?

The reason for my concern: In a side by side comparison at the store, the brightest T5 bulbs (841 high output?) were at least 50% brighter than the brightest T8 bulb; in fact, it was almost uncomfortable to look into the T5 bulbs. The picture below was taken in the store, the top is the T5, the bottom is the T8.



With my fading eyesight, maximum brightness is a definite plus. The fixtures were priced about the same, so that is a wash. The T5 bulbs were about 40% more expensive than comparable T8 bulbs, but I understand that the T5s last longer and consume less energy. T5HO rated life is about the same as T8, around 25,000 hours. You can choose to spend a little more money and buy a longer life T8 lamp, around 40,000 hours. T5HO lamps consume about 120 watts, with ballast, for 2 lamps. T8 lamps consume about 59 watts, with ballast, for 2 lamps

I have heard that the T8 platform will be obsolete in a few years, can anyone verify that?I can verify that this is NOT true And does the T5 have enough long-range advantages to justify a partial (25%) install in my garage?Not in my opinion Are there any downsides to the T5 platform?T5HO lamps dont perform as well as T8's in extreme temperatures. T5HO lamps are reaaallly bright, as you have noticed. If your ceiling is lower than 12' you will experience glare that will make the lighting appear harsh. T5HO lamps get much hotter than T8's. T8 lamps and ballasts are significantly more expensive than T8

The OCD portion of my brain wants me to get T8 fixtures to maintain lighting uniformity, ...
...but I would not want to pass up a chance for an upgrade if there are benefits to be realized.

Your opinions, advice, and guidance are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

8 foot lamps are a pain to deal with, in my opinion. 4 footers are much easier and you have alot more options in 4 footers.

Good luck
CD

 

[tdkkart]

I'd hold off and wait a bit for LED fixtures to come down a bit in price. I put 8 4ft LED fixtures in a 16x30 room in my shop. I like them, but at over $40ea they're not going to be for everyone.
I did it because the T12 fixtures were dieing rapidly and I had to do something, but didn't really want to buy new flourescent fixtures if they were gonna be obsolete in 3 years.

 

[Hurricane_Whisperer]

You can't determine how much light is delivered to the work surface by looking at the bulbs.

Even if a t8 and a t5 put the exact same lumens on the work surface, the t5 would appear brighter since the same lumens must eminate from the smaller bulb.

Always compare lumen output of the bulbs.

For shop use, I like the overheads to be more diffuse for general light. 4 bulb t8s work well for this. I would rather have two 4 bulb 4 foot t8 lights over a work bench than two two bulb t5ho fixtures. For certain tasks you need a task light as the overheads aren't going to give you what you need no matter how bright they are.

 

[tarmy]

I replaced all my T 8 8' footers with T 5...and love it. I liked it so much better that I did my shop and vacation house garage too.

I did need to run some new circuits to handle the new power demand...so I took the oppportunity to run switches and fixture combos that really improved my set up...work but worth it...

Some thread people have commented that if you install the t5 in ceilings less than 10' the glare is too much...I have 9' and have no issues with glare.

I am getting older and my eyesite is not what it used to be...so the main reason I upgraded is so I could actually see again...and it worked out great...love them
View attachment 526492

You can see I used two styles...2 tube 4' and 4 tube 4' for over work areas...

 

[DpSyChO]

I went with 9 8' (4x4') T8 fixtures a couple of years ago because I felt they were a better option for me when comparing the output vs energy usage vs initial cost with T5 .
With that said........ LED was outrageous at the time so that knocked them out. If the price of those had been lower they would have been a high contender. I dont know how much the LED price has come down in the past couple years.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Some thread people have commented that if you install the t5 in ceilings less than 10' the glare is too much...I have 9' and have no issues with glare.

I am getting older and my eyesite is not what it used to be...so the main reason I upgraded is so I could actually see again...and it worked out great...love them

Cool - "Thread People" - There's a Sci-Fi thriller in there somewhere...

If you have open bulb F54T5HO strip fixtures mounted at 9ft and aren't experiencing painful glare, then you must be blind. On the other hand, F28T5 lamps will work fine at 9 ft. Both F54T5HO and F28T5 lamps are identical in size, just different lumen outputs.

OP hasn't mentioned ceiling height, but from the posted image it appears to be somewhere near 8ft, thus should stick with F32T8 lamps or LED equivalents. Regardless of lamp type, might want to consider wrapped fixtures to offer some bulb protection if staying with fluorescents and ceiling height is ~8ft.

 

[tarmy]

Cool - "Thread People" - There's a Sci-Fi thriller in there somewhere...

If you have open bulb F54T5HO strip fixtures mounted at 9ft and aren't experiencing painful glare, then you must be blind. On the other hand, F28T5 lamps will work fine at 9 ft. Both F54T5HO and F28T5 lamps are identical in size, just different lumen outputs.

OP hasn't mentioned ceiling height, but from the posted image it appears to be somewhere near 8ft, thus should stick with F32T8 lamps or LED equivalents. Regardless of lamp type, might want to consider wrapped fixtures to offer some bulb protection if staying with fluorescents and ceiling height is ~8ft.

They are indeed HO...and yes they are bright. One of the things I don't get is what "glare" people are referring to. I don't look up...I am either facing forward or looking at what I am working on...so I have no glare problem...

And yes, old age *****...and eyesite isn't as good and the clean bright light helps alot. As I said, I tore out the T 8 because they just were not as bright.

When I first put them in I bought several...three I recall...different HO labeled bulbs sets...and noticed...they were different brightness/ whiteness. i chose the color I prefered and bought those...and they are HO.

When I did my actual install...I bought the fixtures and specific bulbs I wanted by bulk...got a smokin discount...

 

[ForceFed70]

T5 has some minor advantages over T8. Slightly more efficient, slightly better in cold temps, etc. T5 also has a higher price tag and most people decide that the additional cost isn't worth it. Which in a nutshell explains why you see a lot more T8 vs T5 fixtures.

Both T5 and T8 are available in HO versions. HO gets you a lot more output but sacrifices efficiency and lamp life in the process. Comparing regular T8 with T5HO isn't really comparing apples to apples.

Buy whatever you like, but there's no big advantage to going with T5 and I'd be tempted to stick with T8 for consistency and not having to keep spare lamps of different types.

 

[James-W]

I'd hold off and wait a bit for LED fixtures to come down a bit in price. I put 8 4ft LED fixtures in a 16x30 room in my shop. I like them, but at over $40ea they're not going to be for everyone.

I did it because the T12 fixtures were dying rapidly and I had to do something, but didn't really want to buy new fluorescent fixtures if they were gonna be obsolete in 3 years.

I tend to agree that the LED fixtures would be the way to go, even though they are more expensive. I think long term they would prove to be a much better way to light up the garage.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Re: Fluorescent Decision: T8 vs T5***T8 WINS***

Hello again GJ nation,

Based on the responses here, and further research on the Interwebs, I have decided to stick with the T8 fixtures. Although the T5 fixtures seem to have certain advantages, I believe finishing off the space with T8s is the way to go, especially with my low ceiling height (8 ft) and my inclination to keep things uniform.


Thanks again to all who chimed in - that's what makes GJ great!

 

[Platonic Solid]

tarmstrong - Good lighting is a matter of balancing output and distribution. Ideal light intensity differs depending on tasks being performed and visual acuity. There is no single "correct" answer, just general guides.

You have about 450fc on your workbench, which is quite high and used for fine detail work. I assume this area is separately switched so it's only ON when you're working at the bench. As an example, if the workbench lighting were left ON while working in another area of the shop with this area in your field of view, your pupils will constrict accordingly making everything else seem dark (similar to the effect when you come inside from a bright sunny day, everything initially looks dark until your pupils adjust). To minimize this effect it is recommended that general illumination not be less than 1/3 the task illuminance.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

They are indeed HO...and yes they are bright. One of the things I don't get is what "glare" people are referring to. I don't look up...I am either facing forward or looking at what I am working on...so I have no glare problem...

Exactly...I have T5HO's on a 10' ceiling and I love them. If I stare up at the lights and admire how bright they are, yes, they make me blind with glare...but just working around in the shop they are EXCELLENT!

T5 bulbs consume MORE energy than T8s, not less. T8s are typically 32w per tube, T5s are about 54w if I remember correctly.

You are correct, but the kicker here is lumen output...you can use 1/2 as much T5HO's and have the same amount of light. So a 4 Bulb/32W T8 would be 128W, and the equivalent light output on a T5HO would be 2 bulbs @ 54w ea = 108W

I'm currently "Rough Lighting" one end of my shop (23' x 30') with 2 T5HO 2-Bulb fixtures...Great light output...really lights it up to the point of being decent. In a perfect world, I'd now like to get some single bulb T5HO fixtures to put around the perimeter for a little more lighting when needed over my work benches and such, BUT I just scored a whole pallet of 2 bulb T5HO fixtures

 

[cybrdyke]

You are correct, but the kicker here is lumen output...you can use 1/2 as much T5HO's and have the same amount of light. So a 4 Bulb/32W T8 would be 128W, and the equivalent light output on a T5HO would be 2 bulbs @ 54w ea = 108W

The correct numbers are:
4 lamp T8 is 112w
2 lamp T8 is 59w
2 lamp T5HO is 118w

The favored lamp for that ceiling height is the T8. Brand new, in a strip fixture, it will deliver about 1900 lumens. This amount of light spread out over 4 linear feet and spaced appropriately from fixture to fixture creates very even illumination.
The T5HO lamp, brand new, in a similar strip fixture, will deliver about 3800 lumens. Twice as much. Lighting folks agree that this is too much from a normal ceiling height. Too much light across the human's visual plane is not good.
Have you noticed that the LED fixtures that are being discussed on GJ are typically somewhere between 3000 and 4500 lumens? Those lighting manufacturers are targeting the light output from T8 fixtures, not from T5HO.
It should be recognized that everyone is a little different. Some folks are more or less sensitive to lumen density. So arguing about what is "correct" is a little pointless. But most people fall somewhere in the middle and for the vast majority, well designed T8s are the norm.
As always, your mileage may vary.
CD

 

[Spudland_Dave]

So arguing about what is "correct" is a little pointless. But most people fall somewhere in the middle and for the vast majority, well designed T8s are the norm.
As always, your mileage may vary.
CD

Very true, there is no right or wrong answer. Its nice to live in a world as simple as textbook designs with unlimited finances but we all know that's not the case for most of us. I put the 2 T5HO's in one of the shop because they were BRIGHT and bang for the buck was there. My game plan was to augment them with T8's all around but personal finances being what they are I was looking for some nice take out T8's when I stumbled upon a whole pile of T5HO's... For what the whole pile of those cost (WITH Bulbs) I couldn't buy a single LED fixture so...

 

[Randy in Maine]

I used 5 banks of T5s vs 9 banks of T8s. 12' ceilings painted white.

I am very happy with the amount of light the T5s put out.

 

[cybrdyke]

I was looking for some nice take out T8's when I stumbled upon a whole pile of T5HO's... For what the whole pile of those cost (WITH Bulbs) I couldn't buy a single LED fixture so...

Good score.
Free is always best!!

 

[Fallon]

The efficiency of a modern electronic T8 ballast is on par with a T5 ballast. The huge efficiency gains people touted for T5 over T8 were comparing the T5 ballasts the only ever came in modern electronic versions against old magnetic T8 ballasts.

Personally I went with 8' (4x 4' bubl) fixtures for my shop. They spread out the light better & create less bright spots or shadowing issues than T5 or especially T5HO would have.

LED is getting close & might eclipse modern fluorescent when you look at long term purchase & operating costs. For me I started the lighting install a couple years ago & LED wasn't quite there yet. Not to mention the harsher up front cost. I'm finishing out with the same T8's to keep things consistent.