GE vs. Advance electronic T12HO ballast

[pattenp]

I had to replace a ballast on one of my T12 HO fixtures and first bought the Phillips Advance one from an electrical supply house and paid $38 for it. I wired it up and was a little surprised that it takes a couple of seconds to light after the switch is flipped. The other units still with magnetic ballast come on instantly. I happened to be in Home Depot and looked at the ballast they carried and purchase the GE ProLine one from there to see if there was any difference in the start up. The GE ProLine was also $38. I put the GE ProLine ballast in and the light unit comes on instantly. Based on the packaging both ballast seem to be rated the same, the noticeable difference is the GE is physically larger. Both of the ballast are commercial which I assume is because of being for HO.

 

[BillK]

Dont rule out the possibility that the first ballast is defective. I have had them bad out of the box

 

[mrb]

i dont know about the phillips but that model GE is program start which switches the lamps on instantly at full brightness. Program start ballasts are used in applications where the lamps are switched frequently such as with occupancy sensors.

edit: i think that phillips / advance is rapid start which does not come to full brightness at turn on as a program start does.

 

[trythis]

I am very happy with the GE ballasts you are using and compared them to the advance on paper first I cant remember why I settled with the GE, but it may have just been availability. Home depot has the best price for those anywhere.

 

[Interex]

Is there a reason why you're sticking with the T12 technology? Manufacturing of the bulbs will cease in a couple of years which will likely cause prices to go up.

 

[trythis]

T12HO (high output) will not be part of the T12 phaseout. Somewhere deep in the forum is a reprint of the new restrictions and T12HO is exempt. I wouldn't want to try and install an 8ft T8 bulbs, they seem too fragile. The quality difference in new T12HO and old magnetic ballasts is very noticeable.

T8HO are not actually any brighter, its just that few people compare new T12 and new T8 electronic ballasts at the same time.
Most people upgrading to T8s have old magnetic T12 ballasts and worn out bulbs then install T8 electronic ballasts and new bulbs and think T8s are much brighter. The phosphors in new bulbs are much brighter the first week or two adding to the impression of T8s being brighter and T12HO wouldnt be phased out.
If they were to install a new T12 electronic ballast and new bulbs, it would look just as bright. This would be a waste of money if you aren't the Mythbusters with non HO T12 because they will be phased out.

The new T12HO electronic ballasts are very very bright, silent, efficient and work down to -20F.

I might consider it after the case of T12 bulbs I have are gone, 8ft HO bulbs are about $15 a piece so changing to T8 will have to wait and if the bulbs are the same price then, why bother? When I was changing out my old magnetic ballasts, T8HO ballasts were 2 or 3x what they cost now and that was a year ago. T12 won that battle, especially after I did the research and found out it wouldn't be any brighter.

The one place where T8 beats out a T12 is the 1 or 2 watts more efficiency per bulb. ~ 32 watts for 2900 lumens in T8 and ~ 34 watts for 2900 lumens in T12. This does not account for ballast efficiency. Crappy T8 ballast vs great t12 ballast could reverse this result.

If you look at the advertising and efficiency ratings, you'll notice the "cost effective" comparison is only for T12 magnetic, and T8 electronic. They dont put the T12 electronic ballasts up against T8s.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/procurement/eep_fluortube_lamp.html

I went to Graingers website and looked at the bulbs. There are so many different types its impossible to compare, but it seems you can buy $8 to $24 F96T12HO and $20 to $40 F96T8HO. The light output and wattage varies a lot, so maybe Mythbusters should do an episode.

 

[pattenp]

Is there a reason why you're sticking with the T12 technology? Manufacturing of the bulbs will cease in a couple of years which will likely cause prices to go up.

Reasons are as trythis stated. Main one is not being cost effective. The new T12HO ballast use less power plus its easier and cheaper to change a ballast than the whole light unit.