Pleased with my cheap T-8's!

[Boyd Who]

It was quite cold here this morning, about -27C.
I had to get something in my uninsulated, unheated garage so I flipped the lights on. They all came on instantly and only took a minute or two to reach almost full brightness. These were cheap fixtures at the local Co-op store and I wasn't sure how well they'd fire in severe cold. I was impressed!

 

[rodnok1]

That's good for el cheapos lights. mine are bitchin about 35 degrees, but the all come on and are full light after a few minutes. I have had el cheapos in an attic that just wouldn't work anywhere near freezing.

 

[bucs012]

Good to hear. My Lithonia, surface mount, 4 bulb, 4 foot, T8's are also working great in 20 degree weather so far. Flip them on and they warm up to full light level within a few minutes. Here are the ones I got. I am running 17 of them in my detached garage.

In my attached garage, I am running the same lights the previous owner had hung.... 8 foot, t12's. I will be tearing them out next year. Noisy and take forever to warm up in this colder weather...........

Here are the good ones-

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

 

[66pnl]

The old t-12s had a magnetic ballast which was filled with a tar like fluid and was hard to start in the cold. The new t-8 ballasts are electronic. Just so you know if you have an old t-12 setup that has 4 foot bulbs you can just replace the ballast and the t-8s will fit. The ends (tombstones) are the same. It will save you some money.

 

[70pcuda]

Can you do the ballast swap with 8' t-12 fixtures? Or do they not make T-8 bulbs in 8' lengths?