Quick lighting questions

[Nevadastars]

Hey guys, I went and bought lights for the new garage, but think I bought the wrong fixtures. I wanted regular 8' flourescent, but when I assembled the first one, I noticed it had different contact ends. I checked the box, and it said for Slimline Bulbs. I have not bought bulbs yet, and glad I didnt because I would have bought standard 8 footers. If I keep these, will they be as bright as regular flourescent tubes? What are the pros and cons to the different styles of bulbs? I'm leery of the skinny ones. Thanks for any help!

 

[RoyB]

skinny bulbs (T8s) use an electronic ballast. the bigger ones use a magnetic ballast (T12s). imo, electronic is the way to go. you dont get the startup flicker and they all go on at once. especially useful when its cold out...although they do make cold ballasts as well.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

If what you bought uses the T8 (one inch in diameter, or 8/8ths) you have a much better fixture than the old, more common T12 (1-1/2" diameter, or 12/8ths) bulbs and fixtures. You won't have the humming since you won't have the old magnetic ballast, you also will have a nearly instant start and a more energy efficient fixture. In addition to all of that, you will have MORE light than the older, larger bulbs give off.

Right now, T8's are a little more costly, but T12's are fast becoming obsolete and in the near future, you will probably see T12 fixtures disappear from the market altogether and only find T12 replacement bulbs, which will eventually become higher priced than T8's.

The world is changing.

Charles

 

[markb1]

I went the electrical supply house to get a magnetic ballast....They don't stock them.

 

[Franz©]

The label on the ballast will tell you which tubes it supports.
Thanks to the brilliant AlGore repealing the Laws of Physics, fluorescent lights have now become very tube/ballast specific.
Of course they have also become more expensive, and there ins no truth to the claim AlGore's family owns a bulb factory. Well, at least not a lamp factory in America, because there are no more US made tubes.

 

[PhantomEB]

Thanks for more info that I wasnt expecting to fall upon. I was planning on running all T12 8' fixtures as I usually find them cheap in recycling places. Now I think I will be running a couple or 4 cold weather fixtures then the rest in T8s just as I have to be stingy on power bills with the new mortgage. Same goes for heat, have to run it at minimum heat levels then turn it up to a normal, no longer tshirt weather but warm enough with a hoodie heat levels. Thus why I think I should only get a few cold ballast fixtures that will be ok during shop warm up periods or just grabbing a tool for honey dos!