T8 bulbs on a T12 housing?

[nate379]

At Lowe's they carry the $10 a housing plug in units, but they say they are T12 housings. The next step up that is T8 listed costs $23 a housing.

Will the cheapos work with T8 bulbs?

 

[cowboyjosh]

go with T8 fixtures, T12 will be somewhat obsolete before long. If you currently have T12's there are retrofit kits out which changes out everything on the fixture minus the housing itself. As far as your question, probably not, you need T8 ballast and ends for T8 bulbs, same for T12.

 

[nate379]

T8 and T12 ends aren't the same? At work we switched over to T8 bulbs and didn't do anything to the lights other than put the new bulbs.

 

[Basskiller]

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=120687

They'll work. you may encounter a problem with the bulb or ballast having a shorter lifespan.

 

[Norcal]

T8 lamps on a T12 ballast will result in drastically shorter lamp life, I cannot say for sure but from what have read that T12 lamps on T8 ballasts will damage the ballast.

 

[pattenp]

Correct me if I wrong... but I thought a T12 bulb would not fit in a T8 fixture because the tombstone plug is to short for the thicker T12 bulb. I know a T8 bulb will fit in a T12 fixture because the T12 tombstone is taller. But not that that matters, I would not suggest interchanging bulbs anyway.

 

[May Pop]

The lamps will fit either fixture but wont last long without the right ballast.

 

[nate379]

Ok. I'll check around for some T8 lights or maybe I'll just get the T12 and some T12 bulbs.

To makeup the $50 with the T8 housings I'd have to run the lights for about 2000hrs.

 

[kmacht]

Walmart carries T8 fixtures for $10 a piece.


Keith

 

[burleymike]

You can try it I know of a few T12 fixtures that are running T8 lamps and doing just fine. Some of the cheap ballasts which these cheap fixtures probably have may overheat and trip the thermal protector. You will only know for sure if you try it. You also might see decreased lamp life but again it is hard to know for sure.

If these fixtures will not get a lot of use like in a basement storage room you should be ok with the T12 fixtures since they will not see a lot of hours. My parents had some T12 fixtures in their basement storage room and the lamps would last about years.

If they will see a lot of hours then you should go with the T8 fixtures since you will be buying tubes more often.