NickWheeler
Active member
Hey guys-
So I have to readily show my ignorance here, but I'm hoping some of you that are more electrically geared than I am (which clearly won't take much) can help me out here. I've tried to do a lot of searching/reading, but I'm still coming up... well...
I had some 8' high output fixtures in my old shop (2- single pin T12 bulbs). When I moved into the new shop, I simply grabbed the updated version (essentially the same light but with (4) 4' T8 bulbs).
I went and picked up a couple more 8' 4 lamp fixtures at HD last night. I bought the HO (high output) fixtures again because that's what I already had above my grinders and workbench. It's this unit (I realize the link doesn't show "high output" but they're clearly marked at the store and on the boxes).
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...rip-Light-TUNS-2-32-MVOLT-1-4-GEBHL/202193181
And I passed on this model:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...te-Strip-Light-TC-2-32-120-1-4-GESB/100192753
It appeared to me, that you get a better balast and hopefully longer life over the standard fixture. But the store display also shows the HO rated at something like 12,800 lumens and the standard at around 10,000 lumens.
The part I'm mixed up on... Is that I don't know of, nor can I find any reference to... a High Output T8 (high output) double pin, bulb. There are HO T12 and HO T5 bulbs, and I even found some single pin HO T8s online... (FWIW I decided against T5s even though their blinding light is a bit mesmerizing, because everything I read said they are best suited to a ceiling height of at least 14' and with any ceiling height under 10' they would cause a lot of unwanted glare).
The HO fixture is rated to light up in -20 F compared to 0 F for the standard... but my shop is fully insulated/heated and will never be 0 F, let alone -20 F.
So comparing apples to apples... Is the $60 fixture actually going to put out more light with the same T8 bulbs than the $40 fixture??? Is the ballast going to give me $20 worth of extra life over the $40 fixture??? What am I missing here???
I have typically used 6500k "daylight" bulbs in my shop fixtures, but I purchased some 5000k "natural" bulbs last night and so far am very impressed with them. They actually have a higher lumen rating than the 6500k, and they're just enough "softer" so as to not have that blue hue to them.
I'm gonna need at least 10 more fixtures to complete the shop lighting (36'X48' knife shop), so that $20 difference will add up...
Thanks fellas.
-Nick-
So I have to readily show my ignorance here, but I'm hoping some of you that are more electrically geared than I am (which clearly won't take much) can help me out here. I've tried to do a lot of searching/reading, but I'm still coming up... well...
I had some 8' high output fixtures in my old shop (2- single pin T12 bulbs). When I moved into the new shop, I simply grabbed the updated version (essentially the same light but with (4) 4' T8 bulbs).
I went and picked up a couple more 8' 4 lamp fixtures at HD last night. I bought the HO (high output) fixtures again because that's what I already had above my grinders and workbench. It's this unit (I realize the link doesn't show "high output" but they're clearly marked at the store and on the boxes).
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...rip-Light-TUNS-2-32-MVOLT-1-4-GEBHL/202193181
And I passed on this model:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...te-Strip-Light-TC-2-32-120-1-4-GESB/100192753
It appeared to me, that you get a better balast and hopefully longer life over the standard fixture. But the store display also shows the HO rated at something like 12,800 lumens and the standard at around 10,000 lumens.
The part I'm mixed up on... Is that I don't know of, nor can I find any reference to... a High Output T8 (high output) double pin, bulb. There are HO T12 and HO T5 bulbs, and I even found some single pin HO T8s online... (FWIW I decided against T5s even though their blinding light is a bit mesmerizing, because everything I read said they are best suited to a ceiling height of at least 14' and with any ceiling height under 10' they would cause a lot of unwanted glare).
The HO fixture is rated to light up in -20 F compared to 0 F for the standard... but my shop is fully insulated/heated and will never be 0 F, let alone -20 F.
So comparing apples to apples... Is the $60 fixture actually going to put out more light with the same T8 bulbs than the $40 fixture??? Is the ballast going to give me $20 worth of extra life over the $40 fixture??? What am I missing here???
I have typically used 6500k "daylight" bulbs in my shop fixtures, but I purchased some 5000k "natural" bulbs last night and so far am very impressed with them. They actually have a higher lumen rating than the 6500k, and they're just enough "softer" so as to not have that blue hue to them.
I'm gonna need at least 10 more fixtures to complete the shop lighting (36'X48' knife shop), so that $20 difference will add up...
Thanks fellas.
-Nick-
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