FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

[georgeswe]

Recently my company did a remodel for a car dealership. The rep for the dealer was to say the least a stickler about finish on this project. On the 1st punch list there was a line item that 1 lamp was the wrong color. So i sent out my Foreman to finish the pick-up get the right color lamp. He notified me that the lamp he installed was the correct color and it still looks "different". So told him to check the make up in the junction box and to go over the ballast wires to make sure the genius putting the fixture together didn't mess up. Well all that being done i ordered another fixture and sent the same guy to reinstall the new one same results.

 

[augie47]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

good tip! thanks
theres always the "witchcraft" factor that is involved in ALL electrical work.
I've taken 30 lamps out of two cases and some eagle-eye will spot one "off color"...swap it, its still a bit off.... come back tommorrow, it might not be...or another might be...

why our vans have maalox, i guess

 

[physis]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

Hmm. I don't mean to be difficult but I'm not convinced. It doesn't sound right to me. Isn't the color an attribute of the coating in the tube?

The gas in the tube turns plasma. Electrons phosphoresce (however it's spelled) through an exchange with the coating. The frequency of the emitted light is dependent on the elements involved and the energy of the electrons. (I think).

I could imagine a coating made from a mixture of elements and some of them wont phosphoresce (however it's spelled) at lower temperatures.

Hmmm.

 

[kentirwin]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

Ambient temperature issues aside - fluorescent and H.I.D. lamps require a burn in period before they "settle down". Their lumen curve also steadily drops off from day one. If you ever go to a troffer and replace only one of the lamps, providing the others have been burning awhile, you'll notice a big difference.

 

[wildman]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

Do you shake the lamps before you install them? A lot of times these lamps are stored in a verticle position until ready for use....the phosphorressic powder inside lays on one end and cannot allow bulb to "burn" correctly! They tend to "flicker or pulse in a rolling motion immediately after installation! I have found, after replacing ballast/lamp ends, that shaking the lamp for about 10 to 15 seconds seems to help! This includes U-shape and circular lamps!
Always store lamps in a horizontal position!
I cannot count the times I replaced a ballast or lamp ends only to find out that not shaking the lamps was the problem! wildman

 

[georgeswe]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

Physis if you have ever seen a lamp tryign to heat up in a cold temp environment they tend to have a redish Hue to them THAT was what the customer referd to as off color

 

[physis]

Re: FLourecent fixture that was a pain in my @$$

We've all seen fluorescent tubes act funny.

I'm assuming the AC vent was mounted in the ceiling on the same plane as the mounted fixture. In other words, not facing the fixture.

I don't mean to seam difficult, even though I am sometimes. I just don't believe that you have an answer to the problem yet.

But it's completly possible that I'm wrong and I only mean to be helpful.

[ August 02, 2005, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: physis ]