T12's and T8's

Status
Not open for further replies.

peter d

Senior Member
Location
New England
The short answer is no.

Will it work? Yes. But to mix and match the two systems greatly compromises lamp life and performance.
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
So basically, the only factor is lamp life? I have a customer with hundreds of fixtures and there are both type of ballasts intermingled everywhere. I have both lamps available and use the correct lamp when obvious but sometimes it isn't.
 
I would suggest telling them to change everything to T8 lamp and ballast. At least retrofit them as they go out. The savings they will get should be well worth it and they might qualify for a tax credit if it is available in their state.
 

quinn77

Senior Member
So basically, the only factor is lamp life? I have a customer with hundreds of fixtures and there are both type of ballasts intermingled everywhere. I have both lamps available and use the correct lamp when obvious but sometimes it isn't.

how could it not be obvious if the diameter of the lamp is different.t8=1", t12=1 1/2" ...just curious, please explain.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
of course...guess im tired and read his op wrong. but, if customer has both lamps, and you read labels, how could you go wrong?

Because many times the only label the customer has is only on the covered up ballast.:roll:

Very common problem with customer doing their own maintenance when they have mixed type lamp fixtures, and not just with fluorescents, HID's are a big problem.
 

quinn77

Senior Member
Because many times the only label the customer has is only on the covered up ballast.:roll:

Very common problem with customer doing their own maintenance when they have mixed type lamp fixtures, and not just with fluorescents, HID's are a big problem.

now I see where the OP is with his question...very tired, excuse me.:cool:
 

A/A Fuel GTX

Senior Member
Location
WI & AZ
Occupation
Electrician
how could it not be obvious if the diameter of the lamp is different.t8=1", t12=1 1/2" ...just curious, please explain.

Quite often, I am faced with fixtures that have the lamps removed when I arrive. I know, I could take the fixture apart and check the ballast.
 
do right by your customer

do right by your customer

I like a clear conscious when I lay my head down at night. Open the fixtures as you service them and make sure you have the correct ballast/lamp matchup. Use a sharpie and mark it somewhere for future reference so you only take each one apart once.
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Quite often, I am faced with fixtures that have the lamps removed when I arrive. I know, I could take the fixture apart and check the ballast.
In a mixed-tube-type environment, even if tubes are installed, the chances are they don't match the ballast anyway.

The only way to be sure is to check each ballast, and trace which sockets each feeds if they're mixed in the fixture.
 

CraigL

Member
T8's

T8's

I've seen 4 foot fixtures with T12 ballasts that have T8 lamps installed by mistake. The lamps often have a rapid flicker and are slightly brighter than they should be. I always remove the T12 ballast and replace it with a T8 ballast when I see that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top