T5 HO lamps breaking in fixture while on!

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just the cowboy

just the cowboy

Inactive, Email Never Verified
Location
newburgh,ny
Got a problem in our plant. We use 4 lamp T5 HO fixtures in our plant, Bulb is Topaz CXL FP54/841/HO-39 .

Problem is last week I came in and they said " a light bulb fell out over line 2" I thought Ok someone put one in wrong and it was loose.

Today I was putting in a replacement lamp and found part of bulb still in fixture. Replaced and since i was on the lift I thought why not change some of the others that are out.
Got to about the 5ifth light out and when I touched it I saw it was broke also.
Not good. Then I found one not broke but just cracked like it exploded inside.
'
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7105-lamps.jpg



Anyone else come across this?

Do they sell the protective sleves for T5HO bulbs, I would think they run too hot.

Any help would be great.
Cowboy
 
mopowr steve

mopowr steve

Senior Member
Location
NW Ohio
Occupation
Electrical contractor
just the cowboy said:
Got a problem in our plant. We use 4 lamp T5 HO fixtures in our plant, Bulb is Topaz CXL FP54/841/HO-39 .

Problem is last week I came in and they said " a light bulb fell out over line 2" I thought Ok someone put one in wrong and it was loose.

Today I was putting in a replacement lamp and found part of bulb still in fixture. Replaced and since i was on the lift I thought why not change some of the others that are out.
Got to about the 5ifth light out and when I touched it I saw it was broke also.
Not good. Then I found one not broke but just cracked like it exploded inside.
'
wol_error.gif
This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 600x600 and weights 119KB.
7105-lamps.jpg



Anyone else come across this?

Do they sell the protective sleves for T5HO bulbs, I would think they run too hot.

Any help would be great.
Cowboy
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I've run into this also but with even T8 tubes. What's even more concerning is I very often come across that pinhole crack like on the picture of the first tube. Do we need to call EPA cause mercury fell out?:eek:hmy:
 
J

JFletcher

Senior Member
Location
Williamsburg, VA
My biggest complaint with T5 bulbs is they all feel like they are going to break on install or removing. Feeling that thin glass noticeably flex is disconcerting at best. No surprise you've found broken ones.
 
just the cowboy

just the cowboy

Inactive, Email Never Verified
Location
newburgh,ny
225 degrees F at ends

225 degrees F at ends

I just checked the ends of the T5 bulbs with a digital thermometer.

Amb 82 degrees F
Bulb end new bulb 190 or so.
Bulb end black part 225 or so.

Must be a good sleeve they make nowadays.
 
Electric-Light

Electric-Light

Senior Member
Well designed ballasts are supposed to catch this before it gets this far and shut down. The cathodes are attached like a light bulb filament and coated with an electron emissive coating. When it breaks and arc starts to draw off path, T5s don't offer much side clearance and can heat up the bulb enough to crack it.
 
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