Specialty and Architectural Lighting — Fluorescent

Have you ever wondered why your eyes and head sometimes hurt after sitting in your office for awhile? Look up at the lights for a possible answer. You may not notice anything other than a fluorescent fixture. But what's happening inside the fluorescent tubes is fluctuating light output. Input power...

Legislation banning common incandescent bulbs has not been well received by most consumers. CFL and LED bulbs, often mentioned as the new go-to lighting option for homes, have caused an uproar. Consumers complain that the government is making them choose between one bulb that is "cheap and doesn't work" (CFL)...

You may have noticed that the specifications for fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs, and ultraviolet lamps provide watts, but almost never volts. Why not? Ballasts, invisible inside the fixture, are required for all fluorescent bulbs to operate. Ballasts modify the line voltage they are connected to (120V, 277V, etc.) so...

The performance of fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and low pressure mercury ultraviolet bulbs deteriorates in ambient temperatures that rise above certain design parameters. At high fixture and room temperatures, light output and color characteristics deteriorate. CFLs are particularly affected by this, as anyone who has had a CFL...

Reasonable care should be taken in both the handling of broken light bulbs and the disposal of burned out bulbs that contain mercury. For decades, fluorescent and CFL bulbs have been used widely in commercial and residential general lighting settings, but there has been a vast increase in homeowners, businesses,...

Lighting for aquariums is an incredibly complicated task. Too little light can endanger plant and fish life and growth, while too much light can lead to a high rate of algae growth. There is also a heat factor, in too much heat can kill fish and plants. Aquarium owners will...

By a considerable margin the most common lighting job in North America is general space lighting for commercial and institutional occupancies provided by fluorescent tubes mounted in troffers, direct / indirect pendants and strip lights. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) estimated there were over 300 million fluorescent...

When comparing LED troffers and retrofits to fluorescent troffers, the most LED fixtures will either exceed or match the specifications of the fluorescent fixtures. LED lumen output often matches that of various fluorescent configurations but it, along with control compatibility, requires careful consideration to ensure the LED installation will meet the needs specific to the application.

Fluorescent lighting is a system that relies on the compatibility between the lamp and ballast for reliable lamp starting, desired illumination level, energy efficiency, and achieving rated lamp life. The ballast controls the voltage and current applied to the lamp(s). Beyond these basics, ballasts also have many additional characteristics that...

T5 fluorescent light bulbs are often overlooked as an excellent option for specific types of lighting in new construction and remodel projects. T5 fixtures can often be found in office lighting where ceiling fixtures supply the ambient illumination over workspaces. T5s are also frequently used in wall wash applications and...

Emergency lighting that provides occupants with a clear path of egress is a code requirement in most commercial and institutional buildings. Emergency lighting can consist of dedicated emergency fixtures including combo exit/emergency units mounted on walls or ceilings. Another option is fluorescent fixtures that include both standard ballasts for normal...

Currently, T8 fluorescent tubes dominate the commercial and institutional lighting sector both in number of lamps and in lumen output. The USDOE estimated in 2010 that there were 1 billion fluorescent fixtures in the U.S. It is no surprise that LED manufacturers have focused on this potentially huge retrofit market...

If you've ever had to work for 16 months in an office with overhead fluorescent tubes that flicker or buzz, you know how annoying they can be. If you work in an office with flickering lights AND buzzing ballasts, you may have a permanent headache (in addition to your boss)....

Commercial fluorescent lighting systems consist primarily of T8 lamps and electronic ballasts. While LED linear tubes now compete as replacements for traditional fluorescent, the vast majority of existing and replacement ceiling lighting in offices, schools, hospitals, and other institutions is fluorescent. At it's best, fluorescent lamp/ballast systems can offer efficiencies,...

Most germicidal bulbs look like linear fluorescent light bulbs. They have the same shape. They share similar base types. Both use low pressure mercury arc technology. They both have hot cathode and cold cathode lamp types. They both use external ballasts to regulate voltage between the building and the lamp....