workshop (garage) lighting - benefits of 'daylight' tubes?

[oddsocks]

Before winter sets in I want to improve the quality of lighting in my garage. I have 5 double strip lights fitted with standard tubes. Has anybody upgraded to 'daylight' quality tubes and if so which ones? A quick search of the web gave two suppliers : http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/varian ... p?var=3425 that cost £17 each and http://www.lyco.co.uk/products/Sylvania ... rodID=3972
that cost £5 each.

Both say they are 'daylight' but quote different standards. In most things in life you get what you pay for but I welcome recommendations (both for what to buy and what to avoid).

 

[engineer one]

haven't actually tried either, but di use daylight on some close lights and they are better.

have you looked at the ottlight, i wonder whether they do normal length tubes.?

paul :wink:

 

[WellsWood]

There are also these which are even cheaper.
I'll be watching this with interest since upgrading to "daylight" tubes has been something I've been meaning to do for ages. I've always put it off though because I've assumed it was going to be too expensive.
However, if these cheaper ones are any good I may go for it.

 

[DomValente]

You're right Dave you get what you pay for. I use daylight tubes and they are marginally better but you can't beat the real thing.

Dom

 

[Roy Clarke]

The lyco price includes a WEEE charge. Does this mean they collect them when they stop working?

 

[tnimble]

I have philips high frequency T8 tubes (dimmable) this works like a dream and gives almost as good light as bright daylight, mostly even too much light for the job at hand.

 

[oddsocks]

thanks for all the responses - I'll do a bit more research and place an order later this week. I'll update the thread with the results

 

[Loz_S]

I very recently bought 4 "daylight" strip lights and the difference is remarkable. They give a fantastic white/blue-white light that is far easier on the eyes. I would recommend switching anywhere you use strip lights for working.

I used Philips de luxe 58W 965, but Osram also have 965 quality strip lights.

BTW the Sylvania TLD in your link are 70W 6ft and the Activa are 58W 5ft, better check which ones you need before you order!

There seem to be a lot of "arty farty" TLD's being sold on the 'net which give off full spectrum UV and only last for a few hundred hours. Neither of which is very useful unless you want to use them as sun lamps.

You may already know the code number is the colour temperature and its spectrum stability. i.e. 965 = 9: Highest stability, 65: 6500 K.
Anywhere between 5000K and 6500K is good for natural bright daylight. The tubes up to 8000K are way brighter than natural daylight and are blindingly bright.

 

[ndbrown]

I purchased High Freq. enclosed fluorescent fittings from Screwfix and needed a source for daylight tubes as well. I did all the usual searchs on the web (Lycos etc), but decided to check one of my local "chain type" electrical wholesale/trade branches. I got 3 of the Osram tubes for £3.20 or so each including VAT, thereby saving postage and minimum order qty.
Most of the trade electrical chains seem to have them in stock. They transformed my working environment in my small workshop (shed) and I am looking to fit another four in my larger workshop (garage). Hope this helps.

Nigel

 

[oddsocks]

thanks Loz-S and Nigel - for some reason i didn't get the email, prompt to tell me more posts had been added after my last one so only realized it when i came back to add this.

I did some more research which included looking at and measuring my current tubes - only one was marked with a temp 3500K the rest were various makes and just normal. I have ordered
Part No: 1942 (F58W/865 T8 5ft Triphosphor daylight) - 8 x £3.10. These have a temperature of 865 (daylight). I'm not an artist or restorer so don't need to spend £17 each on the top spec ones.

A couple of my holders are doubles, so I'll put one new one in each and try and capture the difference - if it photos well I'll add them.

dispatch is within 48hrs so hopefully I'll fit them this weekend.
I never thought to try the local electrical suppliers - problem for me is location and working hours, so mail order and the £10 P&P (long tube surcharge) is the penalty

 

[tnimble]

thanks Loz-S and Nigel - for some reason i didn't get the email, prompt to tell me more posts had been added after my last one so only realized it when i came back to add this.

I did some more research which included looking at and measuring my current tubes - only one was marked with a temp 3500K the rest were various makes and just normal. I have ordered
Part No: 1942 (F58W/865 T8 5ft Triphosphor daylight) - 8 x £3.10. These have a temperature of 865 (daylight). I'm not an artist or restorer so don't need to spend £17 each on the top spec ones.

A couple of my holders are doubles, so I'll put one new one in each and try and capture the difference - if it photos well I'll add them.

Mixing different tubes in one holder is not a pretty good idea. Also fitting T8 in a T5 or T12 holder is not advisable. Doing so will reduce the life time of the tubes and reduces ther efficiency, light stability, ....

dispatch is within 48hrs so hopefully I'll fit them this weekend.
I never thought to try the local electrical suppliers - problem for me is location and working hours, so mail order and the £10 P&P (long tube surcharge) is the penalty

 

[oddsocks]

Mixing different tubes in one holder is not a pretty good idea. Also fitting T8 in a T5 or T12 holder is not advisable. Doing so will reduce the life time of the tubes and reduces ther efficiency, light stability, ....

yes - thanks for that advice - it's logical when you spent a moment to think it through! I won't mix them. I will try to compare two single fixings that should get in the same shot. I've never considered T5 /8/12 holders before - just bought the tubes that matched the same diameter as before. I've got an email saying the tubes have been posted so they should be here for the weekend.

 

[Nick W]

Been looking in the ScrewFix catalogue. What is the difference between HF and HPF fluorescent fittings? Apart from the price that is...

Which is cheaper to run? Which is better on the eyes?

 

[tnimble]

HF stands for High Frequency. HPF stands for High Power Factor. Which one you need depends on the type of ballast that is used is the holder.

Which tube runs cheaper depend not only on the tube but the whole system and mainly by the (electronic) ballast. Both types can run very effecient and give stable flicker free (very fast flicker that we can't see).

 

[oddsocks]

My daylight tubes arrived and have been fitted - an amazing difference in brightness (I changed 4 x 5ft T8 tubes). The old tubes gave a warm yellow glow whereas the new ones give a blue white more clinical colour - seemed strange at first but I soon realized it was better when I switched on one with the old tubes still fitted as a comparison.

I did take photos but they don't really help - the tubes look the same on screen (presumably saturated white as far as the camera is concerned).

On the down side, out of the 8 tubes I ordered from lighttbulbs direct, 4 were damaged - not broken glass but the pins at one end were bent due to (I assume) no bubble wrap at the ends, just the thin cardboard flap. As a result when fitting and twisting the pins just folded over. they also shipped 860 colour tubes by Narva, not 865 by one of the brands advertised. I have emailed them and included the photo of the damage ends.

I think the moral of this is upgrade to daylight but buy locally if you can!