fluorescent lights

[hvbmab]

Are 12v and 120v tubes the same? Tubes in overhead lights last only 3 mo.

[Chris_Bryant]

FWIW, you can make the bulbs last longer by rotating them regularly (swapping end to end).

[tpi]

Thinlite makes a direct LED replacement for many of it's fluorescent fixtures. Some of them have multi brightness settings and more advertised lumens than the fluorescent fixture. They also come with nice new lenses. According to an email I got from Thinlite they are available in three color temp ratings-with the warmest about 3000K. But some color temps need to be special ordered from a dealer. Default I think is 4100.

This will be the route I will go with mine-replace if/when the fixtures die.

[KJINTF]

Those florescent bulbs are kind of like LEAD ACID batteries
Dinosaurs - Long since past their prime time
As the others stated go with LED's

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Try and find a dispenser to hang on the wall. That way you'll never misplace the full lot case of extra tubes.

[beemerphile1]

Tubes are the same regardless of the incoming voltage.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Fender mounted spare tires, wooden wheel spokes, spark retard under the steering wheel and spring loaded floor starter push button. So did Gillete safety razors, Burma Shave highway signs, and the Giant Orange juice stands alongside highways.

Time to move on. Fluorescent tubes are hazardous waste BTW.

[bdpreece]

pianotuna wrote:
Mine have lasted for years. I suggest you look at moving to led lighting.

I too was having problems with fluorescent tubes burning out about as fast as I could change them. I stripped out the ballasts and tubes and installed LED strips in all the fixtures about three years ago. So far not one LED has failed and I am pretty sure that at the rate I was changing tubes I have probably pretty well paid for my conversion all ready.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

When I changed Quicksilver to LED the Thinlites (48") got HURLED out the emergency door. The utterly swuare wave inverter circuit used in the Thinlite tortures poor, innocent fluorecent tubes turning the ends black and end up hogging-out twice the amps. Thinlite and gas wall lanterns were great in their day. There is no way to prevent the Thinlite from screwing up a perfectly good bulb.

[MrWizard]

Yes the same tubes
How ever the electronic circuit board ballast, is designed to work with even low battery voltage.. aka 11v
So if parked on shore power 13+v driving the ballast , the tubes might be getting hit with higher than avg voltages
Also they do suffer from getting too hot

Mine would last one or two years
I finally went LED because of the cost of replacement tubes, not because of power use

[pianotuna]

Mine have lasted for years. I suggest you look at moving to led lighting.