1.5" fluorescent tube fittings

[RickH]

A neighbour just donated me 2 VGC twin 6' fittings complete with Phillips 75-85W tubes,

While I have the slimline tubes & fittings in my garage, I could utilise these over my workbench.

Should I just use as is .... or is there an adapter to use slimline Tri-Phosphor tubes, I can see an adapter to convert T8 to LED, are there options for T15 ?
I know Tri-Phosphor High Efficiency tubes will be cheaper top run, but is it worth changing fittings & tubes, to gain the saving.

Many change as T15 tubes are not 'officially' sold anymore, but there are loads out there.

Question would not have arise had I not been given the fittings

 

[ericmark]

I do wonder how long we will be able to get fluorescent tubes for, it seems EU are breaking their own rules about equipment being maintainable for 7 years from point of sale, so fluorescent fittings should have been removed from sale 7 years before the tubes were withdrawn.

As to question I had a 65 watt fluorescent lamp, fat tubes. The fat tubes were withdrawn and only the slim tubes could be bought, and to start with the 58 watt tube worked fine in the old 240 volt fitting, they would only last around 3 years, where old tubes would last around 8 years in my kitchen, but they worked.

Then we saw a load of solar panels go up. Now solar panels with auto shut down is voltage not within the permitted band, so if the supply goes higher than 253 volt they close down, so I would assume there was a complaint over high voltage, and the average voltage dropped from 245 volt to 230 volt, not much, but enough so the new 58 watt tube now only lasting around 3 to 6 months, and clearly some thing had to be done, I removed the ballast from the circuit and fitted a LED tube, lasted 18 months and back then darn expensive, plus hardly used as living with mum, but the next tube did last better, until finally son swapped it for down lights.

So the question is if worth fitting a fluorescent fitting when seems likely they will be gone soon? Yes with a HF ballast the power used with HF fluorescent compared with an LED are on par, so not down to power use, it is just it seems mercury is far more dangerous to arsenic found in LED lamps. Personally not sure about that, but is it worth the effort?

 

[333rocky333]

Do not really underrstand the question .
Tri phosphor tubes would be T8 and a 1.5 inch tube would be T12, both of these use the SAME bipin fitment, unless your fittings are from the 1960's. where you may have needed a BC to Bipin adaptor.
Whether T8 works in the T12 is down to the control gear within the unit
6ft seemed to be the most temperamental fittings when it comes to tubes and starters (if at has one)