Need source for High CRI low color temp fluoro tubes

[LLCoolBeans]

CPF,

Looking to replace the fluorescent tubes in my home with low color temp, high (or highish) CRI. Where can I buy these?

Would I also need to replace the ballasts? Or will the old ballasts still work fine?

Thanks

 

[jtr1962]

Are these standard 4 foot T12 (1.5" diameter) tubes? If so, you can replace them with T8s (1" diameter) which will fit in the same fixture, but you'll need to swap out the T12 ballast for a T8 ballast.

As for the high CRI, low CCT, if you use T8s you'll find them available in two grades with a CRI of ~78 and ~85, respectively, and each grade is available in all of the common CCTs (2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4100K, 5000K, and 6500K). There are also tubes with even higher CRI but these are usually 5000K to 5500K. I also vaguely remember a CRI 90, 3000K tube, but I'm not sure if it was T8 or T12. I know it wasn't widely available, however.

 

[LLCoolBeans]

Are these standard 4 foot T12 (1.5" diameter) tubes? If so, you can replace them with T8s (1" diameter) which will fit in the same fixture, but you'll need to swap out the T12 ballast for a T8 ballast.

Yes, I believe so, I'll have to double check before ordering anything, but 99% sure.

Ok, I'll need T8 ballasts as well, thanks for the info.

As for the high CRI, low CCT, if you use T8s you'll find them available in two grades with a CRI of ~78 and ~85, respectively, and each grade is available in all of the common CCTs (2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4100K, 5000K, and 6500K).

Got a link to a retailer's website?

There are also tubes with even higher CRI but these are usually 5000K to 5500K.

Those won't do for this particular application, though I am planning on using those out in my workshop. One step at a time though, don't want to get ahead of myself.

 

[jtr1962]

Got a link to a retailer's website?

Here is a page with the higher grade four foot T8 tubes in all the available color temps. I've ordered from this place before. Good service and good tubes.

 

[LLCoolBeans]

Thank you, that's what I needed.

So, my fixtures use 4 tubes each (I think, at least 4 anyway). I assume the T8 ballasts will handle that?

 

[jtr1962]

Thank you, that's what I needed.

So, my fixtures use 4 tubes each (I think, at least 4 anyway). I assume the T8 ballasts will handle that?

Yes, they have 4-tube T8 ballasts.

 

[brickbat]

concur w/ the above. Just wanted to add that this stuff isn't hard to find. You should be able to find it at a local electrical supplier. GE, for example has the F32T8SPX30/ECO lamp. 3000K and 86 CRI and very common. The F32T8SP30/ECO is also very common but has a 78 CRI.

Sylvania, Philips, etc all have similar lamps.

 

[ponygt65]

Also it would be good to know that the old T12 ballasts are a Rapid Start setup. T8 ballasts can either have Instart or Prog. Rapid Start. The wiring may be different pending which starting method is on the ballast you pick. Typically there are wiring diagrams on the ballasts.

 

[broadgage]

Here in the UK, and presumably elswhere, the lamps that you require are known as colour 930 (color rendering 90+ color temperature 3,000K)
Not a very popular color but any good lamp supplier should be able to order them.
Color 830 lamps are much more widely sold, they have a lower, but still good CRI of 80+

 

[jtr1962]

This looks like it might be what you need. 3000K, 92 CRI. Unfortunately it's sold out in this place, but at least this shows such tubes are made.

EDIT:

Here's a few places where these types of tubes are in stock:

http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/nw012104/F32T8.TL930PHILIPS.htm

http://www.elightbulbs.com/Philips-209049-F32T8-TL930-Straight-T8-Fluorescent-Tube

They seem to be about $10 but a case I imagine would be less. Philips TL930 is what appears to be most available in the USA. CRI 95, CCT 3000K. You do a google search and lots of hits come up.

 

[ponygt65]

Here in the UK, and presumably elswhere, the lamps that you require are known as colour 930 (color rendering 90+ color temperature 3,000K)
Not a very popular color but any good lamp supplier should be able to order them.
Color 830 lamps are much more widely sold, they have a lower, but still good CRI of 80+

930 lamps are available in certain lamp types such as 4' T8s. They are however quite expensive.

 

[richardop3]

If you are looking for a higher CRI light you should look into getting T5 bulbs. T5 bulbs have a higher CRI than T8 bulbs plus are more energy efficient. Depending on what you want to use them for you most likely won't be going wrong by purchasing T5 bulbs. If you already have a T8 fluorescent fixture you can use that with the T5 bulbs and get a retrofit kit from www.lumiversal.com to cut down on costs.

 

[Bright+]

If you are looking for a higher CRI light you should look into getting T5 bulbs. T5 bulbs have a higher CRI than T8 bulbs plus are more energy efficient. Depending on what you want to use them for you most likely won't be going wrong by purchasing T5 bulbs. If you already have a T8 fluorescent fixture you can use that with the T5 bulbs and get a retrofit kit from WORTHLESS SPAMMER to cut down on costs.

Spammer:
You're wrong, spammer. T5 means nothing other than having a smaller glass tube. T5, T8 and T12 are all available in ~85 CRI.

T5 may appear superior to T8 and T12 to those who are not familiar with reading the catalog, thus marketing personnel are exploiting the difference in trying to showcase it as being better. Here's the catch.... in the industry, T5 lamp specs are based on high frequency operation while T8 and T12 are based on line frequency operation. T8 and T12 lamps will gain about 10% in lm/W when operated on high frequency, something T5 marketing people will not tell you and try to exploit as if they were rated on the same scale.

Philips catalog # 230847, T5. 5/8" diameter glass bulb, 46" nominal length

F28T5/830, 28W. 85 CRI... 25,000 hours at 3 hour power cycle on a programmed rapid start ballast.
2750 lumens assuming high frequency drive
98.2 lm/W @ HF

Philips catalog #246678
F32T5/830... the basic model... 85 CRI, 32W 85 CRI, 30,000 hours at 3 hour power cycle on a programmed rapid start ballast
2800 lumens assuming LINE FREQUENCY drive. IESNA Lighting Handbook clearly documents that HF drive increases lm/W by about 10%
87.5 lm/W @ 50 or 60Hz. Apply generally accepted correction factor for HF drive
87.5 x 1.1 = 96.2lm/W @ HF

98.2 vs 96.2 same difference

Both the T5 and the T8 are available in better grade stuff, but to be fair in comparison, we're only comparing the basic model 800 series.


thread starter:

What you want is 85 CRI 3,000K Philips lamps available from Home Depot, which is like $7 a pair. Other than that particular item, I don't know anyone else beside lighting suppliers that offer 85 CRI 32W T8 lamps. Except for the Philips one available at Home Depot, retailers only seem to carry the 75 CRI 730.

If you have a T12 four footer right now, Philips Soft White F40T12 that fits right into your existing fixture is also 3000K 85 CRI, so you may want to look into this option as well. it might not be worth the cost to replace the ballasts.


Philips offers 3,000K 95 CRI and Sylvania offers 2,700K 85 CRI, but they're not readily available and you'll probably have to buy a full case.

Do not buy that spammer's ghetto T5 hack job retrofit. They're almost certainly more expensive than T8 lamps, you'll void the UL rating of fixture and void ballast warranty.

 

[blasterman]

Yep....I deal with the annoying T5 nonsense in the reef world as well. Often T5's are attributed magical properties that defy physics.

Biggest advantage with T5 is the smaller tubes allow for less strikeback problems with the reflector. So, you can cram more of them together.

T8 is alive and well, and is the most versatile double ended tube.

I don't know of any low CCT high CRI fluorescent tubes, and beginning to wonder if they simply can't be made. My solution would be to use a high CRI 4100k, and simply mix it with warm-white tube.

 

[Bright+]

My solution would be to use a high CRI 4100k, and simply mix it with warm-white tube.

I would just stick with halogen lamps or incandescent if CRI is the primary goal.

Philips offered 95 CRI 3,000K lamps in 2, 3 and 4 foot a few years ago. Now the only 4 foot version is made. I guess the demand is not great. They're only about 2/3 the efficiency of normal fluorescent lamps, hard to find and expensive.

They still offer 98 CRI 5,000K version in all lengths.

Normal light bulbs can easily make 2,700 to 3,000K at 100CRI, so where color rendition is the critical factor, I think its pointless to try to imitate it.

5,000K is not made easily with regular light bulbs. You'd basically use regular lamps with a filter/gel that absorbs the excess of longer wavelength. They're notoriously inefficient, so for high CCT, market still thrives for high CRI fluorescent.