Fluorescent Tube Replacement

[jc1985]

Hello. One of the fluorescent tubes under the kitchen cupboard has given up the ghost so I need to find a replacement. On the tube it says T5 28W 3450K and on the other end it says Eterna NN8 6AB. I’m guessing the Eterna is the manufacturer so I googled it along with what I believe to be the product code (NN8 6AB), but I couldn’t find it. I know absolutely NOTHING about this kind of thing and was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance.

 

[flameport]

Fluorescent tubes in general are obsolete, however some places still have some, such as https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/904457-28w-t5-triphosphor-fluorescent-tube-warm-white
T5 is the tube diameter, 28W is the power, 3450K is the colour.

 

[jc1985]

Fluorescent tubes in general are obsolete, however some places still have some, such as https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/904457-28w-t5-triphosphor-fluorescent-tube-warm-white
T5 is the tube diameter, 28W is the power, 3450K is the colour.

Thanks very much for that. That one is 3000k. Would that be ok do you think?

 

[Adam_151]

It'll be less of a warm white, compared to the existing, but will not be a harsh cold white, you'll probably see the difference if you have a 3000k next to it (would bother some folk, but not others), but if you are changing them all, it'll not make much of a difference

 

[ericmark]

There are two types of fluorescent fitting, either will work with a fluorescent tube, but to work with an LED tube you need to know which type, one type has a starter and a choke which is basic a coil of wire, and the LED tube comes with a replacement for the starter and is a straight replacement, the other type with an electronic ballast and no starter needs a special LED tube, and I will admit I have never tried using one, and don't really know what to look for.

28 watt means 4 foot tube, and they are still offered for sale in Screwfix and the like. Fluorescent tube around 2900 lumen the LED replacement around 2600 lumens so slightly less light, and also lower watts, typically 17 watts.

 

[jc1985]

It'll be less of a warm white, compared to the existing, but will not be a harsh cold white, you'll probably see the difference if you have a 3000k next to it (would bother some folk, but not others), but if you are changing them all, it'll not make much of a difference

Thanks yeah it will be next to the other 3450k so would bug me I think!

 

[FrodoOne]

Thanks yeah it will be next to the other 3450k so would bug me I think!

If both tubes are the same age you may as well replace both at the same time, since the other one is likely to fail before too long !
If the tubes each have an associated "starter" it is good practice to replace the starter at the same time as you replace the tube - since "starters" also age and can give trouble in the future.

If you replace the fluorescents with LEDs, these may come with a new "device" to replace the "starter".
This "device" is actually a Fuse.

"T5" means that the tube is 5 "eighths of an inch" in diameter - so it is "slimmer" than a "T8" tube, which is 8 "eighths of an inch" in diameter.

Fluorescent tube around 2900 lumen the LED replacement around 2600 lumens so slightly less light, and also lower watts, typically 17 watts.

While the LED tube may emit slightly less light,
this light is mainly "downwards" - not with about half of it going "upwards", towards the (inefficient) reflector.
Also, fluorescents dim with ageing - more so than LEDs.

Hence a new LED of 2600 lumens may actually look "brighter" than an old fluorescent rated at 2900 lumens, when new.

 

[bernardgreen]

NN8 6AB is a post code

Homepage - ETERNA LIGHTING

www.eterna-lighting.co.uk

Eterna Lighting Limited
Huxley Close
Wellingborough NN8 6AB
Tel. 01933 673144

 

[Adam_151]

Thanks yeah it will be next to the other 3450k so would bug me I think!

Sorry I think I read it the wrong way around as to which is existing/repalcement before. Just to clarify 3000k is the warm white, 3450k is the not so warm white (a neutral white if it were).

 

[jc1985]

Fluorescent tubes in general are obsolete, however some places still have some, such as https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/904457-28w-t5-triphosphor-fluorescent-tube-warm-white
T5 is the tube diameter, 28W is the power, 3450K is the colour.

Went ahead and ordered 3 of these thanks

 

[Ragnar_AT]

T5 lamps are a fairly recent thing, were there actually T5 fixtures with wire-wound ballasts and starters? I certainly haven‘t seen any, only T8 and T12.

3450 K is a rather unusual value, warm white is typically 2900 or 3000 K, neutral white is 4000-4500 K and cold white is 6500.

 

[Adam_151]

T5 lamps are a fairly recent thing, were there actually T5 fixtures with wire-wound ballasts and starters? I certainly haven‘t seen any, only T8 and T12.

The recent-ish generation of HO and HE long T5 tubes were always intended to be driven with HF ballasts, and I'm guessing theres likely to be reasons why trying to design a fitting that used a magnetic choke t drive them might be difficult ot impracticable.

There were earlier T5 tubes that were usually shorter that could be driven with switch start gear, I'm sure I can remember exit box signs that used an 8w T5 tube, and had switch start gear for maintained mode. And a 28w 2D lamp I beleive is a folded up T5 tube and you could definatly get switch start ones of those

 

[Ragnar_AT]

Thanks, I‘d forgotten about those small ones!