Like it says - Anyone tried overdriving fluorescent lights? Would you recommend it?

I'm not interested in the efficiency or running costs I just want it brighter.

I've got 15 existing 6 foot switchstart singles and I need more light and can't decide if I should just replace them with modern twin fittings and get 2x the light or rewire them to overdrive with electronic ballasts and get 1.7x the light?

Suspect just replacing would be easier but costly at £450 ish whilst electronic ballasts would only cost £150. Then again new fittings would have new tubes which would be brighter than the existing 10 year old ones and its £90 to replace tubes - Ho Hum! its a bugger to be mean but £450 could go a long way to throttle bodies

Cheers!

Not done the overdrive bit, but I've seen the effects of replacing decade old tubes, it's likely you'd get the boost in brightness just from that even without going to twin tube fittings. If you use them daily you don't notice how much they fade over time.

I'd be tempted to go for the £90 for new tubes (if I understood your post correctly). Or you could just replace one to see the difference before taking the plunge?

new tubes make a lot of difference

They do led tubes that fit in fluorescent units and they are amazingly good, my mate put some in his garage and they made the world of difference, do not know how much they were though

I re-tubed my kitchen after 12 years the difference was significant..

Lamps loose a significant proportion of their output after a year- they have already lost 20% ,ten year old lamps will be well out of spec.

Relamping will improve things significantly.

quote:

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Originally posted by Dooey99
They do led tubes that fit in fluorescent units and they are amazingly good, my mate put some in his garage and they made the world of difference, do not know how much they were though

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At work, we change all 'long tubes' every year and the 600mm 'short tubes' every two years. You can certainly tell if there's an old one left in! We also choose the colour of tube to suit the location. Cool white for offices. Warm white for rest rooms. Ultra white for conferance, etc.

Led is the way, nice a bright and they pay off in a couple of months, last for donkeys years as well apparently...

Definitely change tubes. Also if changing tubes, change the starters as well. I learned this the hard way when working in maintenance. I'd find myself at the same fitting within 3 months of changing the tube and would need to change both the tube and starter again due to weak starting. For the kind of quantities your looking at with a bit if bartering you should be able to achieve a significant discount as well. If you suffer headaches or sore eyes in this place then you may find electronic ballasts help eye strain but they won't last the same 10 years as your old ballasts. Electronic units don't tend to be much brighter and replacing starters and tubes only will reduce eye strain significantly anyway. As a previous post pointed out LEDs aren't the way to go just yet. If you replace the tubes now in 5 years time you could consider changing to LEDs as the technology will be well advanced and proven by then.

I drove over one just the other day, didn't work at all after that.

I put some 16w bulbs in a 28w unit. Gave good light given the bulb rating but they failed v quickly- prob about a third the expectancy of the 28w bulbs.

Thanks chaps new tubes it is then. Think I'll go for daylight tubes and if that's not enough selectively overdrive. Meanwhile I'll clean them cos right enough they are mankey!

Try an electrical factors

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lamps_and_Tubes_Index/Fluorescent_Trisphosphor/index.html

10+ is £3.25 + VAT each

Thats about £58 for 15 inc VAT

Thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately TCL do not have a branch in Scotland but Toolstation sell for slightly cheaper and I can pick them up from the counter.

I'll do a before and after Lumens measurement out of interest

Well bless me its a year since I was going to relamp - finally did it and what a difference !

No need for a lightmeter its like night and day, ta for the tip about the starters they now strike almost at once.

Cheers!