Will a T8 light fixure hold T12's?

SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
I just bought a T8 workshop light fixture and didnt really look at it all that much, and bought 4 T12 bulbs. Will the T8 fixture hold them or do I need different lights? and are T8's better then T12's? I normally use CFL's and dont know jackshit about florecent tubes.

If you need pictures of the lighting fixture I can provide those, but if the answer is obvious then please feel free to call me a dumbass =P
 
T

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
I could be wrong, but I think they will work - sort of! The "T"# referes to the diameter of the tube, in 1/8ths of an inch approximately. So a T-8 is 1" diam. and a T-12 is about an inch and a half. I think the prongs on the end are the same size, so they should fit as long as the fixture has enough clearance for the tube to fit.

The thing that might be a problem is the power rating! Some ballasts are for 32 watt tubes and some are for 40 watt tubes, etc., etc. I have heard that you can use them "mismatched" but it will effect the performance and life expectancy of the tubes and/or ballasts!
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
awwwww shit. haha ok cool! thank you for explaining the T# to me =)

and I think I fucked up... I bought 40 watt bulbs and the damn fixture says a max of 70 watts, or 2 32watt bulbs.

Think I should try it? or should I return the bulbs and find another?
 
la9

la9

Well-Known Member
T12 are the old style Bulbs and are 40 watts

T8's are the new energy saving bulbs and are 32 watts.

The socket for t8 and t12 are the same socket and except either bulb. Once again they are the same.

You need to look at what you bought and see if it says it will except 40 watt bulbs, if it only does t8 then it only does 32 watt bulbs and wouldn't light your 40 watt ones.

If you have more questions let me know.

Look at the box because all the fixtures I have saw so far are interchangable. You should be alright.
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
la9 said:
T12 are the old style Bulbs and are 40 watts

T8's are the new energy saving bulbs and are 32 watts.

The socket for t8 and t12 are the same socket and except either bulb. Once again they are the same.

You need to look at what you bought and see if it says it will except 40 watt bulbs, if it only does t8 then it only does 32 watt bulbs and wouldn't light your 40 watt ones.

If you have more questions let me know.

Look at the box because all the fixtures I have saw so far are interchangable. You should be alright.
Click to expand...
Right on bro, good info right there =)

Thanks alot.
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
la9 said:
T12 are the old style Bulbs and are 40 watts

T8's are the new energy saving bulbs and are 32 watts.

The socket for t8 and t12 are the same socket and except either bulb. Once again they are the same.

You need to look at what you bought and see if it says it will except 40 watt bulbs, if it only does t8 then it only does 32 watt bulbs and wouldn't light your 40 watt ones.

If you have more questions let me know.

Look at the box because all the fixtures I have saw so far are interchangable. You should be alright.
Click to expand...
If I could remember how to rep you I would...
 
la9

la9

Well-Known Member
SlightlyStoopid said:
If I could remember how to rep you I would...
Click to expand...

upper right hand corner, click on the scales and you'll be able to figure it out from there.

I appreciate the help, everyone thinks it is funny to give neg rep. Some Dumbass gave me neg rep because a Noob asked me "exactly which light do you recommend for me to buy"

I told him " 2 flouro shop lights with gro lux tubes to veg and the $20 150 watt HPS light if he was only doing 1 or 2 plants and a 400 watt digital HPS if he wanted to do 6 - 10 plants and if he wanted to go bigger let me know"

I got neg rep because I recommended the $20 HPS light. Go figure.
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
ya... I would love to get that 20$ HPS but idk how to set it up... looks to damn complicated for me... I have 4 plants in veg right now and I am about to have this workshop light over em AND a bunch of CFL's haha
 
la9

la9

Well-Known Member
SlightlyStoopid said:
ya... I would love to get that 20$ HPS but idk how to set it up... looks to damn complicated for me... I have 4 plants in veg right now and I am about to have this workshop light over em AND a bunch of CFL's haha
Click to expand...

It is not that hard and you can get help on here, just doesn't work on European mains, although I wonder if someone bought the $25 one that does 240 if it might work.

Basically just hook up the black wire to the black wire, the white wire to the white wire and you are done.

Can you work a wire nut ? if so you can do it.

Get a computer cord and strip it, do the same thing with the wires above and you are done, plug it into the wall.

If you wanted to spend a few extra bucks, mail it to someone on the board and have them wire it for you and then mail it to you.
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
true... but does it come with the light and reflector? =P well hell... I dont even need a damn reflector... Im a wiz at making my own reflectors... but does it have a plug and a bulb and all that shit? idk anything bout HPS systems...
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
ok cool, found it...

Ill stick to my CFL's for now, I might give that a go next grow tho.

Might get 3 or 4 of em, and ya, I can hook those up haha.

And again, Thank you.
 
theotherc

theotherc

Well-Known Member
I just got a 150 HPS, they are simple to get up running. Like LA9 said, if you can use wire nuts then your good. I even used the housing it came in as a remote ballast.
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
well, the T12's work in the T8 fixture, but last night one of the bulbs slipped out and dropped on the floor, is this common btw? haha

It slipped out and now I have a bulb to sweep up...
 
T

T.H.Cammo

Well-Known Member
SlightlyStoopid said:
well, the T12's work in the T8 fixture, but last night one of the bulbs slipped out and dropped on the floor, is this common btw? haha

It slipped out and now I have a bulb to sweep up...
Click to expand...
No! Once you insert the prongs into the fixture, give the whole tube a 1/4 twist. That "locks" it into position!
 
SlightlyStoopid

SlightlyStoopid

Well-Known Member
T.H.Cammo said:
No! Once you insert the prongs into the fixture, give the whole tube a 1/4 twist. That "locks" it into position!
Click to expand...
haha I thought I did! idk wtf happened... was weird... maybe its just because it was some T12's in a T8 socket...

anyways! problem fixed... I just got back from lowes and got me some T8's =)

anyone need my spair T12's?
 
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