T5s and their life span

[Tomzpc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6942639#post6942639 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dhoch
For those interested I've added a miscellaneous section to my website (http://www.danj.com/reef ) and I'll be updating it on a weekly basis with par readings rather than here...

If there is an interesting piece of information I'll post a new topic here.

Dave

Very cool! Thanks for taking the time to share this info.

 

[hahnmeister]

drew22to375
The Icecap overdrives the 80wattT5s (5footers) to 100 watts. There are spec ballasts for the 80watters...Advance makes them...thats for sure...Advance makes everything! Lol. Im not sure of all the others that do...maybe fulham and triad do as well though...

 

[dwdenny]

I thought Triads were advance ballast. lol

 

[ASH]

From IceCap:
zapata41 - " ... I have to IC variable fans and both temp sensors broke ...." Please call IceCap service and we'll either mail you replacement probes or send the fans in and we'll fix them. Dave in service is at 800-742-36227 ext. 25 or e-mail service@icecapinc.com .

A correction - When IceCap states wattage per lamp, the energy the ballast consumes, though small, is nevertheless included. Therefore if a Model 430 runs two 54-watt T5HO lamps and consumes 170-watts, each lamp is getting 1/2 of that less what the ballast consumes. So when you state xyz ballast uses 54-watts or spec, it really uses more than that if we want to go apples to apples.

Andy

 

[snaza]

so what is the actual life of a 54 T5 bulb that is using a standard ballast? no IC

 

[zapata41]

thanks ASH , i emailed them just now to give them my info

ICECAP has such great Customer Service

Tim

 

[Yu L LI]

If you want the best radiation lumen/watts or par performance for your reef animals, it don't really matter on any brands of lamps and any type of ballast, changes them all in 6 months I would not go more than 8 months.
If you do not have a good meter, it is very easy to tell, put a new bulb of the same kind side by side turn them on and look.
You will able to tell the difference if the bulb is six months or older.

 

[ASH]

T5HO GE 54-watter on an T5HO ballast will last up to 20K hours. For reef applications, 3 years approx. The 6 - 8 month rule only applies if you're roasting your fluorescent lamps (or selling lamps). It was once true of VHO lamps with cheap, conventional billboard application ballasts. In 6 - 9 months they could lose 30% of initial output.

New lamps will always appear brighter and other than new T5HO type lamps, they lose 10% in the 1st 100 hours of use. Add to that, when swapping lamps you start with a salt free lamp and clean reflectors.

Andy