Fluorescent lighting systems is a versatile kind of illumination system that you can find in offices, grocery stores, and even learning institutions. It’s recognized for its energy efficiency abilities compared to halogen and incandescent light bulbs and low price compared to LED lighting.
There are numerous fluorescent lighting systems, including fluorescent bent tubes, linear fluorescent tubes, CFLs, and fluorescent circular tubes. We will focus on linear fluorescent tubes in this post due to their popularity and versatility. Fluorescent tubes are mostly used in overhead fixtures such as troffers in any commercial apartment.
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How does fluorescence illuminator work?
Fluorescent lighting relies on the chemical reaction in the tube to produce light. The chemical reaction involves mercury vapor and gases combining to produce invisible UV light. The invisible light illuminates the phosphor powder, coating the interior of the glass tube, releasing the white fluorescent light.
Why does a fluorescence illuminator need a ballast?
The primary function of a ballast is to transmit the alternating current coming via the wires in the walls, up and down, or in waves. It then turns the light into a direct and steady stream of electricity. This maintains and stabilizes the chemical reaction that is taking place in the bulb.
When it comes to choosing the right ballast for your fluorescent lighting, you need to know:
- The type of lamp that requires power
- The number of lamps that need power
- The voltage going to the fixture.
Why fluorescent lights do turns orange and pink
If you examine a big room that is lit by fluorescent tubes, there is a good chance that you will come across various colors emitting from the ceiling. This is why:
This idea is known as color shifting. The longer fluorescent burn makes the chemical properties shift and cause imbalanced reactions. This makes the fluorescence illuminator less bright and less white than it was before.
If consistency is essential to your lighting systems, you might want to pay attention to the group relamping the bulbs. By changing all the tubes in batches, you will get rid of the problem of clashing colors and brightness in your room.
Differences between linear fluorescent and compact fluorescent CFLs.
Note that the two types of lighting utilize the same technology to release artificial light. The greatest difference includes the form factor, configuration, and size of the CFL tubes.
CFLs are an improvement to linear fluorescent technology, using lesser energy. They are designed to screw into the common incandescent socket or plug into the recessed can.
Applications of linear fluorescent lighting
Even though fluorescent lighting systems are utilized in a range of applications, they might not work well everywhere. The common reason individuals use fluorescent light is to save energy with reduced upfront expenses.
Here are some of the common applications for linear fluorescent lighting systems:
Commercial office spaces
Generally, commercial office spaces don’t need accent and decorative lighting. The primary priority is the general lighting that works for an office environment. For this reason, linear fluorescent bulbs are ideal for office space.
Warehouses
It would help if you were conversant with the higher output T5s. The bulbs are designed to last 90,000 hours and release more light than the thicker linear fluorescent tubes like T8s and T12s. Due to this, they are ideal choices for warehouses and any higher bay ceiling where a huge amount of lights is required.
Healthcare facilities
Like in office space, healthcare facilities utilize linear fluorescence to save costs on energy and release efficient, clean, and white sources of light.
Retail stores
When making a specific lighting design for your retail store, consider the 20/80 rule. This means 20% of the lighting must be unique and decorative. This includes thick wall sconces, cloud bowls, and chandeliers. 80% of the lighting should be standard lighting. In most department stores, 80% of general lighting is for linear fluorescents.
Pros and cons of fluorescence illuminator.
Here are the benefits of using fluorescence illuminators
Energy efficient
By shifting from halogen or incandescent to fluorescent lighting, you will experience a 40% savings on your utility bill. A fluorescent build offers up to 35 percent savings in the energy they consume, compared to traditional lighting. Additionally, they don’t produce a lot of heat like a traditional lamp. This leads to energy saving and helps in keeping the room at cool temperatures.
Variety of cooler temperatures
If you want a cool temperature space, like in a metro station or hospital hallway, a fluorescence illuminator offers cooler temperatures. Even though not many applications need a light that is cool, the range of temperature from cool to warm is the benefit of versatility for the fluorescent lighting.
Cost-effective
When compared to LED lighting, fluorescent bulbs are affordable. They also help in cost savings. Over a long duration, the amount of savings will make a huge impact on your general utility bill.
Longer nightlife
Another great advantage of fluorescent bulbs is that they offer a longer light life. Typically, a conventional lamp can last up to 1500 hours. Nevertheless, fluorescent lamps will offer a much longer nightlife. While many can last up to 10, 000 hours, most fluorescents are rated to last longer, others going as long as 50,000 hours.
Having a longer light life is important as it helps you save the time and expenses involved in replacing the lamps every time. This is because you don’t have to change the lamps frequently as you will need to do with traditional lamps. This means you will have to purchase less frequently and need to switch them off infrequently. You will not have to replace the lamps more often. Lastly, you can use the fluorescent bulbs in difficult-to-reach places with confidence.
If you are not sure whether a fluorescence illuminator is perfect for your application, call a professional to help you.
