Normal House Hold Energy Saving Bulbs As Lighting For Plants

[bae1994]

my tanks light has burnt out twice now once it smoked and caught on fire second ttime went with a bulb and pops new bulbs so i want to mod the case and add two energy savingg bulbs in the lid is this ok for easy care plants and im using tiny bit of co2

 

[Truck]

my tanks light has burnt out twice now once it smoked and caught on fire second ttime went with a bulb and pops new bulbs so i want to mod the case and add two energy savingg bulbs in the lid is this ok for easy care plants and im using tiny bit of co2

chances are its getting too hot...too much power through it or the unit is dodgy...enery savers a waste of time...most of the light is lost due to shape

 

[bae1994]

i think theyre just cr*ply made the energy sarvers would be in a reflector as well

 

[Truck]

i think theyre just cr*ply made the energy sarvers would be in a reflector as well

the reflector wont do much...the bulb is such a weird shape that most of the light is still lost...the bulbs should last as long as the manufacturer says...and if its a regular occurrence...and it was on fire as a result...something is wrong...

 

[bae1994]

yeah ill go with a different bulb and yeah i think the problem is its just a bit cr*p

 

[SuperColey1]

If it keeps blowing tubes I would replace the whole lot. ballast and end caps. It isn't the tubes if they keep going!!!

Ballast would be £10ish and end caps £5ish per pair.

As stated above household CFs can be used but you would need many more due to their inefficiencies. There is no point using reflectors with them, all you will do is heat up the rear of the CF

AC

 

[bae1994]

well its a compact light all in the small light

 

[SuperColey1]

Yes but the way we use flourescent in the hobby with linear tubes means that a simple reflector can sit behind the contour of the tube and reflect the light back.

This is impossible to do with a spiral or dual bend household CF. Putting a reflector behind any part of it will reflect minimal light back from the parts adjacent to the reflector. The rest will just heat up the 'bulb' and the ballast is actually part of this bulb.

Are you saying in that last post that the bulbs are already standard incndescent light bulbs? Surely not.

Many people argue the point on what they assume is cheaper but believe me for the saving you would make (which will be pennies anyway after getting the hardware to use the household 'bulbs) you will use up 2-3x the electricity and still not have as good light. Over the space of a year that will mean more likely than not that the household setup will cost more to run in additional electricity than the linear set would've cost to buy and also you will have one darned hot hood.

People will always try and save money on things, thats human nature but very often it is not thought out and people are saving for a very short term period whilst over time (often only a few months) they actually cost more which is kind of nonsensicle.

My advice: replace the ballast and endcaps and stay with linears. Electricity is costing more and more each year. tubes are not going up in price year on year.

AC

 

[bae1994]

well i was going on another one of my tanks that use the energy savers as standerd its a curvy glass azoo one