About 6 months ago I had to change some older style (larger diameter) fluorescent bulbs (about 3 or 4 foot long as I recall) in my kitchen. I have 2 pair and each pair are installed in their own housing. I noticed even after changing the bulbs all around and plastic lenses covering them, that it seems that the bulbs in one housing are always yellower than the other (which is more white). Is this a ballast problem? They seem to all turn on okay.
I see what you mean by diffuser... around here they call it a lense panel or such. Anyway I believe I even swapped them too or took them off for no solution. I guess I need to take them off again to be
It has nothing to do with the ballast, may have to do with the Kelvin rating of the bulbs...they come in different Kelvin ratings, higher is bluer; lower is warmer. Here's a temperature chart, pics on left are common fluorescent temps.
It's not a ballast problem. Ballasts don't control the color of a fluorescent tube.
Fluorescent tubes are made in several different colors. If you just grab one from the store shelf, it's very likely to be a different color than the tubes that are now in the fixtures. The best way to see if the tubes are supposed to be the same color is to check the markings or lamp code printed on the lamp. The color is part of that lamp code. So, if the lamp codes are all exactly the same, they're all the same color.
For example, a 4-foot GE fluorescent tube 1 inch in diameter might be marked as an F32T8/SP30/ECO. The color part of that lamp code is the "SP30". But each manufacturer uses a different system for designating color.
The diffusers or lenses that cover the tubes can indeed fade or change color (they usually turn yellow). Cleaning won't change that. But they can be replaced if the fixtures are of a common make. To check for color shift, just open the fixture or remove the diffuser and look through it to see if colors look different.
Eventually I will get back into that fixture to check the bulbs. Many of you convinced me it's not the ballast so either it's the diffuser / panel or it's the bulb. Too many to thank in this thread so please allow this post to say thanks to all of you..... sorry if I didn't put all the names here . Appreciate it guys !!!!
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