8ft fluorescent tubes

[pcb1962]

I seem to remember reading a while back, probably in this group, that

8ft fluorescent tubes may not be available in the not too distant future. Can anyone confirm or deny this for me please? I'm about to refit my garage and workshop and don't want to use these if I'm not going to be able to get replacement tubes in a few years time. Thanks

[Andrew Mawson]

Thanks

Don't know if they are about to disappear but 8 footers are a menace, particularly in colder weather. They seem to have difficulty striking, and get through more starters. Stick to 6 footers

AWEM

[Harry Bloomfield]

on 12/08/2008, Andrew Mawson supposed :

5 foot are the cheapest and most common.

[Malcolm]

Working in a school with 8foot fittings I am sure that they are no longer made. Our electrical comntractors cannot obtain them and County have replaced one group with 5foot high energy fittings. These produce more light than the original 8foot fittings. Also be aware that there are two different wattages of 8foot tubes. We have some tubes but they are the wrong wattage for the fittings we have.

Malcolm

[Dave Plowman (News)]

TLC still sell them.

[pcb1962]

Thanks Malcolm, this does worry me a bit, I was planning to fit 4 of the 8ft double fittings from TLC, I think I'll ask them what they know about the future supply of tubes.

[pcb1962]

And the very prompt reply from TLC confirms that future supply is doubtful. Anyone with 8ft fittings had better stock up on spare tubes while they're still available.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember pcb1962 saying something like:

I wouldn't bother with 8 footers now - I fitted a few in my workshop in the past but they're more of a liability than an asset, being less reliable overall than the shorter ones.