Fluorescent Lamp question

[Rick]

I need to get some fluorescent lamps for the garage. As I use the garage as my workshop, I want it to be as bright as possible.

Looking at the ScrewFix site, I see that the low power factor lamps only use 38W tubes, and the high power factor lamps use 58W tubes.

The difference in price is negligible.

Going back (longer than I care to remember) to trade school days....

A fluorescent light needs a power factor correction capacitor in order for the power used by that lamp to register on the electricity meter.

As I understand it... All domestic fluorescent lamps do not need a PF capacitor, but they are limited to low power tubes. All commercial fluorescent lamps need a PF capacitor, and can use higher output tubes.

Now the question..

If I get the HPF fittings, and remove the capacitor, is there any reason why it should not work as a low power factor fitting i.e. not register on the meter.

Rick... Rick... (The other Rick)

[meow2222]

workshop, I want it

38W tubes, and the high

power used by that

limited to low power tubes.

it should not work as a

Almost every single statement you made about hpf and lpf is wrong. Use hpf.

NT

[Andrew Gabriel]

workshop, I want it

38W tubes, and the high

power used by that

That's wrong. The power used by the lamp and the rate the meter spins will be unaffected by using a HPF or LPF fitting. However, a LPF fitting will draw twice the current and hence need appropriately sized cables and fuses, but this will not increase the price charged to domestic consumers (some industrial consumers pay extra for LPF loads).

limited to low power tubes.

I believe that is the current EU rules on this issue, with increasingly high PF (and efficiency) being required for commerial premises lighting in steps over a few years, which will eventually only be met by using electronic control gear.

it should not work as a

It will work as a LPF fitting, but it makes no difference to the meter, so doing that is completely pointless to you, and imposes extra load on wiring and supply infrastructure.

[Christian McArdle]

Both HPF and LPF fittings will register on a normal electric meter. You are not going to get free electricity by removing the power factor correction.

Correcting the power factor makes the fitting draw the power it needs more efficiently. A domestic meter can't detect this inefficient use of electricity, but a commercial meter sometimes can. So a commercial user has to pay a penalty when they use electricity inefficiently due to power factor, whilst a domestic user does not.

However, there is no disadvantage to the domestic user (and there is a slight advantage, in fact) to power factor correction anyway.

Christian.

[Rick]

workshop, I want it

38W tubes, and the high

power used by that

to low power tubes.

should not work as a

Ok, many thanks for all the reply's.

As I said it was a loooong time ago that somebody tried to teach me this stuff. Obviously it didn't take

Rick... (The other Rick)