Strip Light - poor design

[john]

I decided to replace a rather tatty fluorescent strip light in my utility room with a new one. Saw a nice one with a diffuser in one of the sheds - quite attractive with electronic ballast.

Got it home and fitted it and was appalled - very poor output as the tube is fitted tight up to an open channel extrusion which holds the wiring and the control gear. This means that all the light from the top two thirds of the circumference of the tube is wasted illuminating the inside of the fitting.

Will be going back to the original one which had the tube 10mm below a white enamelled panel which served to reflect the light and didn't block any of the light.

Just shows that attractive design isn't always effective.

[OG]

it has a shed a each end? ;-)

[Steven Briggs]

In message , john writes

Do spill the beans... was this one of the slim-line fittings from been'n'queued? (I Was going to but some for kitchen, being a "neat" design).

[Archie]

I got one also and was also dissapointed with the light output. I think that the tube is a warm white rather than daylight which makes it seem duller. I may buy a new tube to see if that helps. I was particularly looking for a slim design and paid extra for this one. -Mistake.

Archie

[john]

It was B&Q - The tube was warm white but I immediately swapped it for my original tube (Polylux) - still poor light.

Old fitting now retrieved from garage and new slim one installed in garage.

[Archie]

I wonder if the electronic ballast is a contributing factor. Mine is already in the garage but I wanted decent light from it.

Archie