T4 Tubes Life Expectancy

[thescullster]

Hi all

I have been seriously disappointed with some Eterna fittings that I installed for under cabinet kitchen lighting. There are five separate fittings, two pairs using the supplied link lead and one stand-alone.

The kitchen refit was completed late 2012 and since then I must have replaced all the tubes at least once (and some twice).

I deliberately spaced the fittings off the underside of the cabinets on packers about 8mm thick to improve air flow around. We don't have loads of kitchen gadgets that exude steam or do anything to adversely affect them.

So far I have only used Eterna tubes - is this my big mistake? They claim 8000h life span, but I can't believe we're seeing anything like that.

So are Eterna just cr@p and should I be looking at another manufacturer? If so, recommendations appreciated.

Thanks

Phil

[cl]

I've had similar experience but can't remember the brand of the original fittings. I think just about all of them have been replaced now and the failure rate seems to have reduced to a sensible level. In my case there was a high failure rate of both tubes *and* fittings after initial installation.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I've only used a couple of the Eterna ones. In the first one, the tube outlasted the control gear in the fitting. The second one gets very little use, but is still going.

I had also used the (now discontinued) Omicron ones. The problem with those is the control gear fails to detect a dead tube, and continues to run such a tube in cold-cathode mode, which causes the glass tube to melt and the excess heat destroys the lampholder, preventing fitting a replacement tube. Also a potential fire risk in my view.

I now tend to avoid T4 fittings. There's no standard, and the different manufacturer's tubes are not interchangable, and if a manufacturer (such as Omicron) stops making them, you can't get tubes from anyone else which will fit their fittings.

T5 tubes are standardised, with many manufacturers of both tubes (also in many colours and qualities), and control gear. I use these now.

[thescullster]

Thanks Andrew

Do you have recommendations on reliable T5 fittings/manufacturers if I decide to swap?

Phil

[Graham.]

The 6 foot T8 from B&Q I fitted in the kitchen less than 6 months ago is slow warming up, and flickers a bit even when it is warmed up.

It was ok until the cold weather kicked in.

I can't see the make without removing the deffuser, but it's a daylight one that came with their fitting.

I wanted to change it for a warm white one to match the other fitting in the room.

[Andy Burns]

Mine have not given brilliant life, though notably the one that gets baked by the toaster has died twice - I have a couple of spare tubes to get through - after that I'll probably rip the link-lights out and use some LED flexi-strips.

[ARW]

LED?