Bulb frustration in this modern world

Not a lot, but some frustration.  First there was the florescent tube and it was the standard for a very long time.  Then new, energy saving fluorescent tubes came out (T8).  Smaller in diameter and required a *new* ballast to operate.  I bought a box of 10 and as old bulbs wore out I replaced them with their ballast counterparts.  And All Was Good.  Except all was not good.  I have 4 of the T8 tubes left and no corresponding ballast.  I mentally write the tubes off because if I am going to buy more ballast, I might as well switch over to LED tubes.  So I bought some.  The first set I bought require their own ballast (sounds familiar).  So I bought two ballasts.  The second and third pairs of tubes I bought were direct wire.  What?  Why didn't someone tell me?   This is after I have the LED ballast almost wired in.  But that is ok, some of the wires on the LED ballast are too short for this application.  Remove LED ballast and re-wire for direct wire.  Hook everything up, but don't install the metal or plastic cover for testing.  Only one tube lights up.  I take it back apart and check the wiring.  Looks good.  Re-install non-working tube and it still does not light up.  I have had enough for tonight and put it all together because that non-working tube must be bad.  Then I remember that I have a second set of these direct wire tubes, and walk off to get them.  While I grab the other set of tubes I am thinking to myself, LEDs only work when wired in one direction.  I turn the tube around and success!  Two working tubes!  

*sigh*  Please learn from my mistakes.

There's definitely a learning curve to these things. BUT! It's not all bad. We've got a few hundred of these in use now at work and absolutely love them. They're better in pretty much every way than the T8 they replaced. And those were better than the T12 they replaced. Eventually there will be some kind of bulb singularity and we'll all just need one light bulb and it will solve all of our problems.

Came in to tell you to turn the bulb around. They have writing on end or the other to differentiate the + and - side. Love the direct wire bulbs. I think I am all converted at this point. 

If they're direct wire, they shouldn't have a polarity. There's no + and - on AC.

They should light up on one half of the cycle regardless. LED bulbs are usually built with the LEDs going "both ways" so that on one half of the cycle, half the LEDs are lit, then it flips to the others.

This is why those awful, LED christmas lights flicker.

The ones I've used only get power from the pins on one end. The opposite end are just hangers. Are you feeding the correct end?

jgrewe said:

The ones I've used only get power from the pins on one end. The opposite end are just hangers. Are you feeding the correct end?

I had to turn the tube around 180 degrees.  Now I see the light.

ShawnG said:

If they're direct wire, they shouldn't have a polarity. There's no + and - on AC.

yep, I was typing faster than my brain was processing.  One end is powered and the other end of the bulb is dead.  The bulbs are marked as to the powered side.  You can install them 180 off from intended configuration.

This looks like quite an illuminating discussion.

I'll see myself out.

They only feed one end so when you are on that top step of your aluminum ladder you aren't supposed to use with it set in a giant puddle fumbling to shove these into the fixture you don't complete the circuit with your body as you try to get it all lined up.

Little Bro worked at Walgreens in the early 90's. They moved the store and threw out 6' single pin style fixtures.  

Little Bro brings a pair home to Dad.  

Dad stores them in his garage for 20 years "planning" to hang them up.

I do the final house clean out and bring them home to hang up.  Menards has the bulbs so we are good to go and they're on my ceiling. 

Now I need a bulb now which seems to be outlawed.  
 

BTW - what's the proper way for a homeowner to:

1. dispose of fluorescent bulbs?
2. dispose of a fluorescent fixture or mainly the ballast?

In reply to Datsun240ZGuy :

I feel your pain.  Replace the whole fixture.

Datsun240ZGuy said:

BTW - what's the proper way for a homeowner to:

1. dispose of fluorescent bulbs?
2. dispose of a fluorescent fixture or mainly the ballast?

I toss them in the dumpster at work.

The amount of mercury in there is in the microgram range, I'm not sure hazmat collection agencies even bother with them.  

The ballasts have some use if you like to play with things that go zap.  Alternatively, people will buy cases of used ballast, industrial supply places will sell them.

When we would replace bulbs at one place where I worked, I'd dig up a big box of used ballasts that were individually wrapped in old yellowed newspaper.  The ballast got replaced at the same time.  If the old ballast smelled burnt, it got scrapped.  If it didn't smell burnt, it got wrapped in newspaper and set in the box.

If you want the bulbs recycled, often times your local household hazardous waste disposal place will take them.

You should keep two or three dead fluorescent tubes around as straightedges- they are far better as straightedges than anything else you can buy.

In reply to chaparral :

Good to know. Thanks.

They do, however, make horrible light sabers.