Linear Fluorescent Light Bulbs

About Fluorescent Lighting

Architectural Linear Fluorescent

Fluorescent tubes are some of the most popular lighting solutions in the world. They are easy to install, easy to replace, offer long life, and come in a wide range of shapes (T2, T5, T8, T10, T12, U-Bend), lengths, color temperatures, and color rendering indexes.

Despite the growing popularity of LED linear tubes and fixtures, fluorescent tubes have remained competitive, offering only slightly lower lifespans than LED but significantly lower prices.

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet light bulbs are very similar to fluorescent tubes used in building lighting. The ultraviolet light spectrum is divided into three different wavelengths.

UVA bulbs can come with a blue filter or no filter. The filter removes most of the visible light from these longer-wavelength UV lights. UVA bulbs with no filter are used in insect traps, bug zappers, and medical equipment. UVA bulbs with a filter are often used for inspection, fraud detection, medical applications, and for special effects.

UVB lights are most often used in phototherapy applications, especially in the treatment of skin disorders. Both UVA and UVB may be used for some low level disinfection or for tanning beds.

UVC lighting is used for disinfection of air and surfaces, and water. These germicidal bulbs are made of quartz or soft glass that transmit light at 253.7nm, close to the peak germicidal wavelength.

Fluorescent Ballasts

Fluorescent ballasts are rated for certain lamp types. With the huge variety in fluorescent bulbs, there is a similar wide range of ballasts to run these bulbs.

Magnetic ballasts are the oldest technology, but have seen some phase-out in favor of electronic ballasts. Electronic ballasts often cost more, but are more energy efficient and last longer than magnetic ballasts.

Lampholders & Sockets

Fluorescent bulbs come in a wide range of bases and need to be mounted in various areas and configurations. We carry a large number of fluorescent lampholders and sockets for G5, G13, single pin, 4-pin, and CFL bulbs.

LED Linear Replacements & Retrofits

LED replacements for fluorescent tubes have grown in popularity due to their relatively easy replacement and range of options. LED replacements for linear fluorescent bulbs can be ballast-compatible, ballast-bypass, or use an integrated driver. This gives installers options when replacing the bulbs with LED, especially in areas where it can be difficult to reach the fixture.

In addition to LED replacement tubes, LED linear retrofit kits use the existing fixture to house an LED array and driver. This is another option for installers who want to upgrade to LED but do not want to replace entire fixtures in a space.

About Fluorescent Phosphors

Fluorescent lamps are a type of low-pressure gas discharge lamp. The inside of a glass tube is coated with phosphors which convert ultraviolet radiation into visible light.

While development of fluorescent lighting technology started in the 1930s, the invention of halophosphate phosphors in the 1950s revolutionized the technology and made it more commercially applicable. Halophosphate simultaneously emits two bands from the same material, one in the blue region and one in the yellow region of the visible spectrum. Together, these create white light, and the intensity of each band can be modified to create variations of white light.

The material was also relatively inexpensive compared to many other types of phosphors, so the invention of halophosphate allowed lighting manufacturers to create the various types of white light fluorescent lamps that are still popular on the market. These include 3000K, 4000K, and 5000K color temperatures.

Tri Band Phosphates

One drawback of halophosphate lamps is the lower color rendering compared to incandescent and halogen lamps. To address this, manufacturers began experimenting with multiple phosphates which emittied three monochromatic lines in red, green, and blue regions of the visible light spectrum.

The cost for tri-color phosphate lamps is higher than the halophosphate tubes, but some applications call for the higher color rendering.

The availability of rare earth elements in the 1970s made manufacturing of this type of fluorescent lamp more affordable.

Ultraviolet Phosphors

Ultraviolet light bulbs, depending on the spectrum, require either different glass types or lamp phosphors to emit radiation in the ultraviolet region.

For UVC bulbs, no phosphor is used. However, the type of glass material used determines if the 185nm ozone-producing wavelength is transmitted through the glass material. Most UVC lamps are "low ozone" or "ozone-free," indicating they use a material that blocks the 185nm wavelength. Ozone bulbs are typically used in smoke or water damage remediation equipment, commercial kitchen for breakdown of grease in exhaust hoods, or in water purification equipment.

UVA and UVB bulbs utilize different phosphors to transmit 308nm, 350nm, or 368nm wavelengths. Ultraviolet bulbs are often much more expensive than regular fluorescent tubes, despite the technology being the same. The phosphors that convert 254nm UV radiation into UVB and UVA radiation are more expesnive and often need to be manufactured with care. In addition, they may have shorter lifetimes as maintenance of the phosphor may be poor over time.

UVA and UVB lamps have a wide range of personal and commercial applications. They are used in tanning beds, to treat skin disorders, as insect trap lights, to cure inks and paint, for polymerization, for mineral fluorescence, as special effects, and more.

Bilirubin Lamps

A special type of phosphor can be used to emit a deep blue wavelength with virtually no harmful UV radiation. These bilirubin bulbs are used to treat neonatal jaundice, as the 450nm light can penetrate skin and aid in decomposition of bilirubin in an infant's blood.