Changing T5 Fittings In A Shop Freezer

[i=p/u]

i changed two tubes in a shop freezer , they didnt light completely just at the ends, so i swaped them with other two in other half of freezer and they all worked. should they of been special bulbs for the freezer as they have stoped working.. any of your knows will be grand thx.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Flourescent lamps perform very poorly when cold, and the new T5 ones seem worse in this respect. Fluorescent tubes are available with an over sleeve to retain the heat, and give a longer life, also the sleeve is added protection against a tube shatter.

 

[i=p/u]

think this one is wrapped up malcolm thanks, do cef have these sleeves

 

[malcolmsanford]

http://www.glassguard.co.uk/assets/files/TechnicalDataSheets/GG_T5Lamps.pdf

These people do them

 

[Knobhead]

Shatter resistant sleeving is (or used to be) a requirement in a food environment.

Food hygiene regs.

 

[i=p/u]

well there is a plastic cover over the other side, so i will ask him where that plastic shatter proof sleevin has gone

 

[Marvo]

A plastic sleeve might help but probably not when initially the lamps are switched on. Nowadays the linear fluorescents and electronic ballasts are getting slightly more efficient so they produce less heat therefore this type of problem is more likely.

Several manufacturers make a special tube for cold ambient temps. Osram also have LEDStixx as a retrofit option.

 

[i=p/u]

i think the tubes i put in have burned out alread, is this possible in few days if did not ignite. it is -26

 

[Engineer54]

Normally flu tubes for cold stores, freezers and the like, tend to have a metallic strip along the length of the tube, for i believe to aid cold starting. Never really got into the whys and wherefores though!!

 

[Knobhead]

The metal strip was introduced for GRP fittings. They wouldn’t strike without it.
It was to counter the lack of an earthed fitting.

 

[Engineer54]

All the flu fittings that i've seen in Freezer rooms and cold stores have been GRP or similar type fittings. But i'm sure the gear tray inside the fitting are metal and earthed. Just that somewhere along the way, i'm pretty sure the tubes for these Freezer type rooms did have a different designation number to them. Now if that was because of the metallic strip, or something else, i'm really not sure!!

 

[Knobhead]

The gear tray would be earthed but to far from the tube for it to strike properly. The lamp holders would have an earth contact for the tube end caps. A common failing would be the earth contact getting damaged and then you’d no chance of getting the lamp to strike.