Sign Update

I have a customer who wants us to use T5 tubes in an internally illuminated fret cut tray,approx 10no 58w tubes.This is an external sign.He won't pay for LEDS but does not want to use T8's.
Can T5's be used on this kind of application?

Regards
Paul

The main difference between T5 and T8 tubes is the size, T5 (5/8ths of an inch diameter) and T8 (8/8ths or one inch diameter).

The important question that you missed out is - Why doesn't he want to use T8's?

The other differences are quite minimal as far as I understand. The T5 runs at a slightly hotter temperature, but nothing that would cause you to take any extra consideration. There are alot of different T5's out there, and to me they seem to be more modern as the marketing guys are promoting them more, saying less mercury content and last a little longer.

T5's produce the same amount of light per watt but are more efficient as there is less of the tube to "get in the way", so you can use more of the light that is generated. So they're brighter, and therefore more efficient.

Cookie,Thanks for the reply - The customer wants a more energy efficient way of illuminating the sign as T5s will reduce his carbon footprint thus qualifying him for a grant from some goverment body.We have tried to explain LEDS are far more eco friendly than T5S but he won't stand the extra cost.My main concern is we don't know enough about illuminating external signs with T5s,we use them in numerous other applications for internal signage but never in large(ish) amounts were T8s are normally used.
So in a nutshell 'has anybody used T5 tubes to illuminate external signage and had any problems ?'

Regards
Paul

Hi,

I didn't think fluorescent tubes (either T5 or T8) were considered green enough to be offered any tax concessions, but grants may have different criteria, and I know nothing about the grant side of things.

The article on page 22 of the March 2011 issue of Sign Update talks about GDI and the tax concessions available with LED's.

I think the GDI article is talking about something different as it is talking about allowing it as a 100% tax deductable expense, as opposed to a grant.

I know T5's are considered more efficient, but I believe it is very marginal. LED's are the most efficient by quite a way.

I have used T5's, there should be no problems with this. The fittings will be different to the T8's and the standard lengths they come in are marginally different, but I don't see any issues that would arise that wouldn't arise with T8s.

Can you tell me what is meaning of T5 tubes? I don’t know what is the exact meaning of this term? Please help me.

The T indicates that the shape of the bulb is tubular, and the last number is the diameter in eighths of an inch.