by ericmark »
Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:39 am
Before the use of HF ballast units one could get florescent fittings as pairs to reduce the stroboscopic effect. Today with HF fittings this is no longer a problem.
Using emergency HF fittings in the loft would be a sound idea. As then if you get a power cut one can still see to exit the loft. The HF fitting also has some other advantages. Uses less power, Tubes last longer, Not as critical with over and under voltage. Gives out more light even with same tube. However one big disadvantage the cost. A induction discharge ballast in a fitting costs under £20 but with a HF ballast one is looking at around the £60.
There are of course the small 8 W or 16 W lamps which are not too expensive but with 40 W to 60 W then not cheap. One can easy pay over £100.
But large firms still seem to think worth the extra cost. Fit and forget for 4 years saves a lot of money. And that's every day use. My 18 W at top of stairs has never had a new tube and been fitted for over 20 years and second hand when fitted.
