Following up on yesterday’s post, there are fixes for the two common complaints regarding color and flicker.
- Color is tricky. The details regarding color for fluorescent lighting is complex and I’ll address it in another post, but for now just look for two things: the lamp’s color temperature and its CRI. The color temperature will be four digits followed by a “K,” such as 3000K or 4200K. The CRI will be two digits and may or may not be labeled, such as 72 or 86. For color temperature, select from three options: 3000K, 3500K, or 4000K. The 3000K will appear warmer, supporting reds and oranges better. The 4000K will appear cooler and brighter, supporting the blues and greens better. It comes down to personal preference, and you should see each before making a selection. For the CRI, select the highest number available, hopefully higher than 85. The color temperature and CRI will be printed on the bulb if it isn’t on the box. GE uses a code like F32T8/SPX35/ECO, where the SPX means a CRI of 86 and the 35 means a color temperature of 3500K. Philips and Sylvania use similar codes: F32T8/TL835/ALTO for Philips or FO32/835/XP/ECO for Sylvania. The 8 means a CRI of 86 for Philips and 82 for Sylvania (the addition of XP raises it to 85) and the 35 means a color temperature of 3500K. Those three codes will basically provide you the same lamp.
- Flicker is not tricky. Flicker can be solved by using electronic instead of magnetic ballasts. Older, magnetic ballasts operate at 60 Hz, as discussed yesterday. Electronic ballasts operate at thousands of cycles per second, so it is impossible to see the flicker. Plus, they are much quieter than older ballasts, so if you hear a ballast buzzing, change it!
