When it comes to fluorescent light bulbs there are two main types you will be able to see pretty much everywhere: T8 and T12. Obviously, they are different, but most people think that their differences are just in the name – but that is definitely not the case. Each one of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is worth looking into each one of them in order to know the difference between them and make the correct decision.
What is Their Size Difference?
When it comes down to T8 and T12, size does really matter. One of the primary differences between these two is the difference in size that the bulbs have, and the difference their bases have. In length, they are incredibly similar, but the numbers after the “T” are referring to the diameter of the bulb. This means that the T8 has a diameter of eight eights of one inch, and the T12 has a diameter of twelve eights of one inch.
Typically, the efficiency of a lamp can be determined by its size, and the smaller the lamp, the bigger the efficiency. This means that out of these two, the T8 is more efficient, but the T12 is bigger. Depending on the usage you are going to give these fluorescent bulbs, one might be more appropriate than the other.
How Does Energy Usage Differ?
When we’re talking about light bulbs, we need to look at the energy usage as well. Not only does a better energy usage provide the user with a better overall experience due to a significant cost control effectiveness, but also due to the fact that lower energy usage is good for the environment.
And when it comes to energy usage, the T8 bulb is 32 watts, while the T12 bulb is 40 watts. This clearly means that the T8 is a more efficient light bulb to use and due to a federal act, a lot of buildings have to use the T8 bulb instead of the T12 preferably due to energetic efficiency.
What is Their Light Output?
This is the key question that you need to ask yourself when you are buying a light bulb – does it give me enough light? We’re here to compare the T8 and the T12 fluorescent light bulbs and the truth is that, between these two, there is a very small difference. So small, that the human eye isn’t able to detect it at all.
The T8 light bulb puts out a little bit more light than the T12 light bulb, but once again, the difference is incredibly small. Light output is measured in lumens, and the T8 bulb producers approximately 2600 lumens, while the T12 bulb produces approximately 2520 lumens. You might not know the value of a lumen, but by the number reaching 4 digits and the difference being only of 80 lumens, you can clearly tell that the light output isn’t too different.
There is, however, another faction to consider when it comes to light output. Over time, and just like every other material object we know in this world, light bulbs begin to lose the intensity and brightness of the light they put out – it is just natural. After around 7,000 hours of usage, the bulbs tend to decrease. The T12 bulb tends to decrease by around 20 percent, while the T8 bulb only decreases by 10 percent – half of the decrease the T12 bulbs have. This means that, over time, the T8 fluorescent light bulb is a better choice when it comes to light output.
What is Their Longevity?
We’ve seen that the light output of the bulbs decreases over time, and that takes us to the topic of longevity – how long do the bulbs last? After all, you won’t want to have to replace them too soon, since it is a painful task to have to go the store get a new bulb and replace it, especially for the modern person who is always busy.
Turns out, the longevity of the bulb is directly related to its light output decrease. The bulbs tend to start decreasing their light output after around 7,000 hours of usage and even though that sounds like a lot, it is not an eternity (unfortunately). After that period of time, they start to lose quality, but most people only replace their light bulbs when they really stop working.
The decrease that the bulbs have in brightness is so low, however, that it is usually not visible to the naked eye at first and people usually only notice that the bulb had been losing properties after they replace it with a new one. Either way, the recommendations that manufacturers put out there is that the bulbs should be replaced every 6 to 12 months in order to maintain the quality.
If you’re wondering about the amount of time required before replacing a bulb, let’s put it into perspective: a bulb that keeps on running for around 10 hours a day will only need to be replaced after around two years and unless you sleep with your lights on, yours will last a lot longer.
To sum it all up, the T8 light bulb is going to last you a little while longer than the T12 light bulbs since they lose properties at half the rate the others do, but that isn’t a big factor according to what manufacturers recommend, since they both start losing qualities at the same time – the time that manufacturers tell you to replace the bulbs in order to get better quality.