High Output Fluorescent Lighting

High output (HO) fluorescent lighting has been in existence since the mid 1950's. They are used in a variety of settings including tanning beds, motion picture lighting, plant growing and many other operations.

Considerations When Thinking about HO Lighting

High output fluorescent lights come in both standard tube and compact format. High output lights are brighter but also draw more electrical current. High output lights also have different ends to keep them from being mistakenly put into standard sockets. Pricing for the standard length tubes can be from $15 for a single tube and as much as $500 for lighting sets of 4 or more tubes in a single mounting. The T5 is generally used for high output with the T8 and T12, older versions of the high output light sometimes used for seedling starter growth. (These references are the standard long tube design while spiral lights have other nomenclatures.)

Brightness Considerations and Matching Your Needs

High output lights come in varying lumen outputs from 1650 through 3400 lumens. Some high output spiral lights run at 5300 lumens or more so time should be given to match the output of the light with the users needs. High output fluorescent lighting comes in many shapes and sizes and can be used for just as many tasks, from indoor plant growing to standard lighting needs. Always attempt to balance the lighting needs against the condition of the power source to make sure the extra power needed will not over tax the current wiring of the location.