warm white bulbs

PaulF · March 8, 2010

My lighting system is four foot shop lights using a cool white and a regular white tube. This system has done well for me for ten years. I have not replaced the tubes for several years so I decided this was the year to make the investment. Cool whites are easy to find and pretty cheap. In my little town I was not able to find non-cool white bulbs. The local hardware store did have "warm white" 40 watt tubes so I bought a couple.

When I installed them in the fixture, I had one white bulb and the warm white was a reddish brownish gold. Does anyone know about the spectrum of these and will I be better off taking the bulbs back and looking "in the city" for regular hot tubes? I am not using them on my seedlings yet until I can get this figured out. What do you think. Thanks.

Paul

FILMNET · March 8, 2010

O My, watch out,I have herd everyone say you need this bulb or that bulb ?????? i am using 2 - 2ft lights with 2ft bulbs in each, old lights and bulbs from 1979 maybe, my first time also. I have seen that cool whits bulbs are the best, but also any bulbs are ok? i went to Home Depot to buy new bulbs and the guy said do not waste my $, any color bulbs will work ok.They had bulbs from 2$ -18$ for my lights. So i have 1-2 weeks before i use mine, mine are really yellow old as the hills.i would like to know if they are ok also.

March 8, 2010	#1
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,284	warm white bulbs My lighting system is four foot shop lights using a cool white and a regular white tube. This system has done well for me for ten years. I have not replaced the tubes for several years so I decided this was the year to make the investment. Cool whites are easy to find and pretty cheap. In my little town I was not able to find non-cool white bulbs. The local hardware store did have "warm white" 40 watt tubes so I bought a couple. When I installed them in the fixture, I had one white bulb and the warm white was a reddish brownish gold. Does anyone know about the spectrum of these and will I be better off taking the bulbs back and looking "in the city" for regular hot tubes? I am not using them on my seedlings yet until I can get this figured out. What do you think. Thanks. Paul __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

March 8, 2010	#2
FILMNET Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA Posts: 1,803	O My, watch out,I have herd everyone say you need this bulb or that bulb ?????? i am using 2 - 2ft lights with 2ft bulbs in each, old lights and bulbs from 1979 maybe, my first time also. I have seen that cool whits bulbs are the best, but also any bulbs are ok? i went to Home Depot to buy new bulbs and the guy said do not waste my $, any color bulbs will work ok.They had bulbs from 2$ -18$ for my lights. So i have 1-2 weeks before i use mine, mine are really yellow old as the hills.i would like to know if they are ok also.