One of the more common sizes of germicidal bulb is the G15T8. It's a
shorter size and can be used in places where a smaller light fixture is needed
to kill germs in the air. Because of their size and their ability to kill
bacteria,
you'll find these bulbs used in places like health care facilities, clinics,
food handling business and restaurants. This is especially true for USDA facilities or anywhere there is a need to keep germs
in the air at a minimum, then you'll find germicidal lamps in use. The
G15T8 light bulb is a 18 inch version and is the medium length among the various
choices. There
are several other types that you might be familiar with as far as length goes. The
G8T5 germicidal is 12 inches, and the G30T8 is 36 inches
and would be used as the product was specified. We supply these lamps in
both Sylvania and the Philips version. They are the same, but
some people might favor one brand over the other.
As with all fluorescent bulbs, germicidal bulbs rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures
in order to make them work. Ballasts are available from Universal, Osram Sylvania, among others. The ballast is important because
it is specific for each type of lamp. You can't change from one type of
fluorescent to another without changing the ballast in most cases.
Most of the time the ballast and the lamp
are matched electrically and so it's good to make sure the ballast you have is
the right one for the lamp you choose. The G15T8 germicidal fluorescent light bulbs typically operate
on a magnetic ballast which is less efficient than it's electronic counterpart,
but that's beginning to change.
It's operates off the same ballast that an F15T8 does, but that doesn't mean it
should be used in that fixture. Look for this lamp commonly used in a shielded fixture out of the way of
anyone's field of view. The reason for that is that germicidal light bulbs
can cause eye damage, that's why they're always used in an indirect lighting
fixture. In fact, here's a warning from the manufacturers.
Direct/Reflected exposure of the ultraviolet energy from this lamp to
eyes/skin should be avoided to prevent serious burns. Protection should be
provided by clothing, gloves, opaque materials, & ordinary window glass. Do not
use for general lighting.
Because it's still very pervasive in many health facilities, hospitals, USDA food service
buildings across the
country, we make G15T8 germicidal available. There will never be a time when these will not be used in applications for
killing bacteria, in fact, the applications only seem to be increasing.
Remember, there are many types of germicidal lighting, we have the G15T8 as one
of the
most common lengths used in lighting today. If
you need help identifying one of these germicidal light bulbs, our customer service
representatives can help you determine what you have.
All text in this document is Copyright Service Lighting