Killing germs in the air is becoming more and more of an issue these days and that's why there are germicidal fluorescent light bulbs for every need.  Why are these lamps the standard for killing germs in the air?  Because of their size and their effectiveness.  You'll find these bulb in service in places like hospitals, clinics, food handling business and restaurants.  Anywhere there is a need to keep germs in the air at a minimum, then you'll find germicidal lamps in use.  There are several types that you might be familiar with as far as size goes.  The G8T5 germicidal is 12 inches, the G15T8 is 18 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 virtually the same, but some people might prefer one over the other. 

As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures in order to make them work. Ballasts are available from Universal, Osram Sylvania, among others. Almost all fixtures for these bulbs come with ballasts already mounted and wired. 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 germicidal fluorescent light bulbs typically operates on a magnetic ballast which is less efficient than it's electronic counterpart, but that's beginning to change.  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.

Because it's still very pervasive in many health facilities, food service buildings across the country, we make germicidal light bulbs a perennial offering. There will never be a time when these will not be used in applications for killing bacteria, in fact, the applications seem to be increasing. Remember, there are many types of germicidal lighting, we describe some of the most common used in home and commercial lighting here.  They are also available in a HID source for some industrial or water treatment facilities. If you need help identifying one of these light bulbs, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.