Sometimes various lighting manufacturers will have a trade name for a bulb which identifies what it is. With the Sylvania brand, it's the Curvalume fluorescent.  There are several versions of this lamp which include the FBO32T8, FB40T12 and the FBO31T8.  They all have different advantages, but they are all the Sylvania Curvalume family.  Here's an old reliable with a history of good service, the FB40T12 u-shaped fluorescent light bulbs.  These are sometimes called U6 bulbs by the distance between the legs of the lamp, which is 6 inches.  With the advent of smaller light fixtures such as 2x2 fixtures, manufacturers developed a lamp which could fit into that space and also have a great light output.  Like most fluorescents, FB40T12 super saver fluorescent light bulbs are a great way to save energy over standard u-shaped light bulbs.  Compared to it's less efficient counterpart, the FB40T12, the FB40T12 super saver u-shaped is definitely an improvement which will save you money in the long run.  They operate on 34 watts instead of the standard 40 watt version.  There are many people changing these out to a FBO32T8 which is even more energy efficient.

Sylvania developed the FBO32T8 Curvalume fluorescent light bulbs for a variety of lighting applications. These have been the energy saving replacement for the older FB40T12 in 2x2 fixtures. Like most fluorescents, FBO32T8 fluorescent light bulbs are a great way to save energy over standard u-bent light bulbs.  Compared to it's less efficient counterpart, the FB40T12, the Sylvania Curvalume FBO32T8 u-bent is definitely an improvement which will save you money in the long run. Of course, the ballast would need to be changed to an electronic ballast, but the socket configuration is identical. You can tell the difference between a T12 and a T8 by measuring the diameter of the bulb. The spacing between each end of the u-bend tube is 6 inches regardless of whether it's T12 or T8.  The old technology T12 is the standard cool white or warm white lamp that's been used in offices throughout the world and the logical energy saving replacement would be the 3500K or 4100K FBO32T8 lamp.  As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures in order to make them work. Ballasts are available from 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.  On some occasions there may be a ballast that is made for several different types such as in the case of T8 lamps. 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 two types described here are the most common types you might have installed.  We keep plenty of these in stock so you will always have a good source to buy from, ServiceLighting.com. Use us for any type of Curvalume fluorescent light bulbs you have, but keep us in mind the next time you're looking for something that isn't all that common. And because the Sylvania Curvalume u-shaped fluorescent light bulbs are made by Sylvania, you know that you're going to get the best service from Sylvania's premier online distributor, ServiceLighting.com.  Having the light bulbs you need like this one make us special among others, we have the entire Sylvania catalog available to you.  That means you get the best quality light bulbs and service to your home or business.

Because it's still very pervasive in many office environments across the country, we make the Sylvania Curvalume fluorescent light bulbs a substantial part of our offering. There will probably never be a time when these will not be in use. Remember that there are many types of fluorescent lighting, we describe some of the most common used in commercial lighting here.  Whatever type of fluorescent you choose or have, you will be saving energy while getting the most light you can for your money.  We have a large inventory of fluorescent bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture in the field.  If you need help identifying a light bulb, our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have.