With the advent of smaller light fixtures, Sylvania developed the FBO32T8 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 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 FB40T12 bulb will be 1 1/2 inch in diameter, compared to 1 inch for the FBO32T8 light 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.

You can get these in almost any color you want including the more desirable full spectrum light.  The full spectrum has special phosphors that give it a similar color to daylight or natural sunshine.  These are also available in FBO32T8 fluorescent light bulbs.  It produces light the way our eyes naturally use it, giving better visual acuity and reducing problems like eyestrain.  But fluorescents can come in many other colors as well and are identified by their Kelvin temperature. Some of the choices are 3500K, 4100K or 5000K and depending on your color scheme, one of these color choices will work best for your situation.  The 4100K is probably the most popular as it offers a clean, efficient light used in offices almost everywhere across the country and throughout the world.  However, if you want the whiter full spectrum color, then the 5000K color temperature would be the one you want.  So now you can get the great daylight color for 2x2 fixtures as well as the standard 2x4 light fixtures.

There have been times when people have had difficulty finding these at their local supply house, but we keep plenty in stock so you will always have a good source to buy from, ServiceLighting.com. Use us for any type of 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 FBO32T8 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 FBO32T8 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.