Higher energy costs!  It seems to be a daily news item, but there is something you can do about it.  Think about changing to more efficient lighting like most businesses that have been moving to the new standard in 3 foot fluorescent bulbs. The Sylvania FO25T8 Octron fluorescent light bulbs save even more energy and produce a higher level of light output than the fluorescent bulbs they replace, which are known as F30T12 bulbs. Octron is the trade name for the Sylvania lamp and it's a name that most people recognize as they were one of the first to come out with the bulb initially.  You can differentiate between a T8 and a T12 by measuring the diameter of the bulb. The FO25T8 bulb will be 1 inch in diameter, compared to 1 1/2 inch for the F30TT12 bulb.  The T8 are far more energy efficient and operate on an electronic ballast usually configured to run several configurations of T8 lamps.  As with all fluorescent bulbs, they rely on ballasts inside of the fixtures in order to make them work.  In the case of T8 lamps, there may be a ballast that is made for several different types such as our Sylvania Quicktronic and also our Universal brand. Most of the time, the ballast and the lamp are matched electrically and so it's good to check the label of your ballast and see if it operates the lamp you have. 

You can get these in all the standard colors which include 3000K, 3500K, 4100K and the full spectrum 5000K.  The full spectrum has special phosphors that give it a similar color to daylight or natural sunshine and they are available in the Sylvania FO25T8 Octron.  The term full spectrum is primarily used when referring to those lamps that fall into the white to blue/white color temperature range like the 5000K mentioned here. There are any number of common applications which use this lamp which include task lighting, display lighting, cove lighting and the applications go on and on.  So check the color you have now if you're replacing the lamp or choose the one that best fits your interiors now.  One simple thing to remember that the lower the color temperature, the more yellow tinted the light will appear.

One of the wonderful aspects of these lamps is the better color rendition of the space around you.  You'll find that improved color will bring a good feeling to your office, you and your people will notice a difference.  Many offices still use colors like cool white or warm white, which wash out color and make everything look pale.  It's commonly used in the F30T12, but there are other types of lamps that use it as well. It's old phosphor technology and was used because color was thought to be less important and it was an cheap grade of phosphor.  Because color correct lighting is good for visual acuity, it increases contrast for better readability of text and on computer screens.  There are two different grades of phosphors of the Sylvania FO25T8 Octron, one is the 700 series which is a CRI of 75 and the 800 series which is 85 CRI.  You'll know the difference by the number at the end like FO25T8/735 or FO25T8/835, the 35 stands for the color temperature of 3500K and the number before it is the grade.

The FO25T8 Octron fluorescent light bulbs are the new standard today for energy efficient light bulbs in a 3 foot length. We have a large inventory of all kinds of Octron fluorescent bulbs for nearly every type of light fixture or lighting application in the field.  If you're having trouble identifying a bulb, take down the number off the bulb and give us a call.  Our customer service representatives can help you determine what you have and get you what you need.