steamer51
Active Member
I have a bunch of 24" normal output bulbs at 17 or 18 watts like would be used in a freshwater hood. I have read about overdriving bulbs by wiring the ballasts together on normal output 40 watt shop lights (two fixtures become one at twice the wattage) as long as they have the right kind of ballasts. I have some new 48" shop lights (with the correct ballasts) that are normal output at 40 watts. If I take one apart, move the endcaps together to 24" to fit the bulbs would 40 watts going into a bulb made for 17 or 18 fire the bulbs or burn my house down?
I also have a couple of high output 24" bulbs that are T5 not T8 (the shop lights take T8 or T12) at 24 watts. If I changed the end caps to T5 and moved them together to fit 24" would the bulbs fire or would it be a hazard? I also have some 48" Coralife fixtures that are T5 normal output (28 watts not 54 watts HO). If I shortened them to 24" would 28 watts normal output ballasts fire bulbs requiring 24 watts HO? Just trying to use bulbs won at frag swaps that I couldn't win the fixtures for without buying new fixtures. Thanks.
I also have a couple of high output 24" bulbs that are T5 not T8 (the shop lights take T8 or T12) at 24 watts. If I changed the end caps to T5 and moved them together to fit 24" would the bulbs fire or would it be a hazard? I also have some 48" Coralife fixtures that are T5 normal output (28 watts not 54 watts HO). If I shortened them to 24" would 28 watts normal output ballasts fire bulbs requiring 24 watts HO? Just trying to use bulbs won at frag swaps that I couldn't win the fixtures for without buying new fixtures. Thanks.
