What does the nomenclature system for labeling and identifying fluorescent lamps mean?
The most common fluorescent lamps used in commercial buildings today are T8s. According to the Lighting Research Council (LRC), Troy, NY, the âTâ indicates the shape of the lamp â tubular, while the number following the T reveals the diameter of the lamp in eighths of an inch. Therefore, a T8 lamp is tubular and 1-inch in diameter, whereas a T12 is likewise tubular but twelve-eighths of an inch or 1.5 inches in diameter. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, VA, has developed a system for designating compact fluorescent lamp types as well. A lamp labeled CFT13W is a compact fluorescent (CF), twin parallel tube (T), with a wattage of 13. The nomenclature “equation” for compact fluorescent lamps is CF plus (+) shape (T equals [=] twin parallel tubes, Q equals four parallel tubes in a quad formation, S equals square shaped, M equals any other multiple tube shape) plus (+) wattage. What follows this designation is often a slash (/) and the abbreviated base desi
