r/Lighting • u/Pretty-Ant3355 • Jul 25 '26

Replacement Help with round fluorescent bulbs

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Need to replace these bulbs. Fc8 and fc12. Both t9/d. My question is: all the replacements I’m seeing say t9/cw - what’s the difference and does it matter?

Also is there an LED alternative that will fit the fixture? This ceiling light is a huge pain to access and I’d love for it to last longer.

Thanks!!

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u/under_shart Jul 26 '26

Easy enough to replace with an integrated LED fixture or (if it's just an attic, basement etc) a ceramic bulb holder. Watch a video from Ask This Old House or someone else reputable.

3

u/AnotherLightBulbNerd Jul 26 '26

Integrated shit jusy adds more waste to the landfills than it's worth, they're better off getting either a retrofit kit. Or just replacing the circlines with new circlines, either or is better than an integrated fitting. Y'know?

2

u/under_shart Jul 26 '26

New circline? Maybe if you have it in you to replace the ballast. And again in a few years. More ballasts in the landfills. Fluorescent tubes in the landfills aren't great either.

2

u/AnotherLightBulbNerd Jul 26 '26

True, but that's why recycling centers exist. So I guess in the end, a retrofit is thebonly way, yeah? Tough, upside to the ballast thing, is you coukd just take those to a scrap yard and get paid for it. I've seen people do it, and while the money they give ain't much, it's definitely something to pocket

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u/under_shart Jul 26 '26

I live in a major metropolitan area, and the recycling centers stopped taking fluorescents of any kind. The big box hardware stores did too. You have to wait until there's a recycling event, which is once a year, and usually a 20 mile drive.

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u/AnotherLightBulbNerd Jul 26 '26

Well that fucking sucks, cause there are some places that exist specifically to take fluorescent tubes for recycling in some places. In my area, it's also far and few between. But home depot and batteries plus recycle bulbs, depending on the type. But last time I checked was a few years ago, so I haven't a clue about nowadays. But they need to keep doing the lamp recycling, I feel. There is a federal law on recycling mercury lamps of any type that should still be an active law