How important is the acrylic shield with T5s?

[tonymission]

I know with MH they call them UV shields (glass) but my T5 fixtures have just basic acrylic there. My tanks are shallow so lights are pretty high and I'm not worried about water splashing... Like to mess around with the bulb configuration and space is tight to be taking out a 4' piece of acrylic with 3' of space between light and wall.

Do I really need these? Do they do anything besides preventing water from hitting the bulbs?

 

[skriz]

It's there to protect the lamps from salt creep and water. I'd take it off in a heartbeat. The acrylic shield too! See what I did there? Ha!

 

[dball711]

The shield also keeps the reflectors clean, I would not keep it off for long but that's me.

I'm really not a clean freak but will do whatever to maintain efficiency on my lighting.

 

[declanisadog]

I don't have one on my 65g at work, but I have glass tops on it

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

If you remove the acrylic and one of the bulbs happen to break; you'll have pieces of glass fall into the tank. Not to mention the stuff inside the glass bulb. I think I would just keep the acrylic on the lights. ----- just my 1/2 cent

Wannabee

 

[raz0945]

Is it possible for a fish to splash water on a hot bulb and break or crack it over your tank? My Regal splashes water at me everytime he get a chance.

 

[tonymission]

Like I said they're pretty high above the tank... I don't have any splashers really

Obviously broken bulbs are another story... Does that randomly just happen or do they need direct physical impact?

 

[dball711]

Just thought of something, is this an ATI fixture? If so the shield is necessary for ventilation.

 

[tonymission]

dball711;1014161 wrote: Just thought of something, is this an ATI fixture? If so the shield is necessary for ventilation.

Yesssss :/

 

[sn4k33y3z]

As a building engineer, I can tell you that linear fluorescent tubes (T5's, T8's etc.) over time can (and do) become brittle. They're susceptible to breaking apart at either end(s) of the base. The burnt/disfigured color at the end of the tube is an indicator. What happens is, when you go to remove or replace the bulb, the twisting motion will cause the bulb to separate from the base. The powder substance inside the bulb has a mercury filament that I can assure you will spill out (plus tiny shards of glass).

Long story short, I would leave some form of protection there.

 

[sn4k33y3z]

dball711;1014161 wrote: Just thought of something, is this an ATI fixture? If so the shield is necessary for ventilation.

I disagree. Read my above comment.

The "shield" is just that... a shield. Those fixtures have a fan on the top to pull air in to cool the lights inside the fixture.

 

[tonymission]

Sn4k33y3z;1014186 wrote: As a building engineer, I can tell you that linear fluorescent tubes (T5's, T8's etc.) over time can (and do) become brittle. They're susceptible to breaking apart at either end(s) of the base. The burnt/disfigured color at the end of the tube is an indicator. What happens is, when you go to remove or replace the bulb, the twisting motion will cause the bulb to separate from the base. The powder substance inside the bulb has a mercury filament that I can assure you will spill out (plus tiny shards of glass).

Long story short, I would leave some form of protection there.

Ok, engineer talk is welcomed.

How do I remove or replace the bulbs with the shield on though?

Let's say I replaced my bulbs at 6-8 months. Am I less susceptible to this?

 

[sn4k33y3z]

LOL fair questions. I've never personally accessed this particular fixture for a bulb replacement. However, if removing the shield is necessary to gain access. Then I would unplug and remove the fixture to perform this task. I know, I know, that's a PITA, but is the convenience worth the potential grief this could cause? So what, it's a little work twice year! Don't be lazy LOL.

 

[tonymission]

Sn4k33y3z;1014200 wrote: LOL fair questions. I've never personally accessed this particular fixture for a bulb replacement. However, if removing the shield is necessary to gain access. Then I would unplug and remove the fixture to perform this task. I know, I know, that's a PITA, but is the convenience worth the potential grief this could cause? So what, it's a little work twice year! Don't be lazy LOL.

Bro I've been gouging out vermatids off 200 frag plugs with my bone cutter for the last three days. I take every opportunity I can to be lazy with this kind of crap in between!! Hah

That's why I responded to that guy about how I get all the sexy sticks.. Sure, I get them... Keeping them sexy is a whole other story.

 

[sn4k33y3z]

#firstworldproblems LOL

 

[dball711]

I’m not an engineer but I am pretty good with physics…here is a paragraph from ATI on their cooling system.

Active Cooling System.
If the Active Cooling System isn’t working properly, fixture performance and bulb life will suffer and the ballasts may get too hot and fail over time. Here are few things to consider:
• Air blows into the fixture from the top. For adequate air flow, it’s important to have at least a few inches of space between the top of the fixture and the ceiling, canopy, etc. Adequate space is also needed on the side of the fixture opposite the lamp-cord to allow the hot air to exit the fixture.
• The metal endplate with the gap at the bottom should be on the opposite side of the lamp cord. This is important because air blows into the fixture from the top, along the internal channel where the ballasts and wire are housed, through the holes cut in the fixture housing, along the bulb channel and then out the side of the fixture, opposite the lamp cord.

Without the acrylic shield there is no bulb channel for air to be channeled to cool the bulbs. The cooling systems designed in ATI fixtures is a big contributor to why they perform so well.

 

[tonymission]

dball711;1014217 wrote: I’m not an engineer but I am pretty good with physics…here is a paragraph from ATI on their cooling system.



Active Cooling System.

If the Active Cooling System isn’t working properly, fixture performance and bulb life will suffer and the ballasts may get too hot and fail over time. Here are few things to consider:

•Air blows into the fixture from the top. For adequate air flow, it’s important to have at least a few inches of space between the top of the fixture and the ceiling, canopy, etc. Adequate space is also needed on the side of the fixture opposite the lamp-cord to allow the hot air to exit the fixture.

•The metal endplate with the gap at the bottom should be on the opposite side of the lamp cord. This is important because air blows into the fixture from the top, along the internal channel where the ballasts and wire are housed, through the holes cut in the fixture housing, along the bulb channel and then out the side of the fixture, opposite the lamp cord.



Without the acrylic shield there is no bulb channel for air to be channeled to cool the bulbs. The cooling systems designed in ATI fixtures is a big contributor to why they perform so well.

Is that just for powermodules? I don't have the intake slots on the sides on the sunpowers

 

[dball711]

The intake is on the top, the side is the exit (tons of hot air pouring out), I also have the sun power. You mention the side is 3"from the wall, is there more space on the other side? can you flip the fixture around you have access to slide the panel out that way?

 

[tonymission]

dball711;1014228 wrote: The intake is on the top, the side is the exit (tons of hot air pouring out), I also have the sun power. You mention the side is 3"from the wall, is there more space on the other side? can you flip the fixture around you have access to slide the panel out that way?

3' but Yeah that one is dimmable so the controls would be back against the wall. Not that I even set the dim aside from 100%

 

[sn4k33y3z]

dball711;1014217 wrote: I’m not an engineer but I am pretty good with physics…here is a paragraph from ATI on their cooling system.

Active Cooling System.
If the Active Cooling System isn’t working properly, fixture performance and bulb life will suffer and the ballasts may get too hot and fail over time. Here are few things to consider:
• Air blows into the fixture from the top. For adequate air flow, it’s important to have at least a few inches of space between the top of the fixture and the ceiling, canopy, etc. Adequate space is also needed on the side of the fixture opposite the lamp-cord to allow the hot air to exit the fixture.
• The metal endplate with the gap at the bottom should be on the opposite side of the lamp cord. This is important because air blows into the fixture from the top, along the internal channel where the ballasts and wire are housed, through the holes cut in the fixture housing, along the bulb channel and then out the side of the fixture, opposite the lamp cord.

Without the acrylic shield there is no bulb channel for air to be channeled to cool the bulbs. The cooling systems designed in ATI fixtures is a big contributor to why they perform so well.

"through the holes cut in the fixture housing, along the bulb channel and then out the side of the fixture". I'm not understanding how the acrylic/glass cover to access the bulbs is part of any part of the cooling system.