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hockey00
03/15/2011, 08:35 PM
How long do bulbs last in tek fixture with no fan? Ati fixture is about $120 more than the tek. Can't make my mind up. I guess if bulbs last a few months longer in ati i would make that money back up when i make bulb changes. Is ati that much better? thanks

reeferlover
03/15/2011, 11:59 PM
I don't think so I have both and not that impressed with the ati but I did add a fan to my tek so ur call

rtparty
03/16/2011, 09:12 AM
How long do bulbs last in tek fixture with no fan? Ati fixture is about $120 more than the tek. Can't make my mind up. I guess if bulbs last a few months longer in ati i would make that money back up when i make bulb changes. Is ati that much better? thanks

Non cooled T5 bulbs last right around 6-7 months. Maybe even shorter depending on the ambient temp around the fixture.

The ATI's are putting out ~25% better PAR than a Tek. Workhorse ballasts do NOT put out the same PAR as a spec T5 ballast. Yes you can overdrive the bulbs a little with a WH to compensate but now you are sacrificing bulb life.

Every test I have seen, puts a Workhorse ballast putting out ~15% less PAR then a spec T5 ballast.

Throw in the better reflectors and the superior cooling of an ATI and a Tek can't match it in terms of performance.

To make numbers easy let's say you replace the bulbs annually with an ATI. On a 6 bulb unit you are talking $150 a year.

With a Tek you are looking at replacing the bulbs twice a year. So on a 6 bulb unit you are $300/yr.

With that alone you made up the cost difference. Now throw in a $10 fan to cool the Tek as well.

Let's say you only replace the bulbs once every 8 months with the Tek. (I don't recommend that as tests have proven that uncooled T5's last about 6 months) You will replace 3 sets of bulbs over a 24 month period at the tune of $450.

The ATI will go through 2 sets of bulbs at the tune of $300.

Again that is all very basic and easy numbers. Some setups where you have an SPS dominated tank, you will want to start replacing some bulbs at 10 months with an ATI. With the Tek you could be looking at 4 months instead of 6.

Any way you put it, not cooling T5's is a bad idea. You lose bulb life, performance and money.

So is $120 worth it if you need the output from the ATI? You make the call.

Ethan Music
03/16/2011, 10:55 AM
Mine runs cool haven't had it for long as you can see knew build but haven't considered putting a fan on or near it although mine is in the basement don't know if that factors into it stays around 68 i think not for sure. As far as ballast goes it didn't come with workhorse came with a diffrent brand can't remeber though. I know some of them do come with the workhorse ballast but when i bought mine it came with a diffrent brand.

rtparty
03/16/2011, 04:04 PM
Mine runs cool haven't had it for long as you can see knew build but haven't considered putting a fan on or near it although mine is in the basement don't know if that factors into it stays around 68 i think not for sure. As far as ballast goes it didn't come with workhorse came with a diffrent brand can't remeber though. I know some of them do come with the workhorse ballast but when i bought mine it came with a diffrent brand.

Was it brand new?

99% sure that if it is a new fixture it is using Workhorse ballasts. Some of the older models had Advance ballasts in them.

I have heard that some companies are looking at replacing the WH ballasts in Teks with spec T5 ballasts and just selling the WH on their own. Maybe a company is doing that already?