T5 Scrubber Lamp Life

[Floyd R Turbo]

I posted on RC that I plan on swapping out my 24" 24W T5HO grow lamps every 3 months. Someone thought that rule only applied to CFLs andthat T5s in a scrubber should last longer. What schedule should I follow here? These are the lamps I'm using:

http://www.aghydroponics.com/T5-2Ft-Gro ... l24830.htm (http://www.aghydroponics.com/T5-2Ft-Grow-Bulbs-24W-HO-3000k-p/litbulbt5-pxfl24830.htm)

They're only $4/ea in an 8 pack so not like it's breaking the budget.

[piratefish]

After 3 months of use I started to notice some small pachas of HA growing on the rocks. I swapped out the bulbs and It was soon gone. I would replace them every three months.

[SantaMonica]

3 months.

If you look at the lumen output curves of any florescent bulb, they all have a sharp drop at 3 months. You can't see it, because the eye can't detect lumen changes very well (which is why they use light meters for pro photo and video shoots.)

Pumps are next; with higher pH, they clog with calcium more often. The flow will slowly get less, and you'll not notice.

[rahjelli]

should pumps be cleaned every three months as well? Is the vinegar run through the way to clean the calcium off the pumps and get them back to full power?

[SantaMonica]

I put the pumps in vinegar every 6 months.