A friend of mine says he gets ABOUT a year, and he measured hours at 7300 and then failure. Are these bulbs just junk, or what? I see the Daylight ones say Indonesia but the Reveal ones and Kitchen and Bath are made in Hungary. I haven't tested these to see what they will do..... YET.

Powell

The 7500 hour life rating on F15T8s is for 3 hours of operation per start. So if it was run continuously 24/7 it would last much longer due to less electrode wear during start up.

These lamps are run a minimum of 18 hours a day. So,they are lasting about a year at best.
HMMMM. What brand easily found in the US can he switch to ?

Powell

These lamps are run a minimum of 18 hours a day. So,they are lasting about a year at best.
HMMMM. What brand easily found in the US can he switch to ?

Powell

Surely they didn't fail all at once.  Lamp life is based on under starting conditions prescribed in ANSI standards, which may or may not be the same as IEC, JIS, DIN etc.


ANSI usually specifies 3hrs/on, symmetric waveform, alternating current with current crest factor not exceeding 1.7. and it's a median life.  Some ballasts exceed lamp CCF of 1.7 and this shortens life.

Sylvania F15T8/D lamps are U.S. made and shouldn't be too difficult to find.  Of course, the advertised average life is still 7,500 hours.

Sylvania F15T8/D lamps are U.S. made and shouldn't be too difficult to find.  Of course, the advertised average life is still 7,500 hours.

I'm not sure where its made, but GE makes F15T8/SPX65 with a 24,000 hour rated life, only to be used on electronic ballast. 

http://genet.gelighting.com/LightProducts/Dispatcher?PRODUCTCODE=49489
It's not noted in there, but its noted in the GE general catalog.  GE lists standard long T8 ballasts as compatible ballasts.

@Powell, for quality F15T8s you can try the Hungarian GEs, USA made Sylvanias, and Dutch made Philips. I don't know how long they last in such conditions you mentioned but its worth a try.

No, the lamps didn't fail all at once. Individually over a period of time.  He has a lamp over the washing machine that's on almost all the time as well as a 2 lamp desk lamp in the hall.  He replaces the one in the lamp over the washing machine when it starts making noise on the radio and moves it to the 2 lamp fixture. 

I have had very bad luck with the 15 watt Phillips making a LOT of noise in the radio, even with capacitors across the line ( which helps).  I may send him some Sylvania bulbs.

I gave him one of my Chinese bulbs. I have 2 more new ones left I bought 7 years ago. I have one burning and has been doing a valiant duty during this time. It's getting close to EOL but refused to go. (Watch it be dead when I get home.....    )

Powell