Hello. I was wondering if some of you fluorescent fans could please answer a question for myself and my brother Jamie.
For Christmas I bought him a case of Westinghouse blackender appliance tubes.
They are 30" tubes F25T12 cool white.
The tubes don't indicate on the etch if preheat or rapid start is necessary.
We both know that normally they were operated on preheat/trigger start ballasts.
But we have found some ballasts, electronic rapid start to be exact, and was wondering will these safely light these tubes?
The package indicates 3' tubes.
I've yet to find a ballast for a 30" tube.
Given the choice Jamie prefers rapid start over preheat but he just wants things done right because that's how things are done.
I hope you don't mind me asking but we sure would love to see these lit up.

The ballast we have is rated for 2 tubes and mentions 3' and 4' tubes. Here are the tubes it can run.
2 F40T12
2 F30T12
2 F25T12
1 FC16T9
1 FC12T9
1 FC8T9

Jamie figures that it's worth a try but I wonder if we stumped the site with this question

How many in the case..? My thought is if the tube doesn't like the ballast you try, you haven't busted the only one.

If the ballast says F25T12 and the lamps are F25T12, i think its safe

Thanks Lightingguy! Jamie (Morbid Angel) told me fluorescents seem to be your specialty.

Ria, Jamie doesn't intend on busting any of them.

Honestly if an electronic ballast is rated for F20-F40T12 lamps, it should be good. Most electronic ballasts can adjust themselves to run the lamps pretty well. The F25T12 30" tubes are normally meant for preheat ballasts. I am curious if the F25T12 there means the 30" tubes or those 25w Shop light halophospor tubes in a F40T12 size.

@ WigWag - I can understand that, but if the worst was to happen, you wouldn't lose all you had.

Note that there are a couple different types of F25T12:
The 48" F25T12 which is electrically very similar to a F40T12 (the ballast would 'see' either as a 48" lamp)
And the 30" F25T12 (which the ballast would 'see' as 30")

Since the ballast specifies lamps down to a FC8T9, it should be just fine running the 30" F25's
(actually even a modern 2xF40 HPF magnetic RS should run those lamps just fine)

Honestly if an electronic ballast is rated for F20-F40T12 lamps, it should be good. Most electronic ballasts can adjust themselves to run the lamps pretty well. The F25T12 30" tubes are normally meant for preheat ballasts. I am curious if the F25T12 there means the 30" tubes or those 25w Shop light halophospor tubes in a F40T12 size.

They are 30" tubes generally used in old stoves from the 70s. They're not shoplites.

Im interested what the electrode voltage is in the F25T12 vs the F30T12

They are 30" tubes generally used in old stoves from the 70s. They're not shoplites.

I forgot to specify if the ballast meant that, not the tubes.

Good question about the voltage and one we would like to try and answer.
What I find interesting is the difference in current listed on the ballast.
2 F30T12 .83 amps

2 F25T12 .98 amps

The ballast simply mentions 3' and 4' tubes.

That looks like the ballast is rated for those F40T12 25w lamps, not the 30" F25T12 lamps. I will say it still might work, on the safe side though the tubes are normally meant for 25w choke ballast, you might be able to find one on eBay or elseware.