VHO T-12 Questions

[melosu58]

I dont think it depends on the ballast as much as the use of the bulbs. I use mine 12 hrs a day and replace mine every 6 months. Someone that uses them 8 hrs a day will get 8-9 months. I dont think the ballast has anything to do with how long the bulb will last but I could be wrong. I think it depends on the gas that is in the bulbs and that depends on use. I`m not 100% sure on this though.

 

[MT79]

Here's what I found with a quick search-
"...in older magnetic ballast, this method greatly reduced lamp life due to limitations of magnetic ballast design. However with the new high frequency electronic ballast that can start the lamps quickly(~30-40 mS), instant start now provides acceptable lamp life in most situations"
From Sylvania.com
I don't think you'll see a 2-3 times increase in lamp life(not for aquarium use at least), but maybe a couple months w/ an electronic ballast. The lamps lose a lot of Par before they entirely burn out. I'd recommend replacing the lamp's at 10 months or before, with an average 10-12 hours daily use, regardless of ballast type.