| The company that I work for are in a drive to reduce costs by energy | reduction. | | One of the main areas is lighting. It has been found that an acceptable | amount of lux levels can be achieved by removing 2 or the 3 fluorescent | tubes from a ceiling tile tile type fluorescent fitting. | | We propose to do this only in certain corridors some of which had over | 100 of these fittings every 4th tile. These corridors only have approx | 4 people per day. | | Will it have any adverse affects on the fitting if we remove two of the | tubes?
The fittings should be OK. However, do not expect the energy savings you think you might get.
Fluorescent lights don't work the same way as incandescent. If the whole fixture runs from one ballast (think: would you put 3 of these expensive devices in the fixture when it can operate from just 1) then you'll still have the same current flow at the same voltage. And it won't make the remaining bulb any brighter (since the voltage _drop_ across the bulb is still the same while the current remains the same). What you end up with is some combination of hotter ballast, hotter wiring, decreased power factor, etc. In some cases I have even seen the remaining bulbs (2 out of a fixture of 4) have a shorter life. In one case I saw the after effects of an exploded ballast that also created a chemical hazard from the melted potting material (could be a very expensive cleanup).
You will see minimal energy reduction, and a possible increase in costs due to a variety of issues (the fittings are not one of them).
Try completely disconnecting selected fixtures. Try desk lamps of the appropriate energy saving type and leave most ceiling lights just off.