When it comes to evaluating the right lighting, people will need to determine what factor is most important to them — money, energy, or safety — to determine the best lighting fixture for their specific need. In short, there is no right or wrong answer as to which lighting fixture is better or worse as far as T5 lighting and metal halides go. But this article will explore the different possibilities and outline the best light for various situations.
Metal Halide Lighting
Special fixtures, temperatures, and high pressures are necessary to make metal halide lamps work, so they tend to be higher maintenance than other lamps. However, they produce more light at smaller sizes than other lamps. Therefore, these lamps can be directed to smaller areas, yet make that area as bright as the light found illuminating a whole room. Because of this directed lighting strength and the different activities that would require bright lights, these lamps are used in a variety of places, from homes, to warehouses, to outdoor stadiums.
Metal halide lamps are popular for indoor lighting gardens with plants that would typically require lots of sunlight. Elaborate hydroponic systems often utilize metal halide lights. However, because of the heat they produce and the maintenance required, metal halide lamps are not a casual light nor are they as safe or appropriate if you have children around.
T5 Lighting
The current T5 lamp, modern T5 lighting as we know it, came into circulation in the United States by 1995. They are fluorescent lamps that are very easy to set up and require very little, if any, pressure or temperature maintenance, which makes them more practical in many applications. T5 lighting also generally costs less and produce less heat than metal halide lamps, most likely because of the pressure inside the bulb of a metal halide lamp. T5s are also more energy efficient; they burn about 10 degrees cooler than most other lamps.
However, some argue that one downside of T5 lamps is that they are not as versatile as metal halide lamps. But this may not be a problem if weighing the possibility of using either a metal halide or a T5 light in a location that would be lit equally by either type. Metal halides simply have a broader spectrum of lighting intensities, allowing them to be used in a few more locations than you would use T5 lighting. Keep in mind that T5 lighting fixtures are evolving rapidly, so their versatility is increasing every year.
Where To Use T5 Lighting vs Where to Use Metal Halide Lighting
Metal halides are great for use in athletic facilities and warehouses. Halides are also sometimes used specifically for reef aquariums, but for regular aquariums T5 aquarium lighting is the best choice. T5s work well when lighting a garden, because the light covers a wider surface area than metal halides; however, a metal halide lamp may help with garden growth because of its heat. In fact metal halide lamps are sometimes used for indoor growing.
T5 lighting fixtures generally work better in a house, because they are cooler and they require less maintenance, making it more time efficient in a place used every day. They are also quite a bit safer; metal halides can explode if the proper conditions are not maintained, and the lamp could become hazardous to children. Some skin injury can occur from large metal halide lamps if one is exposed too long too close, they can also cause eye injury if looked upon too long without sunglasses, so it must be taken into consideration how long either lamp will be used in its location.
You’ll also see T5 aquarium lighting used extensively in aquatic environments. Their low maintenance and low heat output makes them perfect for providing the appropriate lighting for maintaining fish and reef.
T5 lighting is definitely more cost, energy, and time efficient than metal halides, but metal halide lamps are much brighter, clearer, and stronger than T5 lamps. Each must consider his or her own needs to determine the best lamp for each situation.