Acrylic?

[CubsFan]

If I wanted to replace the acrylic shield that is on my lights can I just go to the glass shop and have them cut one or is there something special that I need? On hamiltons website they say uv filtering acrylic lens. So my question is acrylic is just acrylic right???

[Ninong]

What are your lights, fluorescents or metal halides? If they're just fluorescents, then I suppose an acrylic shield would be just fine. I can't imagine using acrylic under metal halide lamps. The normal shield used under metal halides is 3/16" tempered glass.

[CubsFan]

Their metal halides acrylic is what Hamilton sends with them

[Ninong]

Then I guess you would have to talk to Hamilton. Aqua-Medic and Giesemann both use 3/16" tempered glass.

P.S. -- I just checked Hamilton's website and you're right, it's says they use acrylic uv shields. I also checked Elos and Sfiligoi and they use tempered glass. I don't know of anyone other than Hamilton that uses acrylic with metal halides.

[scubadude]

hmmm that is interesting, im curious as to how they have these vented.

[CubsFan]

They vent them with say a 5 inch fan on both sides of the fixture. The bulbs are probably 4 inches from the acrylic (it's 3/16th). So You guys are saying if I replaced it with 3/16th tempered glass for the whole thing I should be alright?? I looked at Aqua Medic and they have just a small piece of glass this would be like a 48in X 11in piece

[Ninong]

What do you mean Aqua-Medic has "just a small piece of glass?"

My Aqua-Medic fixture was 48" long and it had a 48" long piece two 24" long pieces of 3/16" tempered glass shielding the bottom of the fixture. It was 3/16" thick tempered glass. Each piece was approx. 24" long by 8" wide. I can't remember the brand name right now but it started with an 'S'. It was a German brand, obviously.

Dept. of Corrections:
I just remembered that it was two pieces of glass. Each piece was 24" long. You could pull out just one side at a time if you needed to change one of the metal halide lamps.

[Ninong]

I don't know if the tempered glass they use for the bottom of metal halide light fixtures is special in any way or if it's just plain glass that is tempered. Maybe you should ask somebody who knows about that? The Aqua-Medic people or the Giesemann people should know. Everybody speaks English now. We're the only ones who speak only one language.