crinum

Yes, you can use solid metal ductwork for your dryers exhaust. You need one with two 90 degree bends to get from the dryer to the pipe and then straight out to the exit on the house. The pieces just go together by pushing them together. Use straps made for this purpose to hang them up. You could call in a chimney sweep every couple of years to clean the pipe out. That's what we do. That flexible plastic tubing is indeed a fire hazard. Lint builds up inside (as you have seen) and can catch fire. Lint from dryers is very flammable. You can mix it in with some hot wax and make fire starters for your fireplace! Plus your dryer will dry so much faster with the metal ducting. Just make sure you buy an outside vent cover with a door inside so you don't get insects and snakes coming inside via the duct work.

I'd like to use T5 undercabinet fluorescent light fixtures (lots of light, energy efficient, bulb choices, and don't get warm). They will be hardwired and operated by a single switch. I like the Juno Pro-Fluorescent line but have a space issue (a corner cabinet ends a 48" space creating 36" of linear space in the front of the cabinets and 48" of linear space in the back of the cabinets...meaning this only allows the 34.5" fixture size considering the 5" depth of the Juno). I'm not sure that the 34.5" size will be enough light for the 48" space. I like a lot of light! And I can't seem to find any recommendations for fixture lengths versus area needed to be lit. As an alternative, I have been looking at a tubular series by Geminix (T5 Linear Fluorescent) or Brodwax Lighting (Super-Sleek ultra-slim T5). Pegasus has a similar product. If I understand this type of light correctly, the tube faces the counter and only takes up 7/8 inches of space. I know that the amount of light one likes is subjective, but does anyone know the spread of a T5 bar fixture....will a 34.5" fixture be enough light for the 48" space? Are Geminix and Brodwax reliable? Any other suggestions for me? Thanks for your help!

The standard tubes (T12) and slim tubes (T8) are NOT compatible and not meant to work in the same fixtures. They require a different ballast. The T8 tube went bad quickly because the T12 ballast was forcing the wrong amount of current through it. Your light now flashes because the T8 tube damaged the ballast, which is now overheating and cycling its thermal protector. You now need a new ballast, and strong encouragement to read the warnings that say things like "USE ONLY F40T12 LAMPS" or something of the sort.