here's a site that also sells replacement refractors i see some bucket refractors as well as cobrahead,and teardrop/gumballs.

Lexalite are my favorite refractors,excellent resistance to yellowing.

do they cost more than Formed Plastics Refractors?

I'm not sure, I haven't compared prices,but the older Lexalite refractors that I have are between 25 and 35 years old still look really good.

I'm not sure, I haven't compared prices,but the older Lexalite refractors that have between 25 and 35 years old still look really good.

not excactly sure what lexalite is but it seems to be signifigantly better than polycarbonate or arcylic,btw you might wanna check the distributor part to see if anybody carries them near you.

Lexalite is the brand,they produce both acrylic and polycarbonate refractors,they seem to be very well UV stabilized.I checked for distributors, and they are only in Eastern and Central Canada.I may inquire at the local electrical wholesale supply to see if they can get them,they maybe kinda expensive to order tho.

Lexalite = GE Lexan polycarbonate, correct? My outside gumball/teardrop light has a Lexalite refractor, and it's a tad bit yellow, but not too bad. Lexan is also the plastic of choice for drinking bottles - other plastics make your water taste like plastic.

The UV stabilization is interesting. I have two Designer's Edge 35w HPS wall packs with white housings, and one made by another brand, but otherwise identical, on the front of my house which faces South and gets direct sun. The back of my house (facing North, very little sunlight) has one 50w wall pack with a Designer's edge black/bronze housing and an identical RAB wall pack with its original housing. Again, all these fixtures LOOK identical.

Despite different operating conditions (direct sun vs shade, 50w vs 35w lamps, and two different housing colors), the Designer's Edge ones are ALL yellowing and the other brands are not!

So they must either use a lower grade of plastic, or inferior/no UV stabilization. I'm wondering if there is a way to fix the yellowing problem by sanding away the existing yellowing, then applying a clearcoat of sorts (i.e. those plastic polishing kits used for restoring car headlights).

I'm also wondering if heat is more of the enemy of plastic than UV. I see plenty of small HPS fixtures that yellow. On Hubbell Perimiliter wall packs, for example, the middle of the refractor near the lamp always yellows over time. I find the same amount of yellowing on HPS versions as I do for the metal halide versions.

i am really not a big fan of using plastic refractors.

Here many Sylvania R37s have a Lexalite refractor and most of them still look like new! There is some that have yellowed a bit but not so much.

Same here,some of the R37 have been in service for 22 years and are like new.There are alot of fixtures using the Lexalite refractors here such as: R37,R47,113,313,115,OVC/OVX

I have a problem with my lantern (GE M-250A2)

http://www.lighting-gallery.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=1032&pos=4

some guy broke the refractor with a rock

Here in costa rica not found

"Lexan" is the term copyrighted to G.E.. Their version of Plexiglas or Perspex. "Lexalite" is a stand alone company, around since the mid-60s. Amazing that they still make exact spec versions of their old 60s products! And they were VERY well made apparently. I have 4 or 5 of the 60s ones, and they really haven't yellowed one bit.

arcblue, how old are your tallpacks?  The Designers Edge one is probably a lesser grade of plastic, as they are made by Caster in China.  The RAB one, depending on age probably uses a much better grade of plastic.  RAB Tallpacks have been sourced from Caster in 1999 (I have one) but their newer ones are from a different supplier and are much better built.  Even the cover, though identical on the outside is very different on the inside.

Does anyone know what street lights the "Model 220-237" and "Model 240-255"??

here's a site that also sells replacement refractors i see some bucket refractors as well as cobrahead,and teardrop/gumballs.