This fixture has been replaced with an M250R2 FCO HPS. I drove by it yesterday and the model 13 was still there, so they must have replaced it today.

Hmm. Your utility sure doesn't like to simply replace a browned out refractor. It's a shame that just because the refractor is bad, the whole light is replaced.

Aside from the lens, this light also had trouble starting. It would flicker for a long time before actually starting up. Maybe it needed a new lamp? The browned lens seriously affected the light output, the new HPS gives out a lot of light.

Yeah the browned lens really does block lots of light. I kinda like the look of them though. Maybe the electrodes in the lamp were weakening. I don't know much about the internals of lamps. Maybe the ballast was on its way out..... sometimes if the wiring is frayed (lots of older fistures used cloth wiring), they might replace the fixture. That happens sometimes here.

The original ballast in my Powerlite B2255 used cloth wiring, one of the cap wires was frayed and I had to fix it with some heat shrink tube.

I was told by two different people at ComEd that the lenses are intentionally blackened because residents complain that the lights are too bright and shine into their homes. Not sure if I buy that. Either way this light was replaced with a 150w HPS, which I was told should not have happened.

Then ask them why is it only the plastic ones are the ones "browned" while the glass ones aren't and explain to them that you know about the UV coming out of MV and Poly plastics easily yellow when prolonged exposed to the UV rays!

My area does replace refractors......although PEPCO doesn't

Quite frankly I don't think they care...

Allegheny Power doesn't always replace browned out refractors in their older streetlights either though there was a MV L-150 that I reported recently that was out and they replaced the browned out refractor with a GE refractor.

Curiously it's the complete opposite in my area! Utilities often USELESSLY replace refractors! Most of the time the plastic refractor goes and a new glass refractor is installed.

Well replacing plastic with glass can only be a good thing!

Where was the Model 13 when you saw it was replaced? Was it on the ground? You should of taken it.

I never saw it being replaced. One day the Model 13 was there, the next day an M250R2 was there.

Oh I see now, I misunderstood. xD I thought that you drove by and the M-250 R2 was up and the 13 was ont he ground. xD My bad.

Nope, I've never seen lights on the ground. I assume they take it with them after they've finished installing the replacement.

I've seen fixtures loaded up in bucket trucks when they're taken down.

For my area they swap them right away and take the old fixtures.....

Here too Jace. they doo their repairs at night so people like us don't bother them.

my utility does more replacement's now,but an ocassional servicing of mercury fixtures is still seen...they replaced a browned nema refractor with a new one a year ago.

and there was a Nema with an aging lamp that got a new lamp....the lamp still put a decent amount of light but would flicker erratically and even go out before warming up all the way.

The 113 I got was just recently taken down when I got it, the guy who was in the truck which was loaded with new cobraheads was nice to let me have the old 113.