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Flickering Light

D

don

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a Luxo asymmetrical task light which takes an 18 watt bulb, which is
starting to give me trouble. Most of the time it will just flicker as if it
is trying to come on, but sometimes it will flicker once or twice and then
come right on. When it does come on it shines bright. Luxo will not support
this task light anymore because they say it is too old??? even though it
was supposedly guaranteed for life. What is causing this intermittant
problem and how could I fix it? I hate to throw the light out because it
was around $200 when I bought it and it does work fine after it lights up.
 
D

don

Jan 1, 1970
0
You thought that was YOUR life time? What does the bulb itself look
like? Was it a custom item for Luxo or is it available elsewhere? Is
it a CCFL? Is there a link to where we can see it?

Thanks for yor reply..... I took the light apart and found the ballast to be
made by B and L Technologies http://bplusl.com/html/balnu6.htm

Interesting it says that if the bulb goes bad the ballast will stop
working..... but I see a brwon spot on the ballast so maybe it is bad also.

The label on my ballast says: Flourescent Lamp Ballast 163304 High Power
Factor Instant Start Class P Type 1 outdoor Input 120v

Max 0.13A NU6 _ 1128 _NT _1
 
D

don

Jan 1, 1970
0
So the bulb is an 18W Sylvania Dulux D compact flouresecent 20677 835
but when I go on sylvania.com to look at the specs the website is off
limits????
Even though this website is on the bulb box????? I'm trying to figure out
if this bulb has an EOL end of life protection mode which is what the
ballast manuf. recommends
to protect the ballast.
 
D

Don Klipstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
I have a Luxo asymmetrical task light which takes an 18 watt bulb, which is
starting to give me trouble. Most of the time it will just flicker as if it
is trying to come on, but sometimes it will flicker once or twice and then
come right on. When it does come on it shines bright. Luxo will not support
this task light anymore because they say it is too old??? even though it
was supposedly guaranteed for life. What is causing this intermittant
problem and how could I fix it? I hate to throw the light out because it
was around $200 when I bought it and it does work fine after it lights up.

This does remind me of a recent story in Usenet where someone was trying
to fix a some-somewhat-similar lighting unit having an 18 watt compact
fluorescent bulb, and achieved the fix by replacing the "starter" with the
guts of a FS-4 "fluorescent lamp starter", despite the wattage and the
voltage drop of the "starterless ballast-less CFL" that I am most
familiar with being more suitable for using the guts of a FS-2 "starter".

One thing that everybody should keep in mind for fluorescent fixtures
that need "starters" that are separate from ballasts: Bad "bulbs"/"lamps"
are hard on starters, and bad starters are hard on "bulbs/lamps/tubes".
This probably explains sonmewhat-common advice to replace the starter
when replacing the "bulb".

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])
 
D

Don Klipstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
You thought that was YOUR life time? What does the bulb itself look
like? Was it a custom item for Luxo or is it available elsewhere? Is
it a CCFL? Is there a link to where we can see it?

Thanks for yor reply..... I took the light apart and found the ballast to be
made by B and L Technologies http://bplusl.com/html/balnu6.htm

Interesting it says that if the bulb goes bad the ballast will stop
working..... but I see a brwon spot on the ballast so maybe it is bad also.

The label on my ballast says: Flourescent Lamp Ballast 163304 High Power
Factor Instant Start Class P Type 1 outdoor Input 120v

Max 0.13A NU6 _ 1128 _NT _1

"Instant Start" makes me think of 1 of 2 related technologies where the
ballast does the starting without the "starter" that I mentioned
previously.

I would best-guess that the "bulb" (lamp) is bad, or the ballast is bad,
or either maybe both of those were sourced profitably from low-bid
suppliers that I suspect could be in or near southeast Asia.

In such a case, I am starting to get into a better mood to "cut the
losses", as in either replacing the lighting unit or hacking into it
both a better ballast and a better "bulb"/lamp, even if that requires
hacking in a socket from some other cheap fixture or from one in a
dumpster on the curbside for trash pickup.

Best Regards,
 
D

Don Klipstein

Jan 1, 1970
0
So the bulb is an 18W Sylvania Dulux D compact flouresecent 20677 835
but when I go on sylvania.com to look at the specs the website is off
limits????
Even though this website is on the bulb box????? I'm trying to figure out
if this bulb has an EOL end of life protection mode which is what the
ballast manuf. recommends
to protect the ballast.

Not that I made actual effort to research this, but I wonder if "Dulux D"
was some "mere fad" or similar to GE's "2D".

Another thing to consider - Sylvania is now part of Osram. Should what
you need be more of a European item, I give some chance that bulbs.com can
get you such a thing, especially if Philips offers such a thing, even if
only into the "European Market". Maybe do their "Ask Dr. Bulb" thing,
that may work, since I was a former "Dr. Bulb" at bulbs.com. (I might get
into a mood to do so again soon, in times when more people need to "scare
up work".)

But besides that, one bit of advice that I often offered back when I
was "a Dr. Bulb" at bulbs.com, and which I stand by even now, is to:

When purchasing lighting units, consider and make-the-motions for
getting replacement "bulbs" (lamps). One would probably prefer to
purchase lighting units that can be "relamped" (have the "bulb" replaced)
by something of an "industry standard type" available from at least 2 of
the "Big 3" (Philips, Osram/Sylvania, and GE).

(As for how a "bulb" becomes a "lamp": Generally in North America to
"technical types" outside the automotive industry, "the bulb is the glass
part of the lamp". And the lamp is what gets inserted/screwed into a
socket / "lampholder" or light-fixture, better known to "lighting
engineers" at least in North America and at least in optical sense as a
"luminaire".)

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])
 
D

don

Jan 1, 1970
0
Don Klipstein said:
This does remind me of a recent story in Usenet where someone was trying
to fix a some-somewhat-similar lighting unit having an 18 watt compact
fluorescent bulb, and achieved the fix by replacing the "starter" with the
guts of a FS-4 "fluorescent lamp starter", despite the wattage and the
voltage drop of the "starterless ballast-less CFL" that I am most
familiar with being more suitable for using the guts of a FS-2 "starter".

One thing that everybody should keep in mind for fluorescent fixtures
that need "starters" that are separate from ballasts: Bad "bulbs"/"lamps"
are hard on starters, and bad starters are hard on "bulbs/lamps/tubes".
This probably explains sonmewhat-common advice to replace the starter
when replacing the "bulb".

- Don Klipstein ([email protected])

Thanks for all this information.......... I"m looking at the ballast and it
has a brown spot on it and so does the bottom of the bulb.....
 
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