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Puzzled over florescent light behaviour

N

NOTTNICK

Jan 1, 1970
0
I've just installed 2 new tubes in my fish tank.
They both light up beautifully for about 1 or 2 seconds (no flicker),
then go out.
Leaving them for about half a minute or so, I can turn them on again
(again only a second or two of light).
Mains circuit is just fine as there are other appliances attached and
the bulbsworked just fine until I changed them (neither had blown, they
were just about 4 years old).
Any suggestions?

Thanks
 
R

Roy

Jan 1, 1970
0
From:(NOTTNICK)
I've just installed 2 new tubes in my fish tank. They both light up
beautifully for about 1 or 2 seconds (no flicker), then go out.
Leaving them for about half a minute or so, I can turn them on again
(again only a second or two of light).
Mains circuit is just fine as there are other appliances attached and
the bulbsworked just fine until I changed them (neither had blown, they
were just about 4 years old).
Any suggestions?
Thanks
--------------------

Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone., you can buy
replacements for either at your local hardware store [the starter looks
like small garbage can] if you're not sure open up the fixture & see for
yourself...

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
 
N

NOTTNICK

Jan 1, 1970
0
Roy said:
From:(NOTTNICK)
I've just installed 2 new tubes in my fish tank. They both light up
beautifully for about 1 or 2 seconds (no flicker), then go out.
Leaving them for about half a minute or so, I can turn them on again
(again only a second or two of light).
Mains circuit is just fine as there are other appliances attached and
the bulbsworked just fine until I changed them (neither had blown, they
were just about 4 years old).
Any suggestions?
Thanks
--------------------

Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone., you can buy
replacements for either at your local hardware store [the starter looks
like small garbage can] if you're not sure open up the fixture & see for
yourself...

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
Thanks
I'll check it out.

Nick
 
N

NOTTNICK

Jan 1, 1970
0
Roy said:
From:(NOTTNICK)
I've just installed 2 new tubes in my fish tank. They both light up
beautifully for about 1 or 2 seconds (no flicker), then go out.
Leaving them for about half a minute or so, I can turn them on again
(again only a second or two of light).
Mains circuit is just fine as there are other appliances attached and
the bulbsworked just fine until I changed them (neither had blown, they
were just about 4 years old).
Any suggestions?
Thanks
--------------------

Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone., you can buy
replacements for either at your local hardware store [the starter looks
like small garbage can] if you're not sure open up the fixture & see for
yourself...

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
Guess what
It was one of the new tubes!!
Tested everything else, but forgot the obvious.
Put one of the old tubes back and it all worked.
Will get a replacement tomorrow.
Nick
 
R

Roy

Jan 1, 1970
0
Re: Puzzled over florescent light behaviour

Group: alt.engineering.electrical Date: Mon, Nov 12, 2007, 9:15pm
(EST+5) From: [email protected] (NOTTNICK)
Roy wrote:
    From:(NOTTNICK)
          I've just installed 2 new tubes in my fish
tank. They both light up beautifully for about 1 or 2 seconds (no
flicker), then go out.
        Leaving them for about half a minute or so, I
can turn them on again (again only a second or two of light).
Mains circuit is just fine as there are other appliances attached and
the bulbsworked just fine until I changed them (neither had blown, they
were just about 4 years old).
Any suggestions?
Thanks
--------------------
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone., you can buy
replacements for either at your local hardware store [the starter looks
like small garbage can] if you're not sure open up the fixture & see for
yourself...
Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
Guess what
It was one of the new tubes!!
Tested everything else, but forgot the obvious. Put one of the old tubes
back and it all worked. Will get a replacement tomorrow.
Nick
-----------------------
That's disgusting., They had sold you a defective tube? what a world :)
Oh' well.

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
 
C

ChairmanOfTheBored

Jan 1, 1970
0
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone.


Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades now, if
not longer.
 
R

Roy

Jan 1, 1970
0
From:(ChairmanOfTheBored)
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:13:46 -0500, [email protected] (Roy) wrote:
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone.
  Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades
now, if not longer. ----------------
This is one of those fish tank fixtures, many of them still use them
they're usually hard wired & embedded inside the deflector but I've seen
them with a hidden socket too.

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
 
C

charles

Jan 1, 1970
0
Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades now, if
not longer.

There are still plenty on sale at the cheaper end of the market.
 
R

Roy

Jan 1, 1970
0
*From: (charles)
In an article ChairmanOfTheBored wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:13:46 -0500, [email protected] (Roy) wrote:
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone.
---
  Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades
now, if not longer. --------------
*There are still plenty on sale at the cheaper end of the market.
----------------
You'd be surprised,
Here in The Big Apple I've seen plenty supermarket, candy store &
restaurant display refridgerators that use them., I was offered 500$ a
pop to retrofited these older fridges with rapid start electronic
ballasts., but declined because from experiences with several I'd done
in the past I found that they are not that easy to access & I cut up my
hands & fingers too much...I guess the new models are all rapid start
electronic now,. hopefully.

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
 
N

NOTTNICK

Jan 1, 1970
0
Roy said:
*From: (charles)
In an article ChairmanOfTheBored wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:13:46 -0500, [email protected] (Roy) wrote:
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone.
---
Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades
now, if not longer. --------------
*There are still plenty on sale at the cheaper end of the market.
----------------
You'd be surprised,
Here in The Big Apple I've seen plenty supermarket, candy store &
restaurant display refridgerators that use them., I was offered 500$ a
pop to retrofited these older fridges with rapid start electronic
ballasts., but declined because from experiences with several I'd done
in the past I found that they are not that easy to access & I cut up my
hands & fingers too much...I guess the new models are all rapid start
electronic now,. hopefully.

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
I'm in the UK
What are those little cylinder things I screw into all my flourescent
fittings in the kitchen? I thought they were starters (or maybe we are
30 years behind in lighting tecnology.
By the way, I can't see any in my fish tank!!
As I said, it turned out to be the tube anyway.
Interesting to have started this thread though.
:)
 
C

ChairmanOfTheBored

Jan 1, 1970
0
Roy said:
*From: (charles)
In an article ChairmanOfTheBored wrote:
On Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:13:46 -0500, [email protected] (Roy) wrote:
Either the starter or the ballast transformer is gone.
---
Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades
now, if not longer. --------------
*There are still plenty on sale at the cheaper end of the market.
----------------
You'd be surprised,
Here in The Big Apple I've seen plenty supermarket, candy store &
restaurant display refridgerators that use them., I was offered 500$ a
pop to retrofited these older fridges with rapid start electronic
ballasts., but declined because from experiences with several I'd done
in the past I found that they are not that easy to access & I cut up my
hands & fingers too much...I guess the new models are all rapid start
electronic now,. hopefully.

Roy Q.T.
Urban Technician
[I don't make em, I just fix em]
I'm in the UK
What are those little cylinder things I screw into all my flourescent
fittings in the kitchen? I thought they were starters (or maybe we are
30 years behind in lighting tecnology.
By the way, I can't see any in my fish tank!!
As I said, it turned out to be the tube anyway.
Interesting to have started this thread though.
:)


Full sized overhead lighting is rapid start. It seems that small
devices are still using starters, but yeah... it is behind the
technological curve.
 
A

Andrew Gabriel

Jan 1, 1970
0
I'm in the UK

Most of the respondants are in the US and answers based on the US.

In 230V countries, starters are the norm because they work very well
with all tube lengths. They don't work as well in 120V countries
due to the low mains voltage, and even then only with short tubes.
 
T

Tomi Holger Engdahl

Jan 1, 1970
0
ChairmanOfTheBored said:
Fluorescent lights haven't used starters for about three decades now, if
not longer.

Many Ffuorescent lights still use starters nowadays, especially
cheaper ones on the European markets (230V mains voltage).
Here bimetal or electronics based starters are normal
on most fluorescent fixtures that use traditional ballasts.
The story is different for fluorescent lamps that use
more expensive electronic ballasts.
 
T

The Streets

Jan 1, 1970
0
Tomi Holger Engdahl said:
Many Ffuorescent lights still use starters nowadays, especially
cheaper ones on the European markets (230V mains voltage).
Here bimetal or electronics based starters are normal
on most fluorescent fixtures that use traditional ballasts.
The story is different for fluorescent lamps that use
more expensive electronic ballasts.

And smaller (e.g. under the cabinet) fluorescent fixtures still
use starters in the US. I just replaced a broken FS-5 starter.
 
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