Fluorescent lamp repair questions

[Taylortwocities]

So, ignore my post re shorting out the capacitor. That only applies to series capacitors, not the PF one across the supply terminals!!.

I don't know how to check the choke.

Surely you know what a choke is? If not then maybe you shouldnt have your hands in there....

The choke is basically a coil of wire. It should have resistance, measure a known working choke and compare. They do go open circuit, sometimes.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Yes I am competent to do the work; I have 27 years’ wiring experience in electronics and control panel work. After being made redundant I now have a part time job as a handyman at some offices, whilst going to college (C&G 2330) to train to be an electrician.

In this job if a repair is beyond my competence I get the electrical contractors in – as I may do with this one. I would only change components in this fitting “like for like”, assuming I knew which item was faulty of course. I don’t want to create a hazard and I don’t want to waste money.

I will check continuity of all wiring and connectors etc, and I will measure the resistances of the chokes and compare them with a known good one. If all read OK I’ll have to admit defeat and get an electrical contractor to repair it or replace the whole fitting.

 

[Spark123]

Yes I am competent to do the work; I have 27 years’ wiring experience in electronics and control panel work. After being made redundant I now have a part time job as a handyman at some offices, whilst going to college (C&G 2330) to train to be an electrician.

Not having a pop at you, it's just you don't appear to have sufficient knowledge of the types of system you are working on, i.e. fluorescent light fittings - how they are internally wired and how they work to be playing about with them in a place of work. There are areas which I am not very clued up on, if you asked me to carry out work in an explosive area I wouldn't have a clue.
If you asked a domestic installer to fix an EOTCrane then they probably wouldn't know where to start!
My point being, just because you may have knowledge in control panels doesn't automatically make you competent to work on everything in the industry, just as when you complete your C&G2330 you still wont be competent to work on everything electrical.