How to remove a starter in a fluorescent light fitting

[JamesEB]

Please would someone tell me if there is a trick for removing a starter from a fluorescent light fitting.

I just cannot do it.

Thanks
JamesEB

 

[ericmark]

On a bayonet type fitting turn anti-clockwise around 1/8 turn and pull out.

 

[JamesEB]

Thanks. I am going to give it a try.

I am not sure about the bayonet type fitting. The replacement starter has what looks like two small screw heads. Is that it please?

Thanks for help.
JamesEB

 

[Johnmelad]

Thanks. I am going to give it a try.

I am not sure about the bayonet type fitting. The replacement starter has what looks like two small screw heads. Is that it please?

Thanks for help.
JamesEB

As advised and give it a slight push as you twist.

 

[JamesEB]

Thanks to both. That's a great help but still not working with the new one fitted and I don't know what to do now.

What happened was that the tube started flickering. We have no supplier here so I had to send away for a tube which took about 5 days and all the while the tube flickered. When fitted the new tube did not work.

I contacted the supplier who said it was likely to be the starter.

I now have a new tube and new starter fitted but still not working.

Any help would be appreciated.

JamesEB

 

[Johnmelad]

Is the tube in properly, try giving it another slight twist, same with starter.

 

[JamesEB]

Thank you.

I did that with no luck and have now tried the tube in another fitting and it works.

These are 450mm 15W tubes which sit on a top shelf over an arch to give an up light. Each fitting is attached to what I think is called a condenser and it may be that as one failed before.

I think it is a job for an electrician now.

Thanks for help.
JamesEB

 

[333rocky333]

Did you try swapping the starter also to another working fitting.
It would be an expensive call out for just a starter, where in uk are you

What starter did they send you, some places aint got a clue, i would check they aint sent you a series starter in error

 

[JamesEB]

Did you try swapping the starter also to another working fitting.
It would be an expensive call out for just a starter, where in uk are you

What starter did they send you, some places aint got a clue, i would check they aint sent you a series starter in error

We eventually had to have the electrician yesterday.

He checked that our new tube was working and then fitted a starter from his van. It still did not work. He swapped things around with another fitting and it still did not work. He did some more tests and declared the fitting had failed. He said that we did not need the kitchen specific light fitting and any basic fluorescent tube fitting would do. Our fitting is one of a pair and we actually like the fitting's own on/off switch so it is a bit of a pain.

After he had left, my wife who is not to be tangled with would not believe that the fitting had failed. She went off and got another starter and she fitted that and voila it works perfectly.

In answer to your question, we are in Surrey.

Thanks all for help.
JamesEB

 

[333rocky333]

Well done to the wife
If you like the fitting then most internal parts are still obtainable, may cost more, but sometimes better than odd fittings.
As for the starters some new ones do fail, i find there more fragile than they appear and often get mishandled, so hope youve solved it

 

[AdrianUK]

It is sometimes not generally recognised that there is a whole family of starters for flourscent lights - not just one. These are rated for a range of tube wattages & sometimes for single or twin tube circuits.

Some suppliers only stock a 'universal' starter which will usually be OK for the common tubes eg 4 foot - 36W or 40W, 5 foot - 58W or 65W, 6 foot - 70W or 80W but often will not work at the extreme ends of the range, like your 15W.

The consequence of using the wrong starter is often that the tube will flicker/flash and fail to start properly...........

 

[JBR]

After he had left, my wife who is not to be tangled with would not believe that the fitting had failed. She went off and got another starter and she fitted that and voila it works perfectly.

JamesEB

She scared it into working! My wife's like that. You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of her!

 

[securespark]

Is she from Yorkshire? They can be scary!

 

[JamesEB]

Well done to the wife
If you like the fitting then most internal parts are still obtainable, may cost more, but sometimes better than odd fittings.
As for the starters some new ones do fail, i find there more fragile than they appear and often get mishandled, so hope youve solved it

Thanks 333rocky333.

This became very confusing with trying so many starters and so many tubes in so many fittings and hard to know in the end which ones worked or not. The electrician said he would test them all when he came back.

The wife did say that when she went to put her new starter in she noticed that the one the electrician had put in was wobbly so that was probably the problem with that one but after messing about with so many she decided not to mess about with that one and just put her new one in anyway.

It is still working fine.

It's good to have a strong wife!

Thanks for help
JamesEB

 

[JBR]

Is she from Yorkshire? They can be scary!

Yes she is, and yes they can!

Strictly speaking, she's German. She was born in the British Army hospital at Rinteln.