Fluorescent tube - is tube faulty or is it the starter?

[potterton678]

The rule of thumb with fluorescents was the way most went to try out replacement.
3 main components being the starter, the tube and the choke.
So, first try a new starter is the cheapest, easiest option, then if still no then try a new tube, then if that doesnt work it is probably the choke, in that case its often easier and cheaper to replace the whole fitting which often came supplied with a new tube.
Of course we have moved on from that and nowadays LED battens are all the rage and fluoros are more expensive if you can get them.
PS the tube ends blackening was often a sign of a bad tube past its life, although they could often carry on a good while after that in many instances.

By "choke" do you mean ballast? Do all fluorescent tubes in the UK have ballasts?

 

[flameport]

By "choke" do you mean ballast?

Ballasts were called chokes long ago. In more recent decades such items were replaced with electronic drivers, no starter requried.

Do all fluorescent tubes in the UK have ballasts?

Fluorescent tubes are obsolete.

 

[ericmark]

In the old days of fluorescent lamps, with a wire wound ballast, I often found changing the starter would get it running again, but for a short time, and looking at labour costs, better change tube and starter as a pair.

There were some lamps which only had a wire wound ballast, no starter, some had 4 pin starters, but the ones I worked on with wire wound ballast had two pin starters wired like this and it was easy enough to convert to this where the problem lies is where an electronic driver is used as @flameport says, specially where there are multi-tubes.