Electronic Ballast conversion - T8 Tube

[wytco0]

My mums light has just stopped working, I changed the starter and it didn't make any difference so I swapped the tube and again no difference.

So by this process of elimination I now think the problem is the Ballast (or possibly the capacitor).

If I change the ballast for a new electronic one I assume that I will no longer need the starter or the additional capacitor? It looks like a fairly simple conversion, have I missed anything?

Can someone confirm? Thanks

 

[ericmark]

In the main it is not simply removing one ballast and fitting the other using same wires, you have to follow the diagram on the new ballast, but it is just simply follow the diagram it is relatively easy, I really should swap the ballast in the kitchen for a HF type (electronic) as tubes last longer and it gives out a little more light, and in the main uses less power. But with the other lamp because hard to get to in order to rewire I took easy way out and fitted a LED tube which does not require any of the old starting gear. Fluorescent around 90 lumen per watt and LED around 100 lumen per watt so no great saving power wise unless you use a smaller output. But if you want to swap to LED now is the time, not after fitting a HF ballast.

The capacitor is not required for the fluorescent to work, it uses less power with the capacitor, so you do want it in circuit, but it will work without it.

 

[winston1]

The capacitor is not required for the fluorescent to work, it uses less power with the capacitor, so you do want it in circuit, but it will work without it.

No it doesn't use any less power. It corrects the power factor so it uses less current but the power (which is what you pay for) is the same.

 

[winston1]

My mums light has just stopped working, I changed the starter and it didn't make any difference so I swapped the tube and again no difference.

So by this process of elimination I now think the problem is the Ballast.
Can someone confirm? Thanks

No we can't confirm. It could be the contacts on the end of the tube. Some fittings have an internal fuse, so it could be that.

You could check the continuity of the ballast with your multimeter which would confirm or otherwise.

 

[securespark]

It could be the contacts on the end of the tube. Some fittings have an internal fuse, so it could be that.
You could check the continuity of the ballast with your multimeter which would confirm or otherwise.

 

[winston1]

It could be the contacts on the end of the tube. Some fittings have an internal fuse, so it could be that.
You could check the continuity of the ballast with your multimeter which would confirm or otherwise.

Which is exactly what I did say in addition to answering the OPs last question.

 

[Iggifer]

Just bin it and buy a new one. For the price of a fluorescent fitting now, I don't see the point in repairing old ones.

You could repair one thing now, only for another thing to fail in a few weeks.

Make sure you dispose of the old one appropriately though, wouldn't want anyone to accuse me of encouraging wasting natural resources! I make sure I recycle all the wasted copper I can, from a purely environmental point of view, of course!

 

[Echo the husky]

The same reason I recycle, don't want that 25mm pyro here ending up in a landfill!

On the subject of saving the planet, you could swap the old fitting for a nice LED replacement.

 

[Iggifer]

Pfff 25mm Pyro! I wish. I did get a nice pile of tails off a DNO man recently, but shhhh

 

[Echo the husky]

I'd love to have a go with 4 core 25mm, just to say I've done it!

 

[Iggifer]

Jeeez! What do they class Pyro as at a recycling centre? At least with tails it's easy to remove the non-valuable *ahem*recyclable pvc

 

[Echo the husky]

Dunno, the last lot I took in I phoned to ask if they take it, and they said that's fine. Perhaps they just chuck it all in the pot and the copper separates when it melts?

I doubt I'd get back the £65 a meter it cost to buy though!

 

[Iggifer]

Absolutely not! I got £3.15 or something per kg of bright last time I went, so you might get the VAT back!

 

[winston1]

Make sure you dispose of the old one appropriately though, wouldn't want anyone to accuse me of encouraging wasting natural resources!

But that is exactly what you are doing. Wire wound ballasts rarely fail, the most likely problem is poor contacts on the tube.

 

[Echo the husky]

Can you order new tube connectors for normal fluorescent battens?