Fluorescent batten starter

[monday]

The problem being, there isn't one! Turned the shed light on the other night. there was a loud 'phut' and no light. I thought the shed circuit had tripped but the power side is on and I have confirmed power at the batten. I expected to fit a new starter switch but times have changed. There is no conventional starter, just an electronic unit.

Are these things replaceable or do I just get a new unit? What would cause these, presumably solid state, things to trip? It was a very cold night.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes, electronic starter. Very common but largely redundant as LED is replacing fluorescent. Suggest you fit an LED tube and rewire your batten fitting, or buy a whole new LED fitting.

 

[ericmark]

As @Taylortwocities says, fluorescent tubes are getting harder to get, the HF or electronic ballasts have capacitors in them, which have a limited life and can explode causing bits everywhere inside the unit, so it does make sense what you describe. There are LED replacements, and I have used them. And you could remove the ballast and wire the carcase to run a LED replacement for fluorescent tube.

The question is if worth it?

The one I wired in hind sight I made an error, the tube I had as a replacement one end was a short circuit, the other end was line and neutral and I wired to just one end, which means had I fitted it wrong way it would have been a direct short, now there are special tubes for electronic ballasts, which were not available when I fitted a LED tube. One needs to read the instructions with each tube carefully, so I would advise fitting a fitting designed from the start to use LED.

 

[mattylad]

A 5' LED batten is available from Screwfix for under £20, IMO it's no longer worth messing with Fluorescent fittings that require new parts.

 

[davelx]

No problem getting fluorescent tubes from TLC etc but if going for a new fitting, as mattylad says.

 

[monday]

Thanks all for responses. Looks like I need a new LED batten. I guess this is good for the planet but a bit miffed that a £1 starter turns into a £20 new fitting! That's called progress!

 

[pcaouolte]

I guess this is good for the planet

It is difficult to see how chucking away a light fitting because you can't get a tube or a starter for it is good for the planet. An LED batten of similar light output to a fluorescent batten will use a similar amount of electricity.

 

[Echo the husky]

I hate it, we chuck away loads and loads of failed LED fittings now, instead of just putting in new tubes and starters like we used to. The amount of within guarantee period replacements we do is shocking. I replaced 2 new fittings in an office before Xmas that had failed after 5 weeks! We have used a number of different brands and seem to find 600x600 panels deteriorate quite badly after a short while.

The reliability of lighting started going down when T12 tubes were stopped. Many of those tubes lasted decades, I know of some in old fittings that must be getting on for 40 years old now and still working.

 

[AdrianUK]

I hate it, we chuck away loads and loads of failed LED fittings now, instead of just putting in new tubes and starters like we used to. The amount of within guarantee period replacements we do is shocking. I replaced 2 new fittings in an office before Xmas that had failed after 5 weeks! We have used a number of different brands and seem to find 600x600 panels deteriorate quite badly after a short while.

The reliability of lighting started going down when T12 tubes were stopped. Many of those tubes lasted decades, I know of some in old fittings that must be getting on for 40 years old now and still working.

I have to agree with this.

We are having similar issues at work. Around 5 years ago the whole installation (roughly 200 5' single & twin fittings) was bulk replaced with IP65 LED battens.

These started failing after a couple of years. At first we purchased the same fitting & swapped the gear trays over, but now the fitting is obsolete so no choice but to change the entire fitting.

So now, instead of changing a tube & starter with 10-15mins of labour (say £5 cost & £10 labour) we have to change the entire fitting at a cost of around £50 per unit plus around a hour of labour when one includes safe isolation, barriers etc etc as well as having to shut down the whole of a lighting circuit. Any savings in energy of being wiped out by the increasing costs of maintenance.

(Ok, I know that we shouldn't have changed a tube with the fitting still powered......but I think everybody did)

 

[monday]

Very good point. Since the shed light failed, I realise that I have four fluorescent fittings in my garage. Three have old fashioned externally accessible starters, one doesn't so must be 'electronic' internally. Two of them have been there since the house was built 27 years ago (we moved into the house from newly built), the other two are not much younger. All working fine. The one in the shed was about 10 years old, now replaced by LED. I'll keep the tube as a spare for the garage ones!

 

[crystal ball]

I have to agree with this.

We are having similar issues at work. Around 5 years ago the whole installation (roughly 200 5' single & twin fittings) was bulk replaced with IP65 LED battens.

These started failing after a couple of years. At first we purchased the same fitting & swapped the gear trays over, but now the fitting is obsolete so no choice but to change the entire fitting.

So now, instead of changing a tube & starter with 10-15mins of labour (say £5 cost & £10 labour) we have to change the entire fitting at a cost of around £50 per unit plus around a hour of labour when one includes safe isolation, barriers etc etc as well as having to shut down the whole of a lighting circuit. Any savings in energy of being wiped out by the increasing costs of maintenance.

(Ok, I know that we shouldn't have changed a tube with the fitting still powered......but I think everybody did)

Same at one of my sites, just been to look at some LED panels which have failed after 7 years, fortunately all connected by Klik roses