Fluorescent light fittings not working....

[JDLDIY]

Sorry, but any advice on this?

Looking for some replacements it seems that you cant buy the electronic ballasts, am I right in saying that? So when these go wrong they are throw away?

In fact, should I be going for LED battens these days?

Many thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

Could I just get some general comments with regards to these electronic ballasts? Are they prone to suddenly going wrong?

I think that they are generally quite reliable and long-lasting but, like anything electronic, when they 'go wrong' they are likely to do so suddenly, and quite probably 'completely' (i.e. just suddenly 'stop working').

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

it seems that you cant buy the electronic ballasts, am I right in saying that?

No.

 

[JDLDIY]

No.

No you can't buy the ballasts, or No I'm not right in saying that?

 

[JohnW2]

No you can't buy the ballasts, or No I'm not right in saying that?

The latter.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JDLDIY]

The latter.

Kind Regards, John

This is my bad, I don't know why I didn't come up with anything when I searched before, but yes now I see I can order them.

Many thanks. It's going to be much cheaper and less wasteful and I won't have to destroy/alter the wiring if I can replace the ballasts.

Now, other than taking the fittings down and swapping them over, how do I ensure it is the ballasts at fault? I might try swapping the ballasts over, but is there another way using a multi meter?

 

[JohnW2]

Now, other than taking the fittings down and swapping them over, how do I ensure it is the ballasts at fault? I might try swapping the ballasts over, but is there another way using a multi meter?

Have you yet tried swapping the tubes?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JDLDIY]

Have you yet tried swapping the tubes?

Kind Regards, John

Yes, I have. It results in the same fitting not working, so I think the next thing is to swap the ballast.

 

[JohnW2]

Yes, I have. It results in the same fitting not working, so I think the next thing is to swap the ballast.

Indeed. Unless a wiring fault has somehow arisen, there's really only two things in a fluorescent fitting which has an electronic ballast - the ballast and the tube. You hardly need to bother with swapping the ballasts, but I suppose it's worth the effort just to confirm that there is not a 'wiring fault' (loose connection etc.).

Kind Regards, John

 

[oldbutnotdead]

While you've got the thing isolated, it will be well worth your while checking the cabling inside the fitting as well as the supply to the fitting- the wires from supply to ballast and ballast to the endcaps tend to be solid single core into push-in connections, it isn't unknown for wires to drop out (from ages of thermal cycles and not being fully inserted at the factory), likewise the solid core can sometimes snap at the entry to the connector (so it looks OK but if you give it a tug you can feel the insulation stretching).

 

[JDLDIY]

Right, many thanks to you both. I'll have a good look at the innards of these lights before I order parts.