Fluorescent Tubes

[securespark]

I have a cabinet in the bathroom with 2 x 15W tubes in.

They are the factory tubes and both went recently, one lasting a couple of months more than the other.

So I looked them up

I got some white 15W tubes, but not the same colour. Couldn't find 880.

One side works, the other doesn't. Swapped the tubes. Still nowt on the RHS.

Any suggestions?

 

[flameport]

Sling the fluorescents away, replace with LED tape and a suitable power supply.

 

[Robin0577]

What type of ballast drives the tubes, wirewound or HF electronic? Single ballast for both, or 2 separate units?

 

[securespark]

That's the odd thing.

I just had a look, anticipating such a question and can't find any!

I'm off out now, I'll have to look later and take some more pix.

 

[fluorescence]

The majority of light up bathroom mirrors I've seen with 2x 15w tubes in use a terrible, terrible quality electronic driver, if yours does it's almost certainly failed and as suggested above, LED tape mounded to a suitable heatsinking surface would likely be the best fix.

That being said, with one tube working and one not, it's possible yours is magnetically ballasted and one of the starters has failed stuck closed. If this is the case, replace both starters with these (yes you'll have two spare): https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262444612720

880 (8,000k) is a very rare colour to find and is an extremely cold, blue-grey colour. 840 or 860 tubes would be better suited anyway, depending on your preference- 840 being a neutral white and 860/865 quite a cold blue light.

 

[securespark]

I have not found ballasts nor starters as yet, but as said, I will take it apart when I get home and post the pix here.

 

[securespark]

OK. Sorry this is late.

I have opened up both sides of the cabinet and there are no starters and no obvious control gear.

Unless the control gear is hidden in the ends of the fittings. It's the only place it could be.

 

[ericmark]

When I came to replace my 65 watt fluorescent tube I found no longer available. Tried 58 watt tubes and they had a shorter life but worked, until the voltage dropped, it was around 245 and dropped to around 232 volt after some solar panels were fitted local.

So swapped to LED, and removed all the ballast and starter so supplied direct.

If no control gear maybe not fluorescent but LED in an old fluorescent fitting? I can't see how a fluorescent tube can work without control gear.

I know the fly catches we had used a special starter, we got them from RS, the standard starter would only start one tube, but same fitting.

 

[JohnW2]

Unless the control gear is hidden in the ends of the fittings. It's the only place it could be.

Can you get a diddy mirror (or bit of a mirror, or whatever) in there to see what's under those (fairly sizeable) white bits at the ends?

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

I'll have a look tomorrow.

 

[securespark]

Well, I couldn't get a view with a dental mirror as the guts was shrouded, so I took a deep sigh (and a screwdriver!) and removed the fitting and then I had to pull out the end cap which was attached to a plastic housing enclosing the "guts".

Re-fitting the thing was fun, even with a magnetic driver. Ended up going the magnetic driver route, fortified with Blutak.

 

[securespark]

They look extremely unsubstantial.

I'm the era of large heavy laminated chokes or at least a fairly chunky box containing HF control gear, but this takes the wee wee.

Having invested in these new lamps, I would rather replace the fitting if I can.

TLC list a 15W T8 Fitzgerald one on their website, but it is discontinued.

Struggling to find something, which is understandable as everything is going or has gone LED these days.

Having said that, I can't find anything suitable in LED either. The existing fitting screws to brackets welded to the back of the cabinet. Not sure if double sided foam tape is a long term solution.

I suppose I could get some translucent zip ties, drill a hole in them and screw them to the brackets, then tie wrap the new fittings in.

 

[SFK]

I would remove the drivers, rearrange the wires so 240V direct to the end clips, and put in 240V LED Tubes.

Edit - ignore that if LED tubes of correct length not available.

 

[fluorescence]

Is there space to fit a ballast and wire it to the existing lamp holders?

18w HF ballasts run 15w lamps fine btw

https://www.electricpoint.com/tridonic-pcpro2x18t8-2x-18w-t8-fluorescent-lamp-ballast.html

 

[securespark]

The PCBs have the lampholders soldered to them.

Bit of a PITA.