low energy light bulb or start choke failing?

[silvertabbies]

Is the plinking/stuttering noise for about two seconds on start up normal?

I have a 16w two pin low energy fitting in the bathroom. It has been there for just over a year and this week started blinking constantly when turned on.
I bought a new bulb - a Phillips 16w 2 pin which is identical to the old one (which has no manufacture details on).
Now when I turn this new one on it gives a couple of stutters - like a plinking sound - and then comes on fine. I just cannot remember noticing if it did this with the first bulb and I was just wondering if this start up noise is normal on modern lamps? I remember the old flourescent tubes we had in the kitchen some years used to do this on start-up.

The lamp is fed by a 16w switch start choke (Helvar) - so if the start up noise is not normal or harmful should I replace this?

 

[Adam_151]

Switch start fittings do take a a few attempts to start, this increases as teh starter and tube age.

On a 2pin 2D lamp, the starter is integral to the lamp so you have changed both, so it shouldn't be too slow to start, but I guess quality varies across makes of lamps, but you'll always get it taking a few goes to start.

Its exactly the same system as your kitchen flourescent batten and starts in the same way. If this bothers you, then HF 2D fittings are available

it won't be the choke, the failure mode of those is to generally smell bad for a bit and then trip the breaker and not allow it to be be reset while the fitting is on. Some linear fittings have an inline 3A plugtop fuse for this reason, so if a fitting fails and takes out a breaker for a row of lighting in say a warehouse, it'll also blow the fuse, allowing the breaker to be reset restoring most of the lighting, and enabling the failed fitting to be identifed and repaired at convience rather than urgently!

 

[canduit]

On a 2pin 2D lamp, the starter is integral to the lamp !

I thought these units were available with a separate starter? Ot at least they used to be?

 

[Adam_151]

On a 2pin 2D lamp, the starter is integral to the lamp !

I thought these units were available with a separate starter? Ot at least they used to be?

They are, in which case the fitting takes a 4pin lamp

 

[canduit]

Ah I see. Am I right in thinking with the 4 pin, one can do away with the traditional starter and have a HF electronic ballast?

 

[RF Lighting]

You have a choice with a 4 pin lamp. You can either have a traditional magnetic ballast and switch starter OR high frequency control gear which performs both functions.