(novice alert) Fluorescent bathroom light dim

[Madthinker]

Hello everyone,

Some time ago, the fluorescent light in my bathroom suddenly went very dim when I turned it on. Several weeks into lockdown, I can't think of a good excuse not to try and fix it myself.

Some things I have tried so far:
- taking the cover off and replacing the bulb. The same thing occurs - the light remains dim.
- asking someone supposedly an expert on these things. This man advised me that all I needed to do was simply change the starter motor. Upon investigating, a starter motor appears to be a battery-shaped object which is not to be seen in my light fitting.
- taking off the plastic thing in the light, (which I now understand to be a 'ballast'), looking at it, poking it and then putting it back before I did any damage.

A photograph of my light is attached.

What should my next steps be?

Thanks for any help

 

[flameport]

Buy a new light.
Such as this: https://www.toolstation.com/mark-lighting-led-ip54-bulkhead/p39289

 

[sparkwright]

I don't think there is a starter in that particular fitting.

If you want to keep the light, an led replacement lamp is available, and you can remove the ballast and that with a little bit electrical DIY.

 

[fluorescence]

What Flameport said, replace the whole thing. The electronic ballast, which is part of the lamp holder assembly on your fitting & cannot be easily separated for an LED replacement panel, will be knackered.

 

[boringoldcodger]

I'm sure the best advice is to replace it with an LED light, but if you want to look at possibilities then this link:
https://www.lampshoponline.com/cont...e/tridonic-pc-ballasts/tridonic-pc-basic.html

shows the sort of thing you'd need. You'd need to be careful to match the wattages, that looks to me to be a 16W 2D lamp. It's not clear from the photo, but if there's grooves in your current electronic ballast, which the plastic struts on the lamp fit into, then I'd doubt you'd find a suitable new one.

 

[Taylortwocities]

“Starter motor”

 

[securespark]

That was the description used when I started in the industry!

I fitted a couple of TLC "Polo" 28W 2D fittings in the bathroom when it was refitted about 8/9 years ago.

They have been a constant PIA (Osram lamps failing prematurely and the control gear packing up) and I have now changed them for LED.

 

[fluorescence]

Unfortunately all modern 2D lamps are junk and the HF gear usually not much better. Thorn and GB (made in UK) lamps used to last for many years & switch start ballasts would last pretty much forever as long as failed lamps were replaced promptly.

 

[Madthinker]

Thanks all,

It seems the consensus is that I should simply replace the whole thing, so I'll order the one flameport suggested. Is this the sort of thing a lay-person should be able fit providing they're not a halfwit? And what if they are a halfwit?

Re: "starter motor", I did have a moment of doubt before typing it out, but double-checked and it is the phrase used in at least one youtube instructional video. Wasn't too far from spraying it with WD40 to loosen the cogs.

 

[flameport]

Is this the sort of thing a lay-person should be able fit providing they're not a halfwit? And what if they are a halfwit?

The important thing is to make a note of exactly how the wiring is connected before removing the old one. Take pictures of it. Mark the wires with a pen if necessary. Some wires may not connect to the light fitting at all, but do connect to other wires. If any have coloured sleeving or tape on them, it's there to indicate that wire is different from the others. Don't remove it.

The new light connects in exactly the same way as the old one.

Don't be like the thousands of other people who rip down the old light and then assume that certain coloured wires must be certain things, connect the whole lot together in a random way and then are amazed that not only does their new light not work, circuit breakers trip with the switch in certain positions and lights in other rooms now don't work properly or at all either.

 

[Madthinker]

Hello again,

Right, so despite ParcelForce's best efforts, I have a shiny new LED light.

As instructed, I have taken photographs of the existing wiring. These are in the attachments. I think the photos are clear, but if not, they show:
- 2 black wires, both with brown sleeves going into a connector box labelled N, with a blue wire on the light side
- 3 green/yellow wires going into a middle connector box with the earth symbol
- 1 grey wire with a blue sleeve and 2 black wires going into a connector box labelled L, with a brown wire on the light side.
- a number of red wires which don't connect to the light

I have a new light with:
- one brown wire going into the connector box
- one blue wire going into the connector box

Questions, if I may:
- Why do the brown-sleeved wires on the mains side (presumably live) currently connect to the blue wire on the light fitting side (presumably neutral)? And vice-versa.
- Should I replicate this for the new fitting? Or should I match brown-sleeve to brown and blue-sleeve(+2 black) to blue?
- How do I get 3 wires in (if this is what I need to do) into a connector that only appears to have 2 slots on each side?

 

[Taylortwocities]

I guess you are throwing away the old light?

What I suggest Is that you carefully remove the wires from the terminal block, feed them into the new light, Mark carefully the black wires. Don’t mix them up or you’ll need an electrician.

you may need a bigger hole!

transfer the terminal block room the old light to create a multi- conductor place for all those wires.
Then you’ll need two short bits of wire to connect the. L&N between the nes terminal block to the re-purposed terminal block from the old light.

 

[securespark]

And what if they are a halfwit?

Find another half-wit and tackle the job together?

Wasn't too far from spraying it with WD40 to loosen the cogs.

I do that with my brain. There are useful lubrication points on either side of my head.

 

[Madthinker]

@Taylortwocities

Thanks for the suggestion.

Yes - I'm throwing away the old light.

If I understand you correctly, I should disconnect the wires from the old terminal block (allowing them to be fed into the new light), and then reconnecting them.

What I'm not clear on is whether, when connecting the new light up, I should go blue-to-brown and vice-versa (as per current setup), or blue-to-blue and brown-to-brown (which would be more intuitive and seems to tie in with the advice I've had so far).

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes, I noticed that too. In your existing light the blue and brown appear to be reversed.

It won’t make any difference on your new light as the connections are direct into the driver.
really should be checked with a voltmeter, but I would fit them as they should be.