Old fluorescent light - do they have starters?

[GillObrien]

Hi,

I have an old twin tube fluorescent strip light that doesn't come on anymore. The ends of the tubes light up and they look in decent condition.

In our old place our lights had small cylindrical starters that usually needed replacing when this happened. But when I opened this light I don't see any. I googled it and I saw mention of ballast?

Are there starters in these lights (brand Mazda Park STD 236 c)? Mazda are still trading but I couldn't find contact details. Or should I just replace the whole light with an LED? It is in the basement, in the larder and probably gets turned on less than once a day.

Many thanks,
Gill

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Or should I just replace the whole light with an LED? It is in the basement, in the larder and probably gets turned on less than once a day.

No contest, it's not worth messing with, just replace it with a complete LED fitting. Some fittings didn't use/need a starter,

 

[opps]

Is the little black cylinder in image 3 the starter?

On the balance of probability, it may be cheaper to replace the whole unit.

 

[conny]

It may be just the tubes need replacing.
Find the cost of two new tubes and compare against a modern LED unit.

(If you buy the tubes first to try them, ask the seller if you can return them if you find the fitting is faulty. Keep the packaging in case they say yes.)

 

[ericmark]

There were wire wound ballast fluorescent without starters, but looks like a starter in the end between the two tubes.

Electronic ballast did not have starters, and are far more efficient.

A wire wound ballast is around 60 to 80 lumen per watt, and very voltage dependent, under will not start, over can use well over rated wattage.

The electronic ballast is 90 to 100 lumen per watt, and voltage is not so important.

A LED tube can be fitted in a wire wound ballast with no rewire, but around 60 - 80 lumen per was once you include the energy lost in the ballast, remove the ballast which you have to do with electronic type, and 90 - 110 lumen per watt.

However the output for a 5 foot tube is around 5100 lumen but the LED is down to around 2200 lumen, so if you need the light from a twin tube unit, moving to LED will be rather dim.

I assume you need a new tube, here in UK the price of florescent tubes has rocketed, it was no point in changing, but seems we are being forced by governments to change.

 

[SFK]

As you use it so infrequently, I would buy one florescent tube and a new pack of starters and see if that fixes issue.

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[GillObrien]

Thank you all.

The black cylinders in the end are glass and are wound with wire (I assume this is what @ericmark was meaning). I didn't mess about much with them but I couldn't see how they obviously came out.

I was tempted to buy a new tube and see, and I think I will, because the fitting is fine and quite robust. I would check to make sure it was worth it price wise and that I can exchange.

It is pitch black down three so it would be good to.have a decent light! This one was great when it was working.

 

[FrodoOne]

The placing on the market of the T8 fluorescent lamp will be banned from September 2023.
(See https://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/blog/fluorescent-lamps-tubes-phased-out-september-2023 )

 

[ericmark]

I wonder what will replace them in water treatment plants etc?

 

[GillObrien]

I got a new tube and it works in one of the two slots, so there is life in it yet. When we redo the room we will change it but for now it lives on.

Thanks all!

 

[Ragnar_AT]

I wonder what will replace them in water treatment plants etc?

I suspect the ban only applies to general-purpose lamps, designed for general lighting. Much the same as the incandescent lamp ban that didn't cover shock-resistant lamps and lamps with non-standard bases - you can still buy incandescent lamps with BC22 base in Germany because they're considered non-standard, all home lights for incandescent lamps used ES sockets.

 

[ChrisJP]

In March 2024 it's still possible to buy both T8 (1in diameter) and T12 fluorescent (1.5" diameter) tubes via the internet. I think the ban applies to making new tubes, old stock is still legal to sell

 

[Eccles]

LEDs are so much better and last for ever. I just put one in to replace an old under cupboard job in our kitchen.

 

[robinbanks]

LEDs are so much better

Yes

and last for ever

No

 

[opps]

LEDs are so much better and last for ever. I just put one in to replace an old under cupboard job in our kitchen.

I have replaced may LEDs that failed after a couple of years.

I understand why people purchase them but the life expectancy quoted by manufacturers doesn't always seem to align with their claims.