Flourescent starter rating puzzle

I bought a pack of two flourescent light starters this weekend, and bought myself a puzzle into the bargain. They are General Electric starter switches type 155/500 and the rating is shown as 4 to 65W in big characters.

It also has three symbols on the pack:

- a warning triangle with a ! in the middle (okay, important stuff here).

- a little drawing of a strip light with 4W - 65W across it and a big comforting tick (just what I want for my 10W and 30W fittings).

- another little drawing of a strip light with 50W across it and a big cross against it (Eh?).

How come that it will do 4 to 65W but not 50W? What am I missing, and what does it really mean?

Phil

Reply to
Phil B
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Does it really say "4 to 65W"? Or "4/65W". If the latter then perhaps it means 4ft 65W.

Edgar

Reply to
Edgar

50W is not a standard fluorescent lamp that I'm familiar with. However, starters are really rated by the tube running voltage and the mains voltage, not by the tube power rating. It may be that a 50W lamp (whatever that is) has too high a tube voltage due to the tube geometry and the starter would continue trying to start it even after it was started.
Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

In BS EN 980:2003, that means RTFM

Colin Bignell

Reply to
nightjar

Which wouldn't be much use, as there's no such tube.

4-65W is a standard starter rating. (Used to be 4-80W, but 80W tubes are no longer made by anyone AFAIK.)
Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

I though it meant 'and learn to spell fluorescent' as well.;-)

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

So does 4-65W really mean it's supposed to work on tubes for anything between those wattages? Are there 4W tubes that need starters like this? Or does the 4 signify something else entirely?

I confess I've never thought about it before and jumped to a conclusion.

Edgar

Reply to
Edgar

Yes. A 4W tube is 6" long and 5/8" diameter.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

Thanks. I'd never have guessed that. Not the tube size but that it would use one of these starters.

Edgar

Reply to
Edgar

Well actually the 4,6,8W tubes don't work brilliantly with starters and series ballasts on 240V mains. The mains voltage is capable of starting the discharge before the filaments have been fully preheated, which wears the tube if it's switched often. Also, the low current means the starters themselves take longer to operate. So they're OK where the lamp is not switched often. Otherwise, better to use electronic ballasts with them.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel
8>

So they might be used in display cabinets or something like that. Which reminds me of a tiny cafe in Wigtownshire about 25 years ago where they had a tall glass tower with turntable shelves for displaying home made cakes. I think it had lights at each level positioned vertically up one corner. The refrigerator was thumping away, the turntable kept going clunk whizz and one of the lights was flashing. Nice place and good cake though.

In my experience fluorescent tubes have been so reliable that I've never thought about them until now. If one fails I just replace tube and starter and carry on. I must have been lucky to pick up the right combinations. Thanks Andrew.

Edgar

Reply to
Edgar

It has a dash (or minus) sign. 4-65W on the big label, 4W - 65W with the tick against it. I'm pretty sure it means anything in the range 4W to 65W. Phil

Reply to
Phil B

Agreed! Phil

Reply to
Phil B
8>>

Yes. Andrew has put me straight!

Edgar

Reply to
Edgar

If you were an electrician back in the '70's you would have occasionally come across Thorn(Atlas) 5' slim batten fittings with 50Watt 1inch tubes, (most tubes were 11/2inch). these may have been a series capacitor circuit like 6' and 8'. I can't remember, it's so long ago. but they had a special starter (155/501?) and you couldn't use a universal type.

Reply to
Neil J. Harris

Thanks Neil, that makes sense! Phil

Reply to
Phil B

The message from andrew@a20 (Andrew Gabriel) contains these words:

Very true

And even then they're fussy and may not start at all :-(

Reply to
Appin

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