I have a 56watt strip light in the kitchen and it has just started to flick off for a second or so every now and again. It starts fine (electronic starter) and the ends of the tube are not going particularly dark. Will it be the tube - or could it be a component breaking down. The fitting is probably about 12 years old.
By the way, I have seen recommendations about tube colours but can't recall what was the recommendation.
Usually the starter is at fault however could be the internal transformer doubtful though.
Grouch
Could be the tube or starter, most probably the fitting is getting to the end of it's life. For what they cost I would get a new one. If you're unsure buy a complete fitting with tube and starter, try the tube and starter in the old fitting. If it doesn't work change the whole lot, if it does work stick the tube and starter back in the new fitting and exchange for tube and starter. I quite ofrten do that, or buy a complete fitting and tube & starter, just take back whatever you don't use. ..
SJW A.C.S. Ltd.
To eliminate the starter, once the light it alight, remove the starter (if you can!)
Usually when they start to flick, the bulb is on the way out - when they don't flick, the starter is usually dead (if you leave a dead bulb flicking, the starter will soon burn out! - well normal ones do, the electronic ones may not)
Sparks...
If you actually meant it has an electronic starter (small plastic cansister with two pins)....
In order of most likely cause.
I'm not quite sure what there is in a fitting 'to come to the end of its life'? Don't see why a choke has a life, and there ain't much else.
I've heard that some of them just get bored with the day to day drudgery of their meaningless existence, and decide to end it.
I can sympathise with them! If that's all thats in a fitting then that must be what's come to the end of it's life. Can't see why it's so difficult to grasp. ..
SJW A.C.S. Ltd.
New tube fixed it
"Grunff" wrote | Dave Plowman wrote: | I've heard that some of them just get bored with the day to day | drudgery of their meaningless existence, and decide to end it.
My kitchen ELU doesn't like turning on unless I take its cover off and stroke its tube gently. This somewhat negates the purpose of its existence, which is to stop me dropping something hot in the darkness.
I have just bought it a nice new tube from John Lewis, so it shouldn't be feeling uncared-for.
Owain
Fluroescent lighting is one of the longest lived appliances youll find in houses. Lifetimes of several decades are expected, with numerous
1960s fittings are still giving service as good as new. 12 years is young.This fault is cause by falling tube emission. When the tube goes out the fitting puts it through the start cycle, which increases tube emitter temps thus improving emission, but they slowly cool off a little, bulb current falls, consequently emitter temp falls in a vicious cycle until the light blacks out again, repeat ad nauseam.
Replace the starter as well though, as starters are generally damaged by this routine.
In principle one can boost the tube filaments to allow it to keep going for a while longer like this, but I've never heard of anyone else trying it.
Regards, NT
I replaced my flourescent fitting after a few years because I was sick of having to traipse around trying to find a replacement 5' tube and having no light while I did so. The old tubes were a pain to dispose of too.
Velvet
I've got a couple of 3' 6" fittings which are an exact fit for the application. And recently fitted my last pair of tubes. ;-)
And your point is? Mine wasn't a double fitting, in case that's what you were hinting I should have. I just found the whole rigmarole of buying something that size and transporting it home tedious, then the disposal of old tube after on top of it all.
I now have much better lighting in there courtesy of the halogens (which are functioning wonderfully after replacement of wire with decently thick stuff!) - and two sets means I'm never in total darkness in there.
Cooking by means of torchlight/candles each time the flourescent bulb went was annoying, and the drop in light output through the shade getting dirty/full of flying things was also not good. Coupled with the fact that I could always perceive a flicker in my peripheral vision made the whole thing unpleasant.
If my next place has a flourescent fitting like that, I'll be changing that for my lovely halogens (they're coming with me!)
Velvet
3' 6" isn't available anymore. Are you usually so aggressive?
Wasn't hinting at anything. And in any case, you didn't say what you replaced it with.
So what have you found that's everlasting and gives the same light?
FWIW, fluorescents with electronic ballasts are as near everlasting as just about any light fitting.
Wasn't aware of that, not having bothered with them for so long. No, I'm not, but I do get frustrated and thus have been known to appear aggressive when I fail to see the point of someone's info, so sorry if I came across that way, wasn't intended.
Halogens, 2 sets of 4.
More light out the halogens, much kinder light to my eyeballs, the bulbs last for ages - longer than the flourescent used to, which I was surprised by - and when one goes it's just one, small, easily obtainable, and easily disposed of too.
Unsure what mine had. It used a little starter thing, that's as much as I can remember about it...
Velvet
I'm afraid you've been very unlucky with your fluorescent - a decent one lasts for ages. And gives a very decent soft light if you use the correct tube. And, of course the fitting is concealed. If it's working light you're talking about, as in a kitchen.
I've got a pair of electronically controlled fluorescents under wall cupboards lighting the worktops that are many years old and never failed. And they are left on when the house is unoccupied after dark.
I resisted for 4 days.
It's fluorescent, that's FLUOrescent, not flourescent!!
Aaah Feel better now.
How about if we call them florries, (plural), or a florry, (singular), from now on, no o's or u's to mix up! ..
SJW A.C.S. Ltd.
Don't the Merkins call them neons? Seems sensible to me. ;-) My spell checker rarely guesses my first go at fluorescent.
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