Fluorescent lighting

Try twisting the starter with the fitting powered up, so as to break-and-make the connection to the starter.

If the tube fires up then the starter is duff.

sponix

If it flashes on & off it's probably not the starter If the ends glow but nothing else happens, it's the starter. If nothing at all happens it's probably the starter but could be a tube with an open filament

Anthony R. Gold said the following on 07/02/2006 15:23:

If (as the OP says) you take the starter out then put it back in and the tube fires, the starter's dead.

If the tube starts and the starter/tube keeps flashing after the tube starts, the starter's dead.

If the tube glows at the ends and takes ages to start (or doesn't start at all) and the starter seems to be working, the tube's dead.

The ends of a flu tube go black (and the light output drops off to about

If the fitting has more than one tube, (i.e. 2 or 4 tubes) then the tubes might be wired in series pairs. If so, make sure you get the correct starter which is a 120V series starter.

Finally, generally the tube will be slower to start in the cold weather.

HTH

It's easy.

If you have a spare starter then it's the tube that is knackered

or

If you have a spare tube then the starter is knackered.

If you have both spare tube and starter then it's almost certain to be due to something else completely.

Hope this helps

Mark

How about if you have a spare ballast too?

In that case it's probably due to sunspot activity.

Cheers

Mark

Thanks to all for the great advice and the light is now fine.

Tony

Was it the starter? The tube?

I often find it's easiest to change both when you have troublesome lights.

I confess that I did what you find easiest but I have kept the originals so maybe when I drum up enough interest I'll find whether either is still serviceable.

Tony

the usual recommendation is change the starter, test, then if necesary change tube as well

NT

Thanks, I'd better get a couple more so that I have some new spares with which to try that the next time around.

Tony