In article ,
"Dave Plowman (News)" writes:
In article ,
Andrew Gabriel wrote:
At work, we have thousands of office fluorescent lamps with
electronic ballasts. There's one guy who seems to spend half
his time replacing failed electronic ballasts in these.

'The Bill' set has a large number of fluorescent overhead lights - many
electronic ballasts and dimmable. (Those long walking talking shots
showing the entire set mean 'film' lighting just isn't possible - so
practical lights are used) And I've not known one fail. I've got a few at
home - Osram ballasts and dimmable - and again non has failed. Despite

Osram is a good make, but not cheap.
I would guess the Homebase ones are probably some far easterm
make I've never heard of -- I just can't see them putting
Osram (or Tridonic, or Philips, etc) electronic ballasts in.
The fittings would be too expensive for their target market
by the time their normal markup was added.

being on for long periods. They are, however, well cooled. The other
florries I have around the house which are non electronic - workshop and
cellar - seem all to have blackened ends to the tubes and regularly
failing starters. And tubes, come to that. But they are commercial
fittings.

Sounds like you have mismatched tubes/starters/ballasts, or grotty
tubes. That's not normal. Starters in particular should hardly
ever fail in residential use where they aren't left trying to
start dead tubes for weeks on end.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]