On Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:06:54 +0000, Fred wrote:

The starter supplied with my Wickes fitting is the fifth one on that
page: the osram with the reset button.

I know these as a "Rheo-Starter".

AFAIK it's a standard starter, with an extra bimetallic temperature sensitive
thing onna button. If the tube doesn't start in certain time, due to the
strater, ballast, or tube being bad, the bimetallic thing heats up and it stops
trying to start the fitting. I think the button needs pressing to reset it once
it has tripped.

I just replaced a tube in a flickering fitting. Worked fine when I tried it
(though the ballast was too hot to touch), but several days of flickering had
apparently killed the starter as well: the new bulb was flickering, ends black,
two days later. Another tube and also new starter later and it's sorted. That's
what the button is supposed to prevent...



Thomas Prufer