Terry wrote:

Chris Oates wrote:

"impvan" wrote in message
. com...

Yes, the choke's knackered.

You haven't come across anyone else with the problem as chokes don't
often fail like this. They normally develop shorted turns and melt,
then go bang.

and stink like hell


Not sure if this would apply to your 230 volt versions


No, it doesn't. We have enough strike voltage without needing a step-up
transformer.

but I have
usually found that a faulty "ballast/transformer" (as we call our
115 volt and various other voltage versions) will have an open
primary/mains input winding. However ours, unless they are very
old like 40 to 50 years, do not use 'starters'.
ballasts for the last 40 or so years have incorporated a thermal
cut out in case the ballasts overheats and AFIK it does not reset
thus protecting against shorts and potential fires. And yes, some
of them do ooze black 'goo'. Which these days is said to be not
of the 'cancer causing' variety. i.e. PCBs!
Some appliances do use just a series choke in a very simple
inductive circuit to fire the fluorescent tube/s.
Idea anyway.