Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

writes:

Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

Did you also replace the lamp?

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On 31 Jan 2006 15:24:03 -0500, Sam Goldwasser
wrote:

writes:

Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

Did you also replace the lamp?

yes. They were matched by the guy at the hardware store. The lamp is
32 W and is, I think, T9. I can pull it down and look if that's
crucial. I just put in a new starter, and everything works fine so
far.

(Except... the fixture is not grounded, and never was. It does take
several tries to start. I saw that the FAQ says that the extra
capacitance from grounding is helpful on starting.) Thanks.

ha escrito:

On 31 Jan 2006 15:24:03 -0500, Sam Goldwasser
wrote:

writes:

Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

Did you also replace the lamp?

yes. They were matched by the guy at the hardware store. The lamp is
32 W and is, I think, T9. I can pull it down and look if that's
crucial. I just put in a new starter, and everything works fine so
far.

(Except... the fixture is not grounded, and never was. It does take
several tries to start. I saw that the FAQ says that the extra
capacitance from grounding is helpful on starting.) Thanks.

had this problem last year. 20 year old unit. became flickery, as if
the tube were old or the starter bad... it would work ok initially,
then despite changing the tube and the starter for new, would soon be
back to its old ways. Changing the ballast cured that problem in my
case. I did note that it was unhealthily hotter after only short use,
probably a sign of some internal breakdown ?
-B.

It is possible to have a defective ballast burn a starter. The new
generation of ballasts should be fully electronic, and not require the old
fashioned ballast. Check the wiring diagram and instructions that goes with
your ballast.

If you change the ballast and the lamp, they are properly wired, and they
are properly matched, there should not be any problem.

Check to see that all the wiring was done correctly. Check to make sure that
the ballast is for the AC mains voltage in in your area.

--

JANA
_____


wrote in message
...
Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

writes:

On 31 Jan 2006 15:24:03 -0500, Sam Goldwasser
wrote:

writes:

Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

Did you also replace the lamp?

yes. They were matched by the guy at the hardware store. The lamp is
32 W and is, I think, T9. I can pull it down and look if that's
crucial. I just put in a new starter, and everything works fine so
far.

(Except... the fixture is not grounded, and never was. It does take
several tries to start. I saw that the FAQ says that the extra
capacitance from grounding is helpful on starting.) Thanks.

With a starter, that isn't critical. If the fixture behaves normally,
I kind of doubt that the ballast is bad.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

wrote:
Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.


Sure, usually it just blows out the lamp though. The ballast windings
break down and short out. They can overheat and stink but usually the
small ones have no physical signs of damage.

I assume you mean coiled ballast, like a long transformer.
I see no reason why a ballast might burn starters:
The ballast is connected to the mains and in series with: the first end of
the first filament, the starter connected between the other end and the
second filament, the end of the second filament which returns to the mains.
Either a wong tube is used (dia 26 inst. of dia 38 very old fashioned but
still used, or vice versa) or wrong tube power in case the tube isn't
mounted in an OEM fixture. In addition, a starter must fit the tube power.
Check the markings.


"JANA" a écrit dans le message news:
...
It is possible to have a defective ballast burn a starter. The new
generation of ballasts should be fully electronic, and not require the old
fashioned ballast. Check the wiring diagram and instructions that goes
with
your ballast.

If you change the ballast and the lamp, they are properly wired, and they
are properly matched, there should not be any problem.

Check to see that all the wiring was done correctly. Check to make sure
that
the ballast is for the AC mains voltage in in your area.

--

JANA
_____


wrote in message
...
Can an old (30 yrs) ballast end up by quickly burning out new
starters? (This is in a 12" 32W circline bathroom fixture.)

Would an old ballast have any telltale signs if it is malfunctioning?
Would it have that burnt smell itself? Thanks.

The light stopped working, so I replaced the ballast. No difference.
So I opened the old and new starter cans (both are FS12) and both
looked and smelled burnt. I don't know if the new starter was
defective when I bought it, but it did provide a really slow start.

In article , wrote:

(Except... the fixture is not grounded, and never was. It does take
several tries to start. I saw that the FAQ says that the extra
capacitance from grounding is helpful on starting.) Thanks.

ERB-

The problem with lack of ground applies to newer "self starting" lights
that do not use conventional starters. The starterless lights may work
when you first install them, but they won't start reliably after they've
been used a short while with ungrounded wiring.

I've used the older types with starters for many years in an old house
without grounded wiring. I've found that they continue to start and work
up to the point where their ends are quite black. The starter may need to
be changed every few years. If yours burned out starters frequently, you
most likely corrected the problem by changing all the components!

Fred