I had a problem with some fluorescent light fittings recently. It took me a
while to track down, and even after a bit of Googling haven't found mention of it
before, so I thought I'd pass it on.

I have some 4ft T8 tubes - nothing fancy, cheap battens from Screwfix I think,
a few years old - in the garage. One of these stopped working recently. I thought
it was the starter, so I put a new one it. There was a momentary strike as I
turned the starter bayonet, but then nothing.

So I thought I'd buy a fancy new LED tube instead of a replacement fluorescent.
Put this in (with the shorting starter ... and nothing.

Hmm - strange for the ballast to go, I thought ... a quick measure seemed to
indicate that at least the ballast seems to have volts through it.

I was starting to suspect the entire fitting - I'm not sure how reliable the
end connector to the pins are on the tube - when I finally worked it out.

The thin 'copper' plates on the socket for the starter were deforming out of
alignment. So when I turned the starter, the pin wasn't making a proper connection
as it was supposed to.

A little tweak with a VDE screwdriver, I made sure the contact was made as the
starter was turned, and ... bingo! we have light.

So, an easy fix, but one a problem I'd heard of before. I shan't tell how long it
took before I got around to diagnosing this...

Cheers
Jon N

How very dare you post diy stuff in a group for political whining?

In message ,
Cynic writes
How very dare you post diy stuff in a group for political whining?

My experience of batten failure was solved by exchanging it. The
Screwfix counter assistant did not ask for details but simply handed me
a replacement:-)

On the political whining aspect... I think it has gone quiet because all
the brexiteers have most of their fingers crossed and are unable to
type:-)

--
Tim Lamb

So, an easy fix, but one a problem I'd heard of before. I shan't tell how long it
took before I got around to diagnosing this...

go on go on go on go on ....

Crap design then, might be worth looking at the other one for impending
failure.

I did once have a starter socket actually crack and crumble on an old Thorne
double fitting once, but I've never seen it since.
Brian

--
--
From the sofa of Brian Gaff -

Blind user, so no pictures please!
Today is Yesterdays Tomorrow.
"jkn" wrote in message
...
I had a problem with some fluorescent light fittings recently. It took me a
while to track down, and even after a bit of Googling haven't found
mention of it
before, so I thought I'd pass it on.

I have some 4ft T8 tubes - nothing fancy, cheap battens from Screwfix I
think,
a few years old - in the garage. One of these stopped working recently. I
thought
it was the starter, so I put a new one it. There was a momentary strike as
I
turned the starter bayonet, but then nothing.

So I thought I'd buy a fancy new LED tube instead of a replacement
fluorescent.
Put this in (with the shorting starter ... and nothing.

Hmm - strange for the ballast to go, I thought ... a quick measure seemed
to
indicate that at least the ballast seems to have volts through it.

I was starting to suspect the entire fitting - I'm not sure how reliable
the
end connector to the pins are on the tube - when I finally worked it out.

The thin 'copper' plates on the socket for the starter were deforming out
of
alignment. So when I turned the starter, the pin wasn't making a proper
connection
as it was supposed to.

A little tweak with a VDE screwdriver, I made sure the contact was made as
the
starter was turned, and ... bingo! we have light.

So, an easy fix, but one a problem I'd heard of before. I shan't tell how
long it
took before I got around to diagnosing this...

Cheers
Jon N