2D lighting conundrum

rozeboosje

Hello lads and lasses,

I got a 2D light in my bathroom that has started behaving oddly.
(one of these things)


First of all, it can sometimes take a few seconds before the light lights at all. You flick the switch, and it just sits there, doing nothing. No noises, no flickering, nothing. Then, suddenly, it springs to life.

What's more bizarre though is that once it's on, everything seems perfectly fine until, after a few minutes, suddenly the light just switches off. Just like that.

Of course, being ignorant of the inner voodoo of a 2D lamp, I thought it was just the tube itself, So I pulled it out, and replaced it with a brand new one.

Which promptly does exactly the same thing.

Now I'm confused. It's a 2-pin 2D light, so if I understand correctly, by replacing the tube I have in fact replaced both the tube AND the starter, as the starter would have been built into the square boxy thing in the middle. So both of those are new.

But what else could be causing this bizarre behaviour? Looking at these things online I see that another part of the 2D lighting system is something called a "ballast" which, I guess, must be in the lamp casing if it's not built into the tube itself, yes? Could the "ballast" be causing this to happen? I looked them up online and it seems like if that is the case you may as well buy a new light fitting altogether....

Or do you think I have a bigger problem. Wiring? Please say it ain't so ....

leeomurchu

Are you sure there isn't a seperate starter there usually is and it sounds like thats what's causing the delay in coming on, It's a little plastic cylinder you twist it to remove it. The tube is only filled with gas that the starter ignites.

http://is03.thegumtree.com/image/big/138028743.jpg

The starter is the little plastic cylinder(remove by twisting) and the ballast is the metal component inside the fittting.

You'll pick up a new light fitting cheap enough if it is the ballast

rozeboosje

leeomurchu wrote: »

Are you sure there isn't a seperate starter there usually is and it sounds like thats what's causing the delay in coming on, It's a little plastic cylinder you twist it to remove it. The tube is only filled with gas that the starter ignites.

http://is03.thegumtree.com/image/big/138028743.jpg

The starter is the little plastic cylinder(remove by twisting) and the ballast is the metal component inside the fittting.

You'll pick up a new light fitting cheap enough if it is the ballast

There certainly isn't a component fitting inside the loop of one of the "D"s as per your picture, and I think that may be one of the differences between a 4-pin and a 2-pin 2D light. Sadly, mine's a 2-pin, and as stated the starter is built into the blocky bit in the middle.

I'm starting to think that it is the ballast alright. It's a trip to [enter name of DIY store here] later today, I think. Hopefully they'll have a cheap 'n nasty ceiling light for the bathroom.

leeomurchu

rozeboosje wrote: »

There certainly isn't a component fitting inside the loop of one of the "D"s as per your picture, and I think that may be one of the differences between a 4-pin and a 2-pin 2D light. Sadly, mine's a 2-pin, and as stated the starter is built into the blocky bit in the middle.

I'm starting to think that it is the ballast alright. It's a trip to [enter name of DIY store here] later today, I think. Hopefully they'll have a cheap 'n nasty ceiling light for the bathroom.

4pin are emergency light fittings.

If it's not the starter then it'll be the ballast. It could be the actual lamp holder it's self but doubtful there's not really many things to go wrong on them.

You'll pick up one like this if no one offers you a ballast on here

http://www.meteorelectrical.com/lighting_amenity-28watt-bulkheads_38w-2d-h-f-light-opal-white-c-w-lamp.html

M cebee

the 2d 2pin bulb has an integrated starter
If youre replacing fitting get a hf type

M cebee

4 pin are used in emergency but also regular fitings with a starter and newer hf fittings
2pin tubes are usualy in cheaper fitings

indie armada

4 pin does not necessarily mean emergency, most modern 2d fittings are hf and therefore use 4 pin lamps .
a 28 watt 2d fitting with 2 pins will probably have a tridonic ec18 choke which cost about a fiver and easy to replace.

ps if its a 16 watt it will have a ec16 choke

rozeboosje

Well, I went to [name of DIY store] yesterday after work, and found that they don't sell the ballasts, nor do they even sell new fittings for 2D lights. So I took the bull by the horn and got a cheap 'n cheerful fitting for an ordinary E27 bulb, took off the whole [bleep]in' lot, and replaced it with that. Problem solved.

If anybody has 2-pin 2D fittings, I have two spare tubes XD