Energy-saving bulb

[LSainsbury]

Evening,

We have some energy-saving bulbs in the living room. One of them has "stopped working" (I'm not saying blown for the reason you'll read below).

I've just changed it for a new bulb and it didn't work. So - I changed it for a known working bulb - and it still didn't work.

The connector in which the bulb clicks into is quite large and I'm not sure if that part could go wrong. (I can't for the life of me remember what that bit is called!)

Could this bit be duff?

There are two lights in the living room and I assume they are on the same circuit so I don't think thats at fault.

BTW - the bulb looks like this (http://www.lighthousesupply.com/ProductImages/CF-TRIPLE.jpg) - the ones we have are a bit longer.

Any ideas?? :tu:

[altis]

Ballast?

Yes, if the bulb separates from its circuitry then it sounds like the circuitry has gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp

[Hom3r]

Silly question have you checked the fuse box?

[LSainsbury]

Ballast?

Yes, if the bulb separates from its circuitry then it sounds like the circuitry has gone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp

Is that what the connection thing is called? OK - goes Googling...!

---------- Post added at 20:54 ---------- Previous post was at 20:53 ----------

Silly question have you checked the fuse box?

Yep - reset the trip for the downstairs lights...

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Silly question have you checked the fuse box?

More than one room would fail if that was the case

---------- Post added at 20:56 ---------- Previous post was at 20:54 ----------

Is that what the connection thing is called? OK - goes Googling...!



No, ballast is the thing that stores charge in order to give it a surge to start it

---------- Post added at 20:56 ---------- Previous post was at 20:56 ----------

Have you tried a standard bulb?

[LSainsbury]

More than one room would fail if that was the case

---------- Post added at 20:56 ---------- Previous post was at 20:54 ----------



No, ballast is the thing that stores charge in order to give it a surge to start it

---------- Post added at 20:56 ---------- Previous post was at 20:56 ----------

Have you tried a standard bulb?

Right ok - so possibly a connection fault - great.

Standard bulb? No - it has a weird connection - 4 pins and a piece of plastic - like the one in Post #1

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

I assume the socket can take a standard bulb?

[LSainsbury]

I assume the socket can take a standard bulb?

Nope - it's an odd bulb - not sure what the connector is called.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

what does it plug into then? ceiling light, wall light, lamp thats plugged into a 13amp three pin socket?

[LSainsbury]

Here we go - better picture:

http://www.servicelighting.com/catpics/sylvania/20672.jpg

[altis]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Elektronstarterp.jpg

and

http://www.lyco.co.uk/categories/Pin-Fitting-Cfl-s.htm?catID=1890

[LSainsbury]

what does it plug into then? ceiling light, wall light, lamp thats plugged into a 13amp three pin socket?

It's a ceiling light...

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

im confused then, your saying that you have a ceiling light that cant take a standard bulb? Never seen that before

[LSainsbury]

Hold on - camera is coming out now...

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

I suspect someone has changed these in the past and that there will be a ballast hidden in the ceiling which as Altis said has probably failed

[Ramrod]

Evening,

We have some energy-saving bulbs in the living room. One of them has "stopped working" (I'm not saying blown for the reason you'll read below).
I'd say it's probably the ballast. If that goes wrong or is incorrectly wired in the first place then you can get a current in the entire circuit, including the bulb, and still not get any light. In this case, it's probably knackered ballast rather than incorrectly wired....

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

"knackered" ballast

No need to start using your Chiro terms here :D

[LSainsbury]

OK - here's the real pictures:
Download Failed (1)

Download Failed (1)

[altis]

Many pendant fittings have a Bayonet Cap (BC) or, if they come from Ikea, an Edison Screw (ES or E27) fitting. Bulkhead fittings are often designed to take only CFLs. This is because the heat generated by ordinary incandescent bulbs is too much in such a small place. These will have a 2 or 4-pin CFL fitting and the 'ballast' will be buried in the luminaire somewhere.

As Wicked says, strictly speaking, 'ballast' means the coil part of the circuit but these days it seems to be freely used to mean the ballast and starter combined.

Edit:
I click 'post' and there's a picture of a pendant CFL fitting! I too have never seen one of these before. Looks like changing the ballast is not an easy option.

We're not certain yet that it is the ballast at fault. It could be the wiring - unlikely - or possibly the switch. I'd have a go at changing, or shorting, the switch first. BUT ISOLATE AT THE FUSE BOX BEFORE YOU OPEN IT!

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Yep that bit in the photo will be the "knackered" bit

[LSainsbury]

Yep that bit in the photo will be the "knackered" bit

Or it could be the switch as altis just pointed out!

Cheers people! Something to go on! :tu::tu:

[greencreeper]

Looks like the sort of dodgy, totally weird and unheard of connector you get from Ikea :erm: Good luck with it :D Actually, it does remind me of an energy saving bulb I had in my room as a kid - there was a chunky bit that plugged into the light fitting, and the actual bulb that plugged into the chunky bit.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

DO you have two ceiling lights in the same room that are controlled by a single switch?

[Ramrod]

Yep that bit in the photo will be the "knackered" bitYou really have taken issue with my choice of wording, haven't you? :D

---------- Post added at 21:47 ---------- Previous post was at 21:46 ----------

Or it could be the switch as altis just pointed out!

Cheers people! Something to go on! :tu::tu:
It's not a dimmable switch is it?

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

You really have taken issue with my choice of wording, haven't you? :D



naahhh geezer its aawww right :D

[bw41101]

OK - here's the real pictures:
http://www.mswindowspro.net/My%20Stuff/LIGHT1.JPG

http://www.mswindowspro.net/My%20Stuff/LIGHT2.JPG

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the second picture (to me) looks like the ballast unit, that has been wired directly into the ceiling rose. If this is correct (which methinks is the case) then you've got three options. :erm:

Option 1, Buy another of this type of ballast, which may still be available via a specialist retail outlet (could be pricey). In addition, you'll have to get same hard wired into the ceiling rose.

Option 2, If you want to retain a dangly type of light fitting. Turn off the power (remove the circuit breaker/fuse normally coloured white) and chop off the cable just above the ballast unit, strip back the cable and fix a (standard free) type of bayonet fitting to the cable (cheap). you can then fit a 100 watt replacement energy saving lamp (available from Morrison's for around 40 pence). Note, you can always buy a longer length of (5 amp 2 core) cable if necessary.

Option 3, If you're not bothered about a dangly type fitting then you can replace the whole ceiling rose (still cheap) with a (standard fixed) bayonet fitting and still get a cheap lamp replacement as option 2 above.

You can get ceiling roses/lamp fittings from your local B&Q/focus etc (and some local supermarkets) - easy peasy.

Note! only attempt options 1 to 3 if you are confident around electrics, :shocked: otherwise get an electrician in to do the job for you - which shouldn't take more than an hour to complete. ;)

That's it and good luck

Si thee

[yesman]

Ah yes, the good ol' low energy pendants :disturbd:
The lighting of the future, not.......I am looking towards LED's myself, anyway, at a guess, there is a possibility of three things that could go wrong.

1. Loose connection in the rose
2. Defunct lamp, these are usually guaranteed for 30,000 hours (on some brands anyway), if so dig out the receipt and get it exchanged.
3. dodgy lampholder, not sure about the guarantee on that, but might be worth checking.

Similar item here
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lighting_Regs_L1_Internal/Low_Energy_Pendant/index.html


Good Luck !

[greencreeper]

Not sure what eggs have to do with it

http://www.osram.se/_nav/documentViewer.aspx?dID=60

[yesman]

The most impressive low energy pendant I have installed is this one (http://www.mem250.com/publications/brochure-downloads/consumer-products-brochures/MEMLITE.pdf) (PDF)
The electronic component is within the lamp and not the lampholder, and is bright when initially switched on, unlike most other cf lamps, the only drawback is that it's a three pin bayonet cap.......why oh why do they make them like that, ...........but, no doubt that some foreign company will make a two pin version, and hey presto, you just have to change the lamp and not the fitting itself.

FYI, incandescent lamps (ordinary light bulbs) look like they will be stop being produced in the near future

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incandescent_lamp#Europe)

[bw41101]

Not sure what eggs have to do with it

http://www.osram.se/_nav/documentViewer.aspx?dID=60

May be considered as cracking good lamps :dozey:

Sorry - couldn't resist that ;)

Si thee

[LSainsbury]

DO you have two ceiling lights in the same room that are controlled by a single switch?

No - two lights - two switches.

[ian@huth]

I use Maestro ceiling roses. They are a two part ceiling rose that enables you to remove the light fitting without having to mess about with the ceiling rose wiring. You have the top part wired in and the bottom part to which your light fitting is attached slides into it from the side. They are great for taking light fittings down for cleaning. We have brass ones downstairs and white ones upstairs. Details of them at http://www.ryness.co.uk/ProductDetails.aspx?categoryID=677&category4ID=1&productID=1834 I got mine from B&Q where they are cheaper than at that link.