DIY Home Repair: Light replacement advice

[PNGMK]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical ... c_ballasts

I was looking into the function of a 'ballast', and found the above. It was useful in explaining how it, the starter, and bulb work together... thot might be of interest to DIYers who aren't electronic engineers

I've had three ballasts (not the tube, not the starter, not the wiring) fail in the last two months. It's crazy - in 50 years I never seen a failed ballast! (they're electrically simple).... so now I just rip the fighting off and put up an LED based light.

[JR8]

I've had three ballasts (not the tube, not the starter, not the wiring) fail in the last two months. It's crazy - in 50 years I never seen a failed ballast! (they're electrically simple).... so now I just rip the fighting off and put up an LED based light.

I've had issues with circuits of halogen low voltage lights (dichroic bulbs), and the associated transformers blowing. It gets expensive especially when they take out the bulbs too. What was quite clear in those situations was that it pays to get quality 'trannies'.

Pre-assembled fittings complete with trannies tend to use the cheapest components (and that includes most manufacturers, right down to IKEA).

[PNGMK]

I've had three ballasts (not the tube, not the starter, not the wiring) fail in the last two months. It's crazy - in 50 years I never seen a failed ballast! (they're electrically simple).... so now I just rip the fighting off and put up an LED based light.

I've had issues with circuits of halogen low voltage lights (dichroic bulbs), and the associated transformers blowing. It gets expensive especially when they take out the bulbs too. What was quite clear in those situations was that it pays to get quality 'trannies'.

Pre-assembled fittings complete with trannies tend to use the cheapest components (and that includes most manufacturers, right down to IKEA).

Yes - I hear you. I assume the ballasts are cheap and either the insulation is failing in the heat/humidity or the winding is going open circuit. Drives me spare (I hate working on things above my head).

[Steve1960]

Pre-assembled fittings complete with trannies tend to use the cheapest components (and that includes most manufacturers, right down to IKEA).

I used the plain vanilla IKEA light units nothing but the base, bulb connectors and shade. Then fitted low energy fluorescent bulbs with built in ballast. I do agree on quality concerns though not all of those bulbs are made equal. I chose to buy Phillips and they seem to have been fine to date.

[rajagainstthemachine]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical ... c_ballasts

I was looking into the function of a 'ballast', and found the above. It was useful in explaining how it, the starter, and bulb work together... thot might be of interest to DIYers who aren't electronic engineers

I've had three ballasts (not the tube, not the starter, not the wiring) fail in the last two months. It's crazy - in 50 years I never seen a failed ballast! (they're electrically simple).... so now I just rip the fighting off and put up an LED based light.

You aren't alone I've replaced one of those things this year and I've had three blacked out tubes as well, it appears that the quality of electrical products are intentionally degraded to have customers buy them more quickly than necessary.

I went to Jalan Besar to get a replacement Ballast, i found one similar to the one zzm posted but the quality was atrocious, it looked like it was waiting to fail from right from the time I took it out of the shop.

[Sanjana00]

Hello there, so I opened my kitchen light today due to a fused bulb and found out that the starter holder was broken and brought a new one but I do not know how to take out the previous starter holder wires and set up the new one. Can somebody please help?

[malcontent]

We installed over a dozen of the square LED type recessed lighting in our condo. Kind of regret it now. We have had problems with several of them not working over the years... not the LEDs themselves, but the other components can fail and then it won’t work (and these were supposed to be the best ones).