R
robert casey
- Jan 1, 1970
- 0
Many times, the part that fails on a bad CFL is the florescent bulb
itself, and the electronic ballast is still good. It turns out that
these ballasts (from CFL's that consume 15 watts off the line, not the
equivalent incandescent bulb wattage) will be quite happy driving a
regular florescent tube, specifically a F15T8. The kind found in
kitchen countertop fixtures, or desk lamps.
You can usually tell a CFL with a bad bulb if the bulb ends are
darkened, both or just one end. Usually the filament inside one of the
ends went open. Carefully break the glass bulb (place inside a plastic
bag, and break the glass tube. Do it outside. After you break off as
much as you can get from the rest of it, throw the plastic bag with the
glass fragments and other toxic waste away in a reasonable manner. Then
carefully break open the plastic shell around the electronic ballast
(those of you who have cracked open wall warts know what to do) by
slowly squeezing it in a vise until you can get a screwdriver in there
to pry it further apart. Keep track of where the florescent bulb's
filaments connected to on the board inside. Unsolder the wire inside
the tip of the screw in Edison base. Getting at the other wire that
connects to the screw shell may be a little hard unless you destroy the
plastic shell (have at it!). You want to keep track of where the
powerline connects to the ballast board.
Unlike a magnetic ballast, the wires that connect to the bulb's
filaments must be kept separate from the powerline wires. With that in
mind, connect the filaments to the corresponding points the old CFL bulb
was connected to, and the line to the same points the powerline did
connect to. Exercise care as you're playing around with high voltages.
Once you are satisfied that it works, then you can package the
electronic ballast to fit inside the housing used for the F15T8
florescent tube, to replace the hot and hummy magnetic ballast.
itself, and the electronic ballast is still good. It turns out that
these ballasts (from CFL's that consume 15 watts off the line, not the
equivalent incandescent bulb wattage) will be quite happy driving a
regular florescent tube, specifically a F15T8. The kind found in
kitchen countertop fixtures, or desk lamps.
You can usually tell a CFL with a bad bulb if the bulb ends are
darkened, both or just one end. Usually the filament inside one of the
ends went open. Carefully break the glass bulb (place inside a plastic
bag, and break the glass tube. Do it outside. After you break off as
much as you can get from the rest of it, throw the plastic bag with the
glass fragments and other toxic waste away in a reasonable manner. Then
carefully break open the plastic shell around the electronic ballast
(those of you who have cracked open wall warts know what to do) by
slowly squeezing it in a vise until you can get a screwdriver in there
to pry it further apart. Keep track of where the florescent bulb's
filaments connected to on the board inside. Unsolder the wire inside
the tip of the screw in Edison base. Getting at the other wire that
connects to the screw shell may be a little hard unless you destroy the
plastic shell (have at it!). You want to keep track of where the
powerline connects to the ballast board.
Unlike a magnetic ballast, the wires that connect to the bulb's
filaments must be kept separate from the powerline wires. With that in
mind, connect the filaments to the corresponding points the old CFL bulb
was connected to, and the line to the same points the powerline did
connect to. Exercise care as you're playing around with high voltages.
Once you are satisfied that it works, then you can package the
electronic ballast to fit inside the housing used for the F15T8
florescent tube, to replace the hot and hummy magnetic ballast.