Do I replace the ballast?

[HappyHippyDad]

I have narrowed the fault down to the ballast in this fitting. See picture.

I cannot find an identical ballast. Blimey, there must be hundreds!

Is there a similar ballast I can use? Bearing in mind the existing cables, both supply and load, are terminated into little blocks that clip in either side of the ballast. Or, are there other options? I never work in commercial settings, hence having a limited knowledge. This is for a friend who runs a local charity shop, hence having a look. The word hence seems to be a common theme , a bit like the word 'damn' during the early years of @davesparks threads

 

[Rockingit]

Is that a fly killer? It might be easier and cheaper just to replace it.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Is that a fly killer? It might be easier and cheaper just to replace it.

That's kind of what I as thinking, but having not done this before I thought that may be a bit extravagant, also finding a fitting exactly the same size may be just as hard.

Here it is in situ. It's not a fly killer

 

[Rockingit]

I'm a bit out of touch with wholesalers these days but that used to be the sort of thing you'd get on the shelf - a twin electronic ballast. The make doesn' really matter.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

How about this?

4008321390172 | Osram 55 W Electronic Compact Fluorescent Lighting Ballast, 220 → 240 V | RS

uk.rs-online.com

Same physical dimensions, but the load clip looks different and the numbers do not match up.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

If it is as simple as replacing the panel, then I think I will do that. I'm guessing most panels are a generic size? It seems that an entire fitting is not very expensive.....

30w LED Panel 300 x 600 Surface Mount Ceiling Down Light Cool White

Long Life Lamp Company 30w Surface Mount LED panels are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications, Designed to be surface mounted to ceilings and walls or can be used as pendants. These panels are manufactured to the highest possible stand

energylightbulbs.co.uk

 

[telectrix]

If it is as simple as replacing the panel, then I think I will do that. I'm guessing most panels are a generic size? It seems that an entire fitting is not very expensive.....

30w LED Panel 300 x 600 Surface Mount Ceiling Down Light Cool White

Long Life Lamp Company 30w Surface Mount LED panels are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications, Designed to be surface mounted to ceilings and walls or can be used as pendants. These panels are manufactured to the highest possible stand

energylightbulbs.co.uk

try here:
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.tridonic.com/com/de/download/data_sheets/DS_PC_T8_TOP_18-58W_en.pdf

 

[littlespark]

You could try eBay….

tridonic 2x55 balkast for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for tridonic 2x55 balkast. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

Cheap enough… but the time taken to swap it over might be more than changing the fitting.

 

[GBDamo]

You could try eBay….

tridonic 2x55 balkast for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for tridonic 2x55 balkast. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

Cheap enough… but the time taken to swap it over might be more than changing the fitting.

Changing a ballast is much quicker, once you've done a few it's a doddle.

Just drop the old one down, fix the new one in its place and transfer the wires one at a time.

Well, I say much..... depends if rhw fittings are on a Clik type plug, which is equally rapid.

As an aside, why is it every fitting have to replace is always direct wired and the one with the loop in, out and switch drop, always?

 

[7029 dave]

The ballast (choke) is really the expense of the whole fitting, so maybe best just to replace the whole cha bang.

 

[westward10]

If it is as simple as replacing the panel, then I think I will do that. I'm guessing most panels are a generic size? It seems that an entire fitting is not very expensive.....

30w LED Panel 300 x 600 Surface Mount Ceiling Down Light Cool White

Long Life Lamp Company 30w Surface Mount LED panels are suitable for both commercial and domestic applications, Designed to be surface mounted to ceilings and walls or can be used as pendants. These panels are manufactured to the highest possible stand

energylightbulbs.co.uk

I assume this is a retail outlet and your duff fitting is what I call a wash light not a solid flat panel and they do LED versions.

 

[jay sean]

you might find the ballast is not made anymore, might want to go to a lighting specialist and they might be able to get one similar

 

[loz2754]

Or bypass the ballast and fit LED lamps.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

I assume this is a retail outlet and your duff fitting is what I call a wash light not a solid flat panel and they do LED versions.

Well sort of. It's main purpose is to allow single parents to meet up with their kids. It does sell cards to make a bit of cash.

Is there a proper name for the type of light I am looking for? It slots into the ceiling, being help up with an interlacing metal network. The ceiling is all the same, polystyrene type squares all slotted into the same metal framework.

I've been searching for 'recessed panel light', but perhaps their is a proper name for it.

 

[Midwest]

Those ballasts look pretty similar to the ones we've had to replace in my work place. Just took the old one to my wholesaler (Rexel) and they found me a replacement. Think it was about £40-50.

 

[timhoward]

Search for LED panel. Be wary that the majority are square.

As someone said above, rewiring the internals for LED tubes also works, it’s as simple as a pair of wires to one end of each tube, remove all other wiring (ballast, starter) but leave the capacitor that’s in parallel with the supply.
5way wagos make it very quick.
The direction the tubes are fitted matters, one end can be a dead short on some makes. They are marked “supply this end”

 

[GBDamo]

This ballast will do, it's nothing the same footprint but is the same pin layout.
The lamps are 55w TC-L which areabout £10 a pop, factor in delivery and you're getting upto £50 to refurbish the existing light.

If the look of the lighting is not important then search for "600×300 LED Panel Light" which can be had for about £25.

I was going to post "good luck getting an LED conversion tube for those" but what do I know....

 

[littlespark]

If this is one of many identical fittings in one room, it might be a chance to upsell the lot for LED.
One different light will be noticed… brighter, different colour etc…

Push to the customer of energy saving… “ it’ll pay for itself in x time….. if energy prices stay the same….”

 

[freddo]

I'd just swap the ballast, it will look bad if there is one light fitting different or fitted with different lamps to the others.

 

[brianmoooore]

Much prefer littlespark's solution to freddo's. Sell it as a one off, permanent solution to all the fittings, which will pay for itself, and (probably) never need maintenance.

 

[adonis2]

I Have had this issue in work, change one ballast another goes a few weeks later,
now I just get everything on that switch changed to led, so much easier.

 

[timhoward]

I used to be of the "repair it "mindset. What tipped the balance for me was when a "Made in W Germany" ballast caught fire.
I know there's a lot out there that aren't nearly as old but these days there are so many reasons to go LED.

 

[Sapper]

Tridonic PC 2x55 FSD PRO Digital Ballast runs 2 x TC-L 55w Lamp Bulbs Tubes #PU | eBay

Tridonic PC 2x55 FSD PRO Digital Ballast. runs 2 x TC-L 55w Lamp Bulbs Tubes. Has been in storage so has a few scuffs etc on it.

www.ebay.co.uk

But I'm in the rip it all out for LED party.

 

[Deleted account]

Or swap the whole thing for a 600 by 600 led ceiling tile. £20. Easy.

 

[freddo]

But I'm in the rip it all out for LED party.

We are supposed to be saving the environment, not throwing large amounts of working things in the bin!

 

[brianmoooore]

Throwing things in the bin and replacing them with something that lasts almost indefinitely and uses half the energy while doing the same job is saving the environment.

 

[freddo]

You are probably right. I just have an image in my head of a mountain all those thousands of LED floodlights that fail after 6 months use, mixed in with that model of 2 part JCC downlights that lasted half that! But then I'm negative like that! Though this is usually the fault of the manufacturers, running the LEDs at the maximum rated current. If they just reduced the power to the LEDs by a watt or two the LEDs run cooler and will last substantially longer, with only a small reduction in light output.

I know a lot of things are better now than they were a few years back, but it is unlikely the LED lights will outlive a fluorescent fitting with a magnetic ballast. One place we work has a large number of 600x1200 lay in fittings, used 9 hours a day, 7 days a week. The date stamped on the ballasts is 1988. My grandmothers house had 3 working 4' fittings when I rewired it dated 1963.

I also find a lot of LED lighting plain and uninspiring. Some of the light fittings and building lighting designs from the 1930s and 40s were amazing I would love to go back in time to see them in person. I'd also love to see that enormous Ford neon sign at Dagenham while I'm doing some time traveling, installed mid 1930s IIRC. Neon is so cool and glowy.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Update....

It wasn't the ballast!

The 'non working' light fitting has 2 fluorescent tubes in it. The 'working' light fitting next to it has 1 fluorescent tube in it. Both lamps to look at are physically identical. So, i had put the working tube into the non working lamp fitting. It didn't work, so i assumed it could not just be a faulty tube.


However, (and this really high lights my lack of experience with regards commercial items) the tubes must have different wiring configurations inside them. I have just been back and tried some different tubes from a light fitting that actually takes 2 tubes.... and it works fine! Oops.

 

[7029 dave]

^^ was going to say some of them tubes looked quite black on the ends, normally a good indicator.

 

[HappyHippyDad]

Is there a model number I should be looking for? Below are pictures of the one that I do want and the one that I don't want. Is it the PL-L and CLL marking that indicate the difference? Or some of the other markings?

There seems to be many PLL on line but no CLL. Is CLL now known as something different? I notice that '2Gll' is used, perhaps this means 2 gang and is the correct one?

For example this is a picture of the identification marking that I DO want:



As opposed to the one I don't want: