Replacement T9 fluorescent tube not working - ballast replacement or go for LED?

DRP

fenwick458 said:

it will be the electronic ballast thats faulty. 
I'd just get rid of the fluorescent stuff and fit an LED tape kit inside. something like this for example.

How much physical space is there inside that fitting, drp, including depth? And what room is it used in?

Almost certainly there will be complete LED light units that'll go in there - and the first (central) box is the incoming mains - tho' it may need shifting sideways unless you fit two small lights.)

Thanks everyone for their comments. It’s a bathroom mirror , and there’s about 30 perhaps 32mm depth in there.

The light is currently mains wired from behind, then behind the tiles and I think up into the loft. I don’t have good access due to the tiling and the loft conversion above.

I like the idea of the circular panel or the led strip. It looks like I can wire these directly from the IR switch output. Would you agree?

ThisIsWeird

DRP said:

Thanks everyone for their comments. It’s a bathroom mirror , and there’s about 30 perhaps 32mm depth in there.

The light is currently mains wired from behind, then behind the tiles and I think up into the loft. I don’t have good access due to the tiling and the loft conversion above.

I like the idea of the circular panel or the led strip. It looks like I can wire these directly from the IR switch output. Would you agree?

I would agree. It seems very clear that you have a central junction box which supplies the electronic IR sensor switch podule, and this in turn supplies the ballast for the tube. Completely ditch the ballast unit.

The round, self-contained LED units suggested by GDB would usually be the ideal solution, and should easily fit inside. My only reservation is that the light direction may be too directional, whereas I suspect what you need for your mirror is a more diverse, even glow that seeps out from around the mirror?

How does it work - does the light shine out from around the mirror perimeter? If so, you may not be happy with the results of these round LED lamps, even if you fitted two of them.

Fenwick's tape-style option may well make more sense, then, but you'd need to ensure the tape is both long and bright enough - not sure how you'd ensure this before trial.

ThisIsWeird

There's also tube lights, as short as 30cm long - could two of them down the sides work? A gamble.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384861944444?

DRP

ThisIsWeird said:

DRP said:

Thanks everyone for their comments. It’s a bathroom mirror , and there’s about 30 perhaps 32mm depth in there.

The light is currently mains wired from behind, then behind the tiles and I think up into the loft. I don’t have good access due to the tiling and the loft conversion above.

I like the idea of the circular panel or the led strip. It looks like I can wire these directly from the IR switch output. Would you agree?

I would agree. It seems very clear that you have a central junction box which supplies the electronic IR sensor switch podule, and this in turn supplies the ballast for the tube. Completely ditch the ballast unit.

The round, self-contained LED units suggested by GDB would usually be the ideal solution, and should easily fit inside. My only reservation is that the light direction may be too directional, whereas I suspect what you need for your mirror is a more diverse, even glow that seeps out from around the mirror?

How does it work - does the light shine out from around the mirror perimeter? If so, you may not be happy with the results of these round LED lamps, even if you fitted two of them.

Fenwick's tape-style option may well make more sense, then, but you'd need to ensure the tape is both long and bright enough - not sure how you'd ensure this before trial.

Good point about the directionality. The light is emitted as a sort of rectangle within the rectangular mirror, similar to  below but not the same mirror.

Another thing against the round unit is that all the boxes, ir etc would have to be moved. There isn’t enough depth for the round light to sit on top of those. Whereas an led strip can be shaped to fit.

thanks again for comments. 

ThisIsWeird

Looks like 'strip' is the way to go

Risteard

ThisIsWeird said:

Looks like 'strip' is the way to go

A complete replacement luminaire would be my suggestion to be honest.

ThisIsWeird

Risteard said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Looks like 'strip' is the way to go

A complete replacement luminaire would be my suggestion to be honest.

How 'specific' do these elec ballasts need to be? The one here even says it's for a 'round' T9 - really? Isn't one 40W ballast pretty much the same as another in function? (I don't know).

If so, there's surely enough room in there to fit a physically larger model - most appear to be a bit longer rather than thicker. And EBs seem to be getable from around £10 upwards. Or, pick up an old florrie fitting locally for now't, or next to, and pinch it's EB.

IF the ballasts are interchangeable. DRP seemingly has two good round lamps to use up

FFHillbilly

ThisIsWeird said:

Risteard said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Looks like 'strip' is the way to go

A complete replacement luminaire would be my suggestion to be honest.

How 'specific' do these elec ballasts need to be? The one here even says it's for a 'round' T9 - really? Isn't one 40W ballast pretty much the same as another in function? (I don't know).

If so, there's surely enough room in there to fit a physically larger model - most appear to be a bit longer rather than thicker. And EBs seem to be getable from around £10 upwards. Or, pick up an old florrie fitting locally for now't, or next to, and pinch it's EB.

IF the ballasts are interchangeable. DRP seemingly has two good round lamps to use up

the problem with electronic ballasts is they have the starter built in, and they are prone to failure. traditional ballasts (heavy ones) have a separate starter which gets replaced every 5 years or so, in an electronic ballast every 5 years or so you'll need to replace the whole thing.
so for that reason I'd not recommend repairing fluorescent stuff, unless you have an source of spares for free and like fiddling with it regularly

Risteard said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Looks like 'strip' is the way to go

A complete replacement luminaire would be my suggestion to be honest.

seems wasteful, is that mirror recycleable or will it just end up in landfill?

ThisIsWeird

FFHillbilly said:

the problem with electronic ballasts is they have the starter built in, and they are prone to failure. traditional ballasts (heavy ones) have a separate starter which gets replaced every 5 years or so, in an electronic ballast every 5 years or so you'll need to replace the whole thing.
so for that reason I'd not recommend repairing fluorescent stuff, unless you have an source of spares for free and like fiddling with it regularly.

The issue for the OP is that the light output has to be multi-directional and even, and the current round tube does that correctly. He also appears to be competent enough (certainly prepared to be...) to carry out basic electric tasks like unscrewing podules and electrical terminals, and redoing them - mostly no more complex than wiring a plugtop. His options therefore appear to be either to replace the whole mirror unit (not very MSE, especially as he's bought a spare lamp), or take a big risk and try and alternative LED light sources inside. 

So, IF a 40W Electronic Ballast = a 40W Electronic Ballast, then I know what I would do, no question.

(We are hoping to swap over 30 Florrie light fittings in a local hall for LED units, and many of these florries are not at all old, in perfect working order, and have EBs in them. I expect we'll be selling them off at £5 each? I'd lay odds that DRP's Marketplace will have similar.)

Section62

ThisIsWeird said:

We are hoping to swap over 30 Florrie light fittings in a local hall for LED units, and many of these florries are not at all old, in perfect working order, and have EBs in them. I expect we'll be selling them off at £5 each? I'd lay odds that DRP's Marketplace will have similar.

That might answer your own question - why is the hall committee replacing the fittings rather than simply installing LED replacement tubes?

Fluorescent lamps are being phased out because they are less efficient than LED equivalents. It generally makes more sense to put the £10 towards an LED solution, rather than buying parts to keep the fluorescent equipment working. Especially if it turns out the replacement EB isn't = to the existing one* and something goes 'pop'.

That's why fenwick458's suggestion makes sense.  Keep the mirror unit, but replace the lighting part which is faulty (and wasteful).

A possible contraindication though (and the reason for the * above) is as the light is switched on and off using an electronic IR module, and there is no indication on the module what type of loads it is rated for (other than "250VA"), the choice of replacement lamp (or EB) needs to be done with awareness of whether the replacement is compatible with the switch module. If it employs solid-state switching (looks likely) there could be an incompatability.  This could be rather more complicated than wiring a plugtop.