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Fluorescent ballast starter

2014-04-17 00:52:22

All fluorescent light fixtures consist of at least lamp(s), lamp holders, fluorescent ballast and internal wiring. Some older types have "starters", too. The ballast is used to create the voltage and current necessary to start and illuminate the fluorescent lamp

A starter for a fluorescent light is located on the fixture and is a round cylinder that is about 1 1/2 inches in length. The starter sends an electrical charge to the bulb which helps it light. Fluorescent starters are used in several types of fluorescent lights. The starter is there to help the lamp light. When voltage is applied to the fluorescent lamp, here's what happens:

The starter (which is simply a timed switch) allows current to flow through the filaments at the ends of the tube.

The current causes the starter's contacts to heat up and open, thus interrupting the flow of current. The tube lights.

Since the lighted fluorescent tube has a low resistance, the ballast now serves as a current limiter.

When you turn on a fluorescent tube, the starter is a closed switch. The filaments at the ends of the tube are heated by electricity, and they create a cloud of electrons inside the tube. The fluorescent starter is a time-delay switch that opens after a second or two. When it opens, the voltage across the tube allows a stream of electrons to flow across the tube and ionize the mercury vapor.

Without the fluorescent ballast starter, a steady stream of electrons is never created between the two filaments, and the lamp flickers. Without the ballast, the arc is a short circuit between the filaments, and this short circuit contains a lot of current. The current either vaporizes the filaments or causes the bulb to explode.

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