A distinctive principle of the connection scheme for fluorescent lamps is the need to include starting-type devices in it, the duration of operation depends on them.

In order to understand the circuits, it is necessary to understand the principle of operation of these lamps.

A luminescent type lamp device is a sealed vessel filled with a special gas mixture. The calculation of the mixture was carried out in order to waste less gas ionization energy in comparison with conventional lamps, due to this, you can save a lot on lighting a house or apartment.

For constant illumination, it is necessary to hold the glow discharge. This process is supported by the supply desired voltage. The problem lies only in the following situation - such a discharge appears from the supply voltage, which is higher than the working one. But this problem was also solved by the manufacturers.

On both sides of the lamp, electrodes are installed that receive voltage and maintain the discharge. Each electrode has two contacts with which the current source is connected. Due to this, the zone that surrounds the electrodes is heated.

The lamp lights up after heating each electrode. This happens due to the impact on them of high-voltage pulses and the subsequent work of the voltage.

When exposed to a discharge, the gases in the lamp container activate the emission of ultraviolet light, which is not perceived by the human eye. In order for human vision to distinguish this glow, the bulb inside is covered with a phosphor substance, which shifts the frequency interval of illumination to the visible interval.

By changing the structure of this substance, a change in the range of color temperatures occurs.

Important! You can not simply turn on the lamp in the network. The arc will appear after the heating of the electrodes and the pulsed voltage are ensured.

Special ballasts help to provide such conditions.

The nuances of the connection scheme

A circuit of this type must include the presence of a throttle and a starter.

The starter looks like a small source of neon lighting. It needs an electrical outlet to power it. variable value current, it is also equipped with a number of bimetallic contacts.

The choke, starter contacts and electrode threads are connected in series.

Another option is possible when replacing the starter with a button from the input call.

The voltage will be carried out by holding the button in the pressed state. When the lamp is lit, it must be released.

• the connected choke stores electromagnetic energy;
• with the help of starter contacts, electricity is supplied;
• current transfer is carried out with the help of tungsten filaments heating electrodes;
• heating of electrodes and starter;
• then the starter contacts open;
• the energy that is accumulated with the help of the throttle is released;
• the lamp turns on.

In order to increase the efficiency, to reduce noise, two capacitors are introduced into the circuit model.

The advantages of this scheme:

Simplicity;

Democratic price;

She is reliable;

The disadvantages of the scheme:

Large mass of the device;

Noisy work;

The lamp flickers, which is not good for vision;

Consumes a large amount of electricity;

The device turns on for about three seconds;

Poor performance at sub-zero temperatures.

Connection order

Connection using the above scheme occurs with starters. The option considered below has a 4-65W S10 starter model, a 40W lamp and the same power at the throttle.

Stage 1. Connecting the starter to the pin contacts of the lamp, which look like incandescent filaments.

Stage 2. The remaining contacts are connected to the throttle.

Stage 3. The capacitor is connected to the power contacts in parallel. The capacitor compensates for the reactive power level and reduces the amount of interference.

Features of the connection scheme

Due to the electronic ballast, the lamp provides a long period of operation and saves energy costs. When operating with voltages up to 133 kHz, the light spreads without flicker.

Microcircuits provide power to lamps, heating of electrodes, thereby increasing their productivity and increasing their service life. It is possible, together with the lamps of this connection scheme, to use dimmers - these are devices that smoothly adjust the brightness of the glow.

The electronic ballast converts the voltage. Action direct current is transformed into a high-frequency and variable current, which passes to the electrode heaters.

The frequency increases due to this there is a decrease in the intensity of heating of the electrodes. The use of electronic ballast in the connection scheme allows you to adjust to the properties of the lamp.

Advantages of this type of scheme:

• big savings;
• the light bulb turns on smoothly;
• no flicker;
• the lamp electrodes are carefully heated;
• permissible operation at low temperatures;
• compactness and small weight;
• long term validity.

Cons of this type of scheme:

• the complexity of the connection scheme;
• high installation requirements.

How to connect lamps

The lamp is connected in three stages:

The electrodes are heated, due to which the device starts up neatly and measuredly;

A powerful impulse is created, which is required for ignition;

The operating voltage is balanced and applied to the lamp.

Connection order

Stage 1. Parallel connection of a starter to each lamp.

Stage 2. Serial connection using a choke of free contacts to the network.

Stage 3. Parallel connection of capacitors to the lamp contacts. Due to this, interference is reduced, as well as reactive power compensation.

Video - Connecting fluorescent lamps

Despite the emergence of more "advanced" LED lamps, daylight fixtures continue to be in demand due to their affordable price. But there is one catch: you can’t just plug them in and light them up, unless you put a couple of additional elements. Wiring diagram connecting fluorescent lamps, which includes these parts, is quite simple and serves to start lamps of this type. You can easily assemble it yourself after reading our material.

The device and features of the lamp

The question arises why, to turn on such light bulbs, you need to assemble some kind of circuit. To answer it, it is worth analyzing their principle of operation. So, fluorescent (otherwise - gas-discharge) lamps consist of the following elements:

1. A glass flask whose walls are coated on the inside with a substance based on phosphorus. This layer emits a uniform white glow when hit by ultraviolet radiation and is called a phosphor.
2. On the sides of the flask there are sealed end caps with two electrodes each. Inside, the contacts are connected by a tungsten filament coated with a special protective paste.
3. The daylight source is filled with an inert gas mixed with mercury vapor.

Reference. Glass flasks are straight and curved in the shape of the Latin "U". The bend is made in order to group the plug-in contacts on one side and thus achieve greater compactness (example - widely used light bulbs - housekeepers).

The glow of the phosphor causes a flow of electrons passing through mercury vapor in an argon environment. But first, a steady glow discharge must occur between the two filaments. This requires a short pulse high voltage(up to 600 V). To create it when the lamp is turned on, the above-mentioned details are needed, connected according to a certain scheme. The technical name of the device is ballast or control gear (ballast).

In housekeepers, the ballast is already built into the base

Traditional scheme with electromagnetic ballast

In this case, the key role is played by a coil with a core - a choke, which, thanks to the phenomenon of self-induction, is able to provide a pulse of the required magnitude to create a glow discharge in a fluorescent lamp. How to connect it to power through a choke is shown in the diagram:

The second element of the ballast is a starter, which is a cylindrical box with a capacitor and a small neon bulb inside. The latter is equipped with a bimetallic plate and acts as a circuit breaker. Connection through an electromagnetic ballast works according to the following algorithm:

1. After the contacts of the main switch are closed, the current passes through the inductor, the first filament of the lamp and the starter, and returns through the second tungsten filament.
2. The bimetal plate in the starter heats up and closes the circuit directly. The current increases, which causes the tungsten filaments to heat up.
3. After cooling, the plate returns to its original shape and opens the contacts again. At this moment, a high voltage pulse is formed in the inductor, causing a discharge in the lamp. Further, to maintain the glow, 220 V from the mains is enough.

This is what the starter filling looks like - only 2 parts

Reference. The principle of connection with a choke and capacitor is similar to the car ignition system, where a powerful spark on candles jumps at the moment the high-voltage coil circuit breaks.

The capacitor, installed in the starter and connected in parallel to the bimetallic breaker, performs 2 functions: it prolongs the action of the high-voltage pulse and serves as protection against radio interference. If you need to connect 2 fluorescent lamps, then one coil will be enough, but two starters will be required, as shown in the diagram.

More information about the operation of gas discharge bulbs with ballasts is described in the video:

Electronic switching system

Electromagnetic ballast is gradually being replaced by a new electronic system Electronic ballast, devoid of such disadvantages:

• long lamp start (up to 3 seconds);
• crackling or clicking sound when turned on;
• unstable operation at air temperatures below +10 °С;
• low-frequency flicker that adversely affects human vision (the so-called strobe effect).

Reference. The installation of daylight sources is prohibited on production equipment with rotating parts precisely because of the strobe effect. With such lighting, an optical illusion occurs: it seems to the worker that the machine spindle is stationary, but in fact it is spinning. Hence the accidents at work.

Electronic ballast is a single unit with contacts for connecting wires. Inside there is an electronic board of the frequency converter with a transformer, replacing the outdated ballast of electromagnetic type. Connection diagrams for fluorescent lamps with electronic ballast are usually depicted on the unit body. Everything is simple here: the terminals are marked where to connect the phase, zero and ground, as well as the wires from the lamp.

Starting bulbs without a starter

This part of the electromagnetic ballast breaks down quite often, and there is not always a new one in stock. In order to continue to use the daylight source, you can put a manual breaker instead of a starter - a button, as shown in the diagram:

The bottom line is to manually simulate the operation of a bimetallic plate: first close the circuit, wait 3 seconds until the lamp filaments warm up, and then open. Here it is important to choose the right button for a voltage of 220 V so that you do not get electrocuted (suitable for a regular doorbell).

During the operation of a fluorescent lamp, the coating of tungsten filaments gradually crumbles, which can cause them to burn out. The phenomenon is characterized by blackening of the edge zones near the electrodes and indicates that the lamp will soon fail. But even with burnt out spirals, the product remains operational, only it must be connected to the mains according to the following scheme:

If desired, a gas-discharge light source can be ignited without chokes and capacitors, using a ready-made mini-board from a burned-out energy-saving light bulb that works on the same principle. How to do this is shown in the following video.

Fluorescent lamps, despite all their "survivability", compared to conventional incandescent bulbs, at one point also fail and stop shining.

Of course, their service life cannot be compared with LED models, but as it turns out, even with a serious breakdown, all these LB or LD lamps can again be restored without any serious capital costs.

First of all, you need to find out what exactly burned out:

• herself fluorescent light bulb

• starter

• or choke

How to do this and quickly check all these elements, read in a separate article.

If the bulb itself burned out and you are tired of such light, then you can easily switch to LED lightening, without any major upgrade of the luminaire. And this is done in several ways.

One of the most serious problems is a failed throttle.

At the same time, most consider such a fluorescent lamp to be completely unusable and throw it away, or move it to the pantry for spare parts for the rest.

We’ll make a reservation right away that you won’t be able to start the LB lamp without a choke, simply throwing it out of the circuit and not putting something else there. The article will talk about alternative options when this same throttle can be replaced with another element that you have at hand at home.

How to start a fluorescent lamp without a choke

What do homemade and radio amateurs advise to do in such cases? They recommend using the so-called chokeless circuit for switching on fluorescent lamps.

It uses a diode bridge, capacitors, ballast resistance. Despite some advantages (the ability to start burnt-out fluorescent lamps), all these schemes are a dark forest for the average user. It is much easier for him to buy a new lamp than to solder and assemble this entire structure.

Therefore, we first consider another popular way to start LB or LD lamps with a burnt choke, which will be available to everyone. What do you need for this?

You will need an old burnt-out energy-saving light bulb with a regular E27 base.

Of course, a circuit using it cannot be considered absolutely chokeless, since a choke is still present on the energy-saving board. It's just that it is much smaller in size, since the housekeeper operates at frequencies up to several tens of kilohertz.

This mini choke limits the current through the lamp and provides a high voltage pulse for ignition. In fact, this is an electronic ballast in a miniature version.

Therefore, some conscious and thrifty citizens who have not yet handed them over to special collection points keep such products on their shelves in lockers.

They change them for a reason. These light bulbs in working order are very harmful to health, both in terms of pulsations of light and in relation to the emission of dangerous ultraviolet radiation.

Although ultraviolet is not always harmful. And sometimes it does us a lot of good.

At the same time, do not forget that linear luminescent models equally have the same negative factors. It is they who actively scare those who like to grow plants under the light of phytolamps.

But back to our energy savings. Most often, the luminous spiral tube stops working for them (the tightness disappears, breaks, etc.).

In this case, the circuit and the internal power supply remain safe and sound. They can be used in our business.

First, disassemble the light bulb. To do this, along the parting line, use a thin flat screwdriver to open and separate the two halves.

When separating, never hold on to the glass tubular flask.

When parsing, remember which pair is connected where. These pins can be located on one side of the board, or on different sides.

In total, you should have 4 contacts, where you should solder the wires in the future.

Well, of course, do not forget about the power supply 220V. These are the very veins that come from the base.

That is, separately two wires on the right and two wires on the left. After that, it remains only to apply a voltage of 220V to the energy-saving circuit.

The fluorescent light bulb will burn perfectly and work normally. You don't even need a starter to start. Everything connects directly.

If the starter is present in the circuit, it will have to be thrown out or shunted.

How to choose the power of an energy-saving lamp

Such a lamp starts up instantly, in contrast to the long blinks and flickers of the usual LB and LD models.

What are the disadvantages of such a connection scheme? Firstly, the operating current in energy saving devices with equal power is less than that of linear lamps daylight. What is the risk?

And the fact that by choosing a housekeeper of equal or lesser power with LB, your board will work with overload and at one fine moment will boom. To prevent this from happening, the power of boards from housekeepers should ideally be 20% more than that of fluorescent lamps.

That is, for a 36W LDS model, take a board from a 40W and higher sweetheart. And so on, depending on the proportions.

If you are converting a lamp with one inductor into two light bulbs, then consider the power of both.

Why else do you need to take it with a margin, and not select the CFL power equal to the power of fluorescent lamps? The fact is that in nameless and inexpensive CFL bulbs, the real power is always an order of magnitude less than the declared one.

Therefore, do not be surprised when, by connecting to the old Soviet lamp LB-40, a board from a Chinese housekeeper for the same 40W, you will eventually get a negative result. This is not a scheme that does not work - it is the quality of goods from the Middle Kingdom that does not correspond to the "reinforced concrete" Soviet guests.

2 circuits for chokeless switching on of fluorescent lamps

If you still intend to assemble a more complex structure, with the help of which even burned-out linear lamps are launched, then let's consider such cases.

Most the simplest option- this is a diode bridge with a pair of capacitors and an incandescent light bulb connected in series to the circuit as a ballast. Here is a diagram of such an assembly.

Its main advantage is that in this way it is possible to start the lamp not only without a choke, but also a burnt out lamp, which does not have whole spirals on the pin contacts at all.

For 18W tubes, the following components are suitable:

• capacitor 2nF (up to 1kv)

• capacitor 3nF (up to 1kv)

• incandescent bulb 40W

For 36W or 40W tubes, the capacitances should be increased. All elements are connected like this.

After that, the circuit is connected to a fluorescent lamp.

Here is another similar chokeless circuit.

Diodes are selected with a reverse voltage of at least 1kV. The current will depend on the current of the lamp (from 0.5A or more).

We light a burnt lamp

In this circuit, when the lamp burns out, the double pins at the ends close together.

The selection of components depending on the power of the lamp, do focusing on the plate below.

If the light bulb is intact, the jumpers are still installed. This does not require preheating of the spirals up to 900 degrees, as in serviceable models.

The electrons necessary for ionization break out even at room temperature, even if the coil is burned out. Everything happens due to the multiplied voltage.

The whole process looks like this:

• initially there is no discharge in the bulb

• then a multiplied voltage is applied to the ends

• the light inside due to this instantly lights up

• then the incandescent bulb lights up, which limits the maximum current with its resistance

• the flask gradually stabilizes the operating voltage and current

• the light bulb dims a little

Disadvantages of this build:

• low brightness level

• increased pulsation

And even when supplying fluorescent lamps with constant voltage, you will very often have to change the polarity at the extreme electrodes of the bulb. Simply put, before each new inclusion, turn the lamp over.

Otherwise, mercury vapor will collect only near one of the electrodes and the lamp will not last long without periodic maintenance. This phenomenon is called cataphoresis or the entrainment of mercury vapor at the cathode end of the lamp.

Where the "plus" is connected, the brightness will be less and this edge will begin to blacken much faster.

A fluorescent light bulb can be found in almost any room today. It is a source of daylight and makes it possible to save energy. Therefore, such lamps are also called housekeepers.

The appearance of a fluorescent lamp

But such products have one significant drawback - they burn out. And the reason for this is the combustion of the electronic filling - the throttle or starter. This article will tell you if there is a way to connect fluorescent lamps without using a choke in the electrical circuit.

How the housekeeper works

The appearance of fluorescent lamps may be different. Despite this, they have the same principle of operation, which is realized thanks to following elements, which usually contains the device circuit:

• electrodes;
• phosphor - a special luminescent coating;
• glass flask with an inert gas and mercury vapor inside.

The structure of a fluorescent light bulb

Such a fluorescent lamp is a gas discharge device with a sealed glass bulb. The gas mixture inside the flask is selected in such a way as to reduce the energy required to support the ionization process.

Note! For such lamps, in order to maintain the glow, you need to create a glow discharge.

To do this, a voltage of a specific value is applied to the electrodes of a fluorescent lamp. They are located on opposite sides of the glass bulb. Each electrode has two contacts that are connected to a current source. Thus, the space near the electrodes is heated.
Actual wiring diagram given source light consists of a series of sequential actions:

• electrode heating;
• then a high-voltage pulse is applied to them;
• the optimal voltage is maintained in the electrical circuit to create a glow discharge.

As a result, an ultraviolet invisible glow is formed in the flask, which, passing through the phosphor, becomes visible to the human eye.
To maintain voltage to create a glow discharge, the operation of fluorescent lamps involves connecting the following devices:

• throttle. It acts as a ballast and is designed to limit the current flowing through the device to an optimal level;

Choke for fluorescent bulbs

• starter. It is designed to protect the fluorescent lamp from overheating. At the same time, it regulates the incandescence of the electrodes.

Very often, the reason for the breakdown of housekeepers is the failure of the electronic filling of the ballast or the burnout of the starter. To avoid this, you can not use burnt parts in the connection.

Standard Connection Diagram

The standard circuit used to connect fluorescent lamps can be modified (go without a choke). This will minimize the risk of failure of the lighting fixture.

Switching option without ballast

As we found out, the ballast in the device of a fluorescent lamp plays an important role. At the same time, today there is a scheme in which it is possible to avoid the inclusion of this element, which very often fails. It is possible to avoid including both the ballast and the starter.

Pay attention! This connection method can also be used for burnt out daylight tubes.

As you can see, this circuit does not contain a filament. In this case, the lamps / tubes will be powered here through a diode bridge, which will create an increased DC voltage. But in such a situation, it must be remembered that with this method of power supply, the lighting product may darken on one side.
In implementation, the above scheme is quite simple. It can be implemented using old components. For this type of connection, you can use the following elements:

• handset/light source 18 W;
• assembly GBU 408. It will act as a diode bridge;

Diode bridge

• capacitors with an operating voltage not exceeding 1000 V, having a capacitance of 2 and 3 nF.

Note! When using more powerful light sources, it is necessary to increase the capacitance of the capacitors used in the circuit.

Assembled Circuit

It must be remembered that the selection of diodes for the diode bridge, as well as capacitors, must be carried out with a voltage margin.
A lighting device assembled in this way will give a glow slightly less in brightness than when used standard variant connections using a choke and starter.

What allows you to achieve a non-standard connection option

Change conventional way connection of electrical components in fluorescent lamps carried out in order to minimize the risk of damage to the device. Fluorescent lamps, despite the presence of impressive advantages, such as excellent luminous flux and low power consumption, have some disadvantages. These should include:

• during their work, they produce a certain noise (buzz), which is due to the functioning of the ballast element;
• high risk of starter burnout;
• the possibility of overheating the filament.

The above scheme for connecting the components of the electrical circuit will avoid all these disadvantages. When using it, you will receive:

• a light bulb that will light up instantly;

What does assembly look like?

• the device will work silently;
• there is no starter, which burns out more often than other parts with frequent use of the lighting installation;
• it becomes possible to use a lamp with a burnt filament.

Here, the role of the throttle will be performed by an ordinary incandescent bulb. Therefore, in such a situation, there is no need to use an expensive and rather bulky ballast.

Another connection option

There is also a slightly different suitable scheme:

Another connection option

It also uses a standard light source with a power approximately equal to a fluorescent lamp. In this case, the device itself must be connected to the power supply through a rectifier. It is assembled according to the classical scheme, used to double the voltage: VD1, VD2, C1 and C2.
This connection option is as follows:

• at the moment of switching on, there is no discharge inside the glass bulb;
• then twice the mains voltage falls on it. Thanks to this, light is ignited;
• activation of the device occurs without preheating of the cathodes;
• after starting the electrical circuit, the current-limiting lamp (HL1) is turned on;
• at the same time, HL2 establishes the operating voltage and current. As a result, the incandescent lamp will barely glow.

In order for the start to be reliable, you need to connect the phase output of the network to the current-limiting lamp HL1.
Except this method, other variations can be used standard scheme inclusions.

Conclusion

Using modifications to the usual method of connecting fluorescent lamps, an element such as a choke can be excluded from the electrical circuit. In this case, it is possible to minimize the negative effect (for example, noise) that is observed during the operation of a standard lighting installation of this type.

Box selection for LED strips, correct installation