Hello, dear readers and guests of the Electrician's Notes website.

In one of my articles I told you that for indoor lighting switchgears (RU) of substations, we mainly use tubular and compact fluorescent lamps(CLL).

Read about their advantages and disadvantages.

In this article, I will tell you how to repair a Sylvania Mini-Lynx Economy 20 (W) compact fluorescent lamp made in China.

This lamp worked at the substation for about 1.5 years. If the mode of its operation is translated into hours, then an average of about 2000 hours will be obtained, instead of 6000 hours declared by the manufacturer.

The idea of ​​repairing fluorescent lamps arose when I came across another box with burned-out lamps that were planned to be disposed of. There are many substations, the volume of lamps is large, and burnt lamps accumulate regularly.

Let me remind you that fluorescent lamps contain mercury, so it is not permissible to throw them away with household waste.

To begin with, I will give the main characteristics of the repaired lamp Sylvania Mini-Lynx Economy:

• power 20 (W)
• socle E27
• mains voltage 220-240 (V)
• lamp type - 3U
• luminous flux 1100 (lm)

Do-it-yourself energy-saving lamp repair

Using a flat screwdriver with a wide sting, you need to carefully unfasten the housing latches at the junction of its two halves. To do this, insert a screwdriver into the groove and turn it in one direction or another to snap off the first latch.

As soon as the first latch opens, we continue to open the rest along the perimeter of the case.

Be careful, otherwise, when disassembling, you can chip the lamp body or, God forbid, break the flask itself, then you will have to because of the presence of mercury vapor in the flask.

The compact fluorescent lamp consists of three parts:

• 3 U-shaped arc flasks
• electronic board (electronic ballast)
• socle E27

Round printed circuit board- this is the board of the electronic ballast (electronic ballast), or in other words, the electronic ballast. The operating frequency of the electronic ballast is from 10 to 60 (kHz). In this regard, the stroboscopic effect of “blinking” is eliminated (the pulsation coefficient of the lamps is significantly reduced), which is present in fluorescent lamps assembled on electromagnetic control gear (based on a choke and starter) and operating at a mains frequency of 50 (Hz).

By the way, soon they will bring me a device for measuring the ripple coefficient. Let's measure and compare the ripple coefficients of an incandescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp with electronic ballast and ballast, and an LED lamp.

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The power wires from the base are very short, so do not pull sharply, otherwise you can tear them off.

First of all, you need to check the integrity of the filaments. There are two of them in this energy-saving lamp. They are marked on the board as A1-A2 and B1-B2. Their conclusions are wound on wire pins in several turns without the use of soldering.

Using a multimeter, check the resistance of each thread.

Thread A1-A2.

Filament A1-A2 is broken.

Thread B1-B2.

The second thread B1-B2 has a resistance of 9 (Ohm).

In principle, a burnt filament can be identified visually by the darkened areas of the glass on the flask. But still, you can’t do without measuring the resistance.

A burned-out filament A1-A2 can be shunted with a resistor with a rating similar to a working filament, i.e. about 9-10 (Ohm). I will install a resistor with a resistance of 10 (Ohm) with a power of 1 (Watt). This is enough.

I solder the resistor on the reverse side of the board to terminals A1-A2. Here's what happened.

Between the resistor and the board, you need to install a gasket (it is not yet in the photo). Now you need to check the lamp for operability.

The lamp is on. Now you can assemble the case and continue to operate it.

With such a repair, the start of the fluorescent lamp will occur with some flickering (about 2-3 seconds) - see the video for confirmation of this.

Faults encountered when repairing lamps

If the filaments in the lamp are working, then you can proceed to troubleshooting the electronic board (electronic ballast). Visually assess its condition for the presence mechanical damage, chips, cracks, burnt elements, etc. Also, do not forget to check the quality of soldering - this is a Chinese product.

In my example, the board looks clean, no cracks, chips, or burnt elements are observed.

Here is the most common electronic ballast circuit that is used in most compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Each manufacturer has its own slight differences (scatter in the parameters of the circuit elements depending on the lamp power), but general principle schema remains the same.

Can fail the following items fees:

• limiting resistor
• diode bridge
• smoothing capacitor
• transistors, resistors and diodes
• high voltage capacitor
• dinistor

Now let's talk about each element in more detail.

1. Limiting resistor

The circuit shows the FU fuse, but often it is simply missing, as in my example.

Its role is played by the input limiting resistor. If any malfunction occurs in the lamp (short current or overload), the current in the circuit increases and the resistor burns out, thereby breaking the power circuit. The resistor is seated in a heat shrink tube. One of its output is connected to the threaded contact of the base, and the second - to the board.

I decided to check this resistor - it turned out to be intact, which means we can conclude that there was no short circuit in the circuit - there was simply a break in the A1-A2 thread. The resistance of the resistor is 6.3 (Ohm).

If your resistor “does not ring”, then in any case you need to look for the reasons why it burned out (see later in the text). With a burnt resistor, the lamp will not light.

2. Diode bridge

Diode bridge VD1-VD4 is used to rectify mains voltage 220(B). It is made on 4 diodes of the brand 1N4007 HWD.

If the diodes are “broken”, then, accordingly, we replace them. When the diodes break down, the limiting resistor, as a rule, also burns out, and the lamp stops burning.

The electrolytic capacitor C1 smooths out the ripple of the rectified voltage. Very often it fails (loses capacity and swells), especially in Chinese lamps, so it will not be superfluous to check it. If it malfunctions, the lamp turns on poorly and buzzes.

It is green in the photo. It has a capacity of 4.7 (uF) with a voltage of 400 (V).

4. Transistors, resistors and diodes

A high-frequency generator (pulse converter) is assembled on two transistors VT3 and VT4. As transistors, high-voltage silicon transistors of the MJE13003 and MJE13001 series are used. For my 20-watt lamp, two transistors of the MJE13003 TO-126 series are installed.

To test transistors, they need to be soldered from the circuit, because. diodes, resistors and low-resistance windings of a toroidal transformer are connected between their junctions, which will be falsely reflected when measured with a multimeter. Resistors R3 and R4 often fail in the transistor base circuit - their value is about 20-22 (Ohm).

5. High voltage capacitor

If the lamp flickers strongly or glows in the area of ​​​​the electrodes, then most likely the reason for this is the breakdown of the high-voltage capacitor C5 connected between the filaments. This capacitor creates a high voltage pulse for the appearance of a discharge in the bulb. And if it is broken, then the lamp will not light up, and a glow will be observed in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe electrodes due to the heating of the spirals (filaments). By the way, this is one of the most common problems.

My lamp has a B472J 1200 (V) capacitor. If it fails, then it can be replaced with a capacitor with more high voltage e.g. 3.9 (nF) 2000 (V).

6. Dinistor

The VS1 dinistor (according to the DB3 scheme) looks like a miniature diode.

When the voltage between the anode and cathode reaches about 30 (V), it opens. Using a multimeter, it is not possible to check the dinistor, only its integrity - it should not “ring” in any direction. It fails much less frequently than the previous elements. Low-power lamps usually do not have a dinistor.

7. Toroidal transformer

Toroidal transformer T1 has an annular magnetic circuit, on which 3 windings are wound. The number of turns of each winding is in the range from 2 to 10. It practically does not fail.

I would like to note that the Sylvania lamp has a cold start, because. she does not have a PTC posistor (thermistor with a positive coefficient) in the circuit.

This means that when the lamp is turned on, current is supplied to the cold filaments (spirals), which negatively affects their service life, because. they do not preheat and burn out during a cold start from a current surge (similarly to incandescent lamps). But in our country, one of the filaments (A1-A2) just burned out and this is good to that confirmation.

With the RTS posistor installed, the current passes in series through the RTS posistor and the filaments, thereby smoothly heating them up. Then the resistance of the RTS posistor increases, ceasing to shunt the lamp, which leads to a voltage resonance on the capacitor C5 and the lamp electrodes. High voltage breaks through the gas in the bulb and the lamp ignites. This is called a hot start of the lamp, which has a positive effect on the life of the filaments.

Why do the electronic components of the board fail?

In fact, there may be several reasons: the use of defective elements, poor workmanship, improper operation (frequent switching on, low or high temperature). As you can see, among the failed lamps there are both Chinese manufacturers and well-known branded ones, such as Osram and Philips. Here, who cares.

If two filaments burned out at once, and the electronic ballast board remained intact, then it can be used to power a conventional tubular fluorescent lamp, thereby getting rid of the choke circuit with a starter, and reducing its ripple factor.

P.S. Dear readers and guests of the Electrician's Notes site, which of you have experience in repairing energy-saving lamps, I will be glad if you share your observations in the comments. Thank you for your attention.

93 comments on the entry “Do-it-yourself repair of an energy-saving lamp Sylvania with a power of 20 (W)”

“If you have two filaments burnt out at once, and the electronic ballast board remains intact, then it can be used to power a conventional tubular fluorescent lamp, thereby getting rid of the choke circuit with a starter, and reducing its ripple coefficient.”

Is reverse substitution allowed? That is, connect the bulb of the CFL lamp to the electronic ballast for a conventional tubular LL.

Reverse substitution is excluded.

Admin, why do filaments or controls burn out, are these miscalculations in the circuit or was it specially made by the manufacturer? I saw YouTube videos about "planned" aging, is this true?

Alexey, I don’t believe about planned aging. At the end of the article, I indicated the real reasons why the lamps fail.

Dmitry, in the photo, the toroidal tr-r, it seems, is not correctly indicated.
And one more question: can ordinary tubular LLs (at 20 and 40 (W)) also be “treated” with a resistor when the thread breaks? Thank you.

Where were you before?
I regularly restore CFL. He repaired electronic boards, but did not think of shunting the burnt spiral with a resistor.
I recently handed over a whole bag of flasks for recycling. Now I will try to solder the resistor.
Thanks for the advice!

You won’t believe it, but when I read about opening the case, one of these same lamps went out. As ordered))

Good evening. Interested in such a question, the MLT-1 resistor with a resistance of 10 (Ohm), Soviet-made? Or Russian? If the first option, where do such reserves come from?)

The article is useful only on the scale of an apartment, and only for tight-fisted owners))) I see no reason to do SO in production, especially state-owned. No one will give a medal 100%. And the article is very useful, thanks for the work!

Dmitry, your article about the repair of CFLs interested you. I got down to business at night looking (there was one lying around), did everything according to the instructions. The only thing, instead of 12 ohms (resistance of the whole thread), I soldered a 15 ohm shunt (which was found). Lamp WORKED! Well, I guess you can go to sleep with a sense of accomplishment. However, after a short lamp operation, I noticed that the bulb heats up very much (like LN). Why??? After all, this should not be. Is it the fault of the wrongly selected resistance or is it the very principle of the SHUNTA? Has something similar happened in your experience?

But what about improving ventilation by drilling the case?

Andrey, you are right, a Soviet-made resistor. Stocks have been preserved since the same time. Resistors and other semiconductor elements were purchased for the instrument repair group, which used to be part of our electrical laboratory. Now the group has been transferred to another unit, but the stocks remain.

Monsieur Serge, I repair them not for the sake of a medal, but solely for the sake of experience.

Anton, try replacing the resistor with 9-10 (Ohm) and repeat the experiment. My lamp doesn't get hotter than usual.

elalex, I did not drill holes for cooling on this instance, although it would not be bad.

Dmitry, maybe my question will seem silly to you, but still: The filament burned out, we are installing a shunt - due to what is the lamp ignited ??? After all, the thread remained in the flask burned out ???

I have a problem with the 18 X 4 epra. Replacing the epra is a painful task, the wiring diagram does not match the original, each time you have to remove the lamp and make new wiring for the new epra. Is it possible to repair a burnt epra?

Can you post a printable version?

The article is good, but only for those who are friends with electronics. For people far from such things, it will be easier to buy a new one than to look for a specialist to repair it. I don't think repairs will be cheaper than buying a new lamp.
Purely my opinion.

Thanks for the article, Dmitry. As always, everything is thoroughly disassembled, you can’t write better. For me, an innovation is shunting a burnt thread.

Thanks again!

I think that before you measure the resistance of the filaments and determine their integrity, you need to disconnect them from the circuit. Or am I wrong?

Sergey, not necessarily, there are no bypass chains.

Anton (for 10/16/14): Due to the 2nd filament - it emits electrons, and the soldered shunt resistance restores the circuit, which should work before the lamp is ignited (before the breakdown of the gas gap). After the lamp is ignited, this chain will not be needed. See the diagram in the article. An analogue of this chain in conventional tubular fluorescent lamps - electrical circuit, in which the starter is located (after the lamp is ignited, the starter is shunted by a circuit through the lamp itself, the resistance of which becomes small).

Dmitry, thanks for the article! I have a similar lamp with electronic ballast. The problem is this. Just yesterday, when the lamp was working, there was a small explosion. I got to the board, found, in the end, that the resistors R3 and R4 in the transistor base circuit (according to your scheme) - their value turned out to be somewhere around 7 ohms (judging by the colored circles) are faulty. Soldered, replaced with serviceable ones - when turned on again, a microexplosion - (
At the same time, I checked all the elements with the tester, and the capacitances of the capacitors, I did not find any deviations, about 300V comes to the capacitor C1. I don’t understand what the problem is, can you tell me what is the root cause of the failure of these resistances?

Thank you for the article. I restored two lamps))) In one, the contact on the spiral was soldered, in the other, the high-voltage capacitor was replaced.
On the way three more with broken threads. It remains to find resistors.

Andrei: Have you checked the transistors themselves? Often, due to overheating / not to bad design - I think everything is done this way on purpose in order to increase the supply of this rubbish / the transistors themselves or the rectifiers short out. In transistors, the emitter junction dies first, and from there ... Although there were things, / everything seems to be OK, but they don’t plow / in which the current transfer coefficient, well, just died. Yes, it floated, somewhere below 5 and even 3 units. Again, due to overheating. I “drilled” the cases with a soldering iron tip from the sides / while the case was disassembled /. Everything is fine. Another thing: The lamps burn longer with the base down, because the heat from the tubes heats the box when it is on top. Fact. Put them, it is better that they stand, and not that they “hang”. In addition, it is necessary from time to time to blow off dust and fried moths from /insufficient/ central holes on the cover of the case, which is from the side of the tubes. Clog the holes, and 3.14zdets convective cooling PPP. Those are already stretched well, up to their ears and without glasses. Further: it is better if you put a resistor in place of the burnt thread, then, before that, combine its two wires, breaking the track before / or after / the pin where we put the resistor. Emission improves, because the halves of the thread already plow at the same potentials.
Those. should plow. And we'll see there.

Installed a 10 ohm resistor. Combined 2 wires. When connected to one of the terminals of the resistor, it lit up. The end of the flask is heated, where the broken spiral is. The plastic melts.

Admin, probably a stupid question, but why is the resistance 1W? There is a lamp for 11W Ecolight. I checked the coils, one is dead, the second is 12.3 ohms. There is a resistance of 12 Ohm / 0.25W. Can I install it and what can happen in my case, I would not want to start a fire when I first repair the lamps??? Read about Ohm's law. The power of the resistance can be calculated, but I only know the resistance of the resistor. And what voltage is applied to the filaments or what current flows through them?

Everything is fine, but about shunting a burnt thread is frankly bad advice, it can end in a depressurization of the bulb, an electronic ballast, or even a fire. Filaments in fluorescent lamps, as a rule, do not burn out just like that, an emitter paste is sprayed from them during operation (which is clearly seen by the appearance of a characteristic “soot” on the lamp bulb near the filament), and since. pure metal has the worst emissivity, then the thread begins to heat up more, up to bright white heat and melting of the glass of the bulb along with the plastic of the base.

It is possible to shunt (a simple jumper is enough, the resistor is superfluous) the thread is possible only when the emission is normal, and for example, the thread was simply shaken off. And then such a lamp will be a time bomb. In fairness, the savings are all of them, because the electronic ballasts have no protection (the fuse does not count, and there are instances where it is not) in general! He will thresh what is called to the bitter end. This fully applies to the simplest Chinese electronic ballasts for linear lamps, in fact, they have a one-to-one scheme. The proprietary electronic ballast will simply turn off.

And here it should be noted that “thick” lamps, compared to compact flasks, have completely different operating parameters (lower voltage, but more current) and therefore it is not entirely correct to connect them to electronic ballasts from CFLs. The lamp will be underloaded (and since the filaments during operation are heated directly by the discharge current, then if the filaments are underloaded, the emitter will be intensively sprayed from them, because they are designed for a certain operating temperature, which is achieved at rated current, and as a result, the lamp will die faster), and the ballast itself will be overloaded. Therefore, you can only connect lamps that are similar in total length / diameter of the lamp tube. And it would be nice to measure the actual power consumption of the resulting “centaur”, which, in the absence of the necessary devices, is easiest to do by powering the electronic ballast from direct current(a network rectifier with a sufficient filter capacity, available as part of a computer power supply unit, for example). It is more convenient to measure the current consumption indirectly, without breaking the circuit, by connecting the electronic ballast to the rectifier through a low-resistance resistor with a known resistance.

By the way, when repairing electronic ballasts, it is highly desirable to make the first switch-on through a light bulb, if something is wrong, and there is a short stack in the circuit, then there will be no “microexplosion”, but only the light bulb will light up. The power of a light bulb of 60-75 watts, or even 40, is quite enough. The principle here is the following - it is better to start with less power, and if the electronic ballast as a whole behaves adequately, then you can try with a larger bulb power, and then directly to the network.

And it is also useful to increase the filter capacitor, at the rate of 1 uF per 1 W of electronic ballast power, or simply whatever one fits. Its mode is very difficult, the ripple range on it is under 100 V!

Admin, a reverse replacement (a CFL bulb to an electronic ballast of direct lamps) is allowed, since these are absolutely identical electronic ballasts, they only differ in the form of the board. By the way, if you adapt the bulb from CFL to the electronic ballast of ordinary direct lamps of the LB20 type and the like, then both the bulb and the electronic ballast will live much longer (In CFLs, the bad thing is that when the lamp is operated with the base up, the electronic ballast is SIMPLY FRIED from the heat of the bulb, and therefore fails

Edward, you can't do that! The modes of CFL flasks and direct lamps are different, which I actually mentioned above. In this case, we will overload the "thin" tube of the flask, it will live brightly, but not for long.

But about the operation of the base up - I agree.

I repaired a 55 W CFL, instead of a standard EPR, I installed 30 W from a lamp, I just replaced the transistors with more powerful s13007 and a 47 microfarad filter capacitor. Works more than half a year and to this day. The decrease in brightness is not noticeable. At work, I'm tired of buzzing lamps 2x36 watts. I had epra from 105 watts with a 6U bulb. I redid 3 lamps - they have been working perfectly for two years now. Changed 2 or 3 lamps in all the time due to a break in the glow.

Thank you for the article.
In the paragraph where it is said about the transformer, in the picture the arrow indicates the throttle. The transformer is located behind it, wound on a ferite ring.

Thank you for the article. I encountered the fact that when the lamp in the room is turned off, it starts blinking with a period of 5-10 seconds, what could it be. The lamp is new.

Were handed over for recycling more than 20 lamps 30-55 watts. Began to understand. The reason for the failure is the same for everyone, the electronic ballast burned out, the filaments are intact. It can be seen standing in hermetically sealed lamps, hence the overheating. Regarding the use of electronic ballasts with tubular lamps of 18 watts, 2.5 years the flight is normal, provided that electronic ballasts are used from an 18 watt saving lamp. I set it from a more powerful 20-26 watts for half a year and the spiral burns out on a tubular lamp. I also use serviceable electronic ballasts as electronic transformer with 12 Volt stabilizer for LEDs and LED strip
2 years, no complaints so far. I just had to fix the radiators on the transistors. I also use restored lamps with different bulbs and electronic ballasts, but of the same power, they have been working for 3-4 years. I will try to light lamps with a shunt, I tried without a shunt, they heat up.

Thank you, you were right, now I let the phase through the switch, the lamp stopped blinking, but some kind of flashes pass through it. This is probably due to the low quality of the lamp itself, as you already wrote.

I soldered the resistor, the lamp shone for about five minutes, farted and went out, it was hot. I think it does not take into account the resistance of the cold and hot spiral. When the spirals heat up, their resistance grows, and the resistor, as it was 10 ohms, remained. Maybe this method is not suitable for low-powered ones, or you need to play with the resistance of the resistor. Lamp 11 W.

I’ll try to make a modest contribution to the topic)) the reason for at least 8 out of 10 malfunctions in the electronic ballast circuit is a breakdown of the high-voltage capacitor in the ignition circuit (the one for 1kV) I tried to fix faulty CFLs - almost everyone came to life after replacing it.

The mains voltage in my house is 259V, CFLs burn out from overheating. Can I try to convert them to overvoltage by unwinding the wire at the output of the step-up transformer of the electronic ballast?

Yaroslav 05/20/2015 at 16:13
And if the voltage is restored, will you wind up? And how do the other appliances of the apartment, probably also suffer?
In the first case, cut off 10-15V throughout the apartment with an autotransformer, continuously record the network voltage statistics, and then we'll see.

Yaroslav, contact the power supply - 259 (V) - this is the voltage value above the maximum permissible norm. Let them reduce, because this is a violation.

Thanks for the advice, but I live on a farm with 10 yards. The voltage has been at least 250V for many years, statements do not help. Is that to collect some sort of paper evidence and go to court. Each TV works through a separate stabilizer. Technique of times Soviet Union it is not afraid of such voltage, except for a vacuum cleaner - it burned out after a few minutes of operation, but in a city where the voltage was normal, it worked for many years. Incandescent bulbs are brighter and burn out faster. So I thought about the alteration of technology. As for winding, I don’t think it will be needed, since an underestimated voltage will not be as critical as an overestimated one. The modern radio has already been redesigned by adding a KREN142 stabilizer microcircuit to the circuit.

Find a powerful autotransformer and feed everything if you still have 250 all the time.

I see the topic is still relevant, so the question! Empirically, I myself tried to do these bypasses half a year ago. The lamp in the base area warms up to high temperature and as a result, after a couple of hours of work, the circuit burns out, what exactly did not pick. I imagine purely theoretically that the lamps in the ceiling lamps of the tube which (20,40,80) have the same principle as energy saving ones. On the ceiling I assembled a circuit with a multiplier on 4 diodes and capacitances, it is used in the event of a break in the filaments, there are a lot of articles on the net. But won't this small tube explode from an energy-saving device if it is revived with a circuit on a multiplier? Who has tried???

Isn't it easier to buy (or assemble) a stabilizer? there are amateur simple stabilizer circuits just based on an autotransformer with electronic tap switching

I would like to see ... A transformer with four or five taps will be of little use, because. too “wide” will be the steps of adjusting the output, and even this must be able to wind, make bends, oh, it’s not so simple. There are circuits, it’s not a question, but it’s also necessary to tie everything to an autotransformer, find good, high-quality relays, create a circuit that does not allow short circuits of the tr-ra sections when moving from stage to stage and many times a day. Chesslovo, it's easier to find a good ready-made one.

Colleagues, I have about five working flasks and several different ballasts, all from 15-20W lamps. But I forgot how to connect the bulb threads to the ballast, because the last time I repaired it was 2 years ago. Does it matter which thread, so to speak, do they have “+” and “-” or does it matter where to fasten? And do the threads need to be screwed on or can they be soldered to the ballast?

Eugene, + and - no, you can screw it on as convenient, one pair to the left, the second to the right of the capacitor. The board should have matching pins.
I usually changed the pins to new ones, because. old in oxide.
In order not to damage the flask, I didn’t put much effort on the threads, so it’s not always possible to wind it up with high quality, especially on small boards. Therefore, in addition, I also soldered a little.

On the advice of the author, he repaired lamps by shunting a burned-out spiral with resistance. As a result, the lamp works for a maximum of 3 hours and burns out. I don’t see the point of poking around. Moreover, LED ones already cost less than 200 rubles, you need to switch to modern technologies. In general, the site is useful and necessary, thanks to the author for the work.

Unfortunately, shunting is fraught and more often the result will be negative. It is better to immediately put these in a box and then take them to a collection point.

In general, the previous one correctly noted - you need to go to LED: on AliExpress, "corn" 25 W for 130 rubles.

Moreover, unlike CFL, there is no danger that it will break.

And most importantly - a possible repair is an order of magnitude simpler: no RF generators - a simple decrease to the supply voltage of the garland.

And if the diode (dark dot) is dead, then write out a roll of SMD5730 (100 pcs) on Ali there for possible repair.

1- your corn is also sometimes fed through a more complex ballast than just a capacitor, and HF. there too.
2- degradation of crystals in simple circuits nutrition is a traditional phenomenon, burnout is cheap in large quantities.
If we recall the conversation about LL and so on, then similarly, good LED lamps cannot be cheap.
3- Ali and so on. they will sell anything, but will the current-voltage characteristics of these diodes be close to your old ones?
4- there is no danger of breaking, but heating?

Hello, there is an error in the article. One of the photos shows not a toroidal transformer, but an output inductor. The transformer, as the name implies, has a ring-shaped core.

Artem, I have known what TOR is for a long time, but if this is written in the prospectus, then what should the layman do?

Good day!
I recently encountered such a problem. For some reason, the filaments of the lamp begin to overheat and fail. Those. places in the flask darken and the plastic in this place is already charred.
What could be the matter? If the capacitors shunting the flask are not broken and the RTS is normal.

In the picture *29.jpg, the torroidal transformer is incorrectly indicated.
The arrow points to the choke, and the transformer itself is partially visible
on the same picture.

Repair of energy-saving lamps allows you to fully restore the performance of light sources. To successfully repair a light bulb, you must adhere to a certain scheme that indicates the principles of connecting and operating the lighting system.

Is it worth it to repair energy-saving lamps

The decision whether or not to repair a lamp depends largely on the number of faulty light sources. If we are talking about a single burned-out light bulb, you should not mess with the laborious repair process. When there are a lot of lamps, repairs make economic sense. From the parts of several lamps, it is really possible to assemble one that will be workable. It is known from practice that to assemble one light bulb, you will need parts from 3-4 damaged light sources.



Should know! Any lamp is designed for a certain service life and is characterized by a limited switching reserve. The service life is most often indicated in hours (for example, 10 or 20 thousand hours).

When deciding to repair a lamp, it is worth considering the upcoming costs. You will have to spend money on buying parts (if they cannot be taken from light bulbs that have burned out), on a trip to the store or to the market. In addition, the process of searching for and causes is quite laborious, so you should take into account the time spent.

Note! Repaired lamps often have a defect: the lighting is connected with some delay.

Principle of operation and scheme

Energy saving lamps include several components:

• flask with electrodes;
• threaded or pin base;
• electronic control gear.

Energy-saving light bulbs use a built-in ballast. Due to this, the small size of the device is achieved.

The principle of functioning of "housekeepers" is as follows:

1. As a result of the voltage supply, the electrodes heat up. As a result, electrons are released.
2. In a flask filled with gas (inert gas or mercury vapor), elementary particles interact with mercury atoms. A plasma is produced that produces ultraviolet radiation.
3. However, ultraviolet light is invisible to the human eye. Therefore, in the design of the device there is a special substance (phosphor) that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and instead gives off ordinary light.



Wiring diagram for an 11 W energy-saving light bulb:



Causes of bulb failure

Before repairing the lamp, it must be disassembled to determine the cause of the breakdown.

The best way to fix the problem is a systematic action. Therefore, we will carry out the work, observing a clear sequence:

1. We are preparing a set of tools.
2. We dismantle the lamp.
3. Finding and fixing bugs.
4. We assemble the lamp in the reverse order.

To perform the repair, you will need the following tools:

• flat screwdriver;
• multimeter;
• soldering iron for 25–30 W, as well as a soldering kit.

Dismantling is carried out in the following order:

1. First, unfasten the flask from the base. The operation should be performed with extreme caution to maintain the integrity of the base. The parts of the light bulb are joined together by latches. To disassemble the device, it is recommended to use a screwdriver with a thin but wide sting. One of the latches is usually located where the technical data of the light bulb is indicated. We direct the screwdriver into the slot and gently turn the halves apart. Next, we advance the screwdriver in a circle - until the lamp is divided into two parts, and then unfasten the base and bulb.
2. Disconnect the wires going to the filaments. Two pairs of wires are attached to the flask (they are the filaments), in order to test for serviceability, they must be disconnected. The threads are usually not soldered, but wound on wire pins in several turns. In this regard, the detachment of the threads is usually not difficult.
3. We check the lamp filaments for operability. In the flask, most often there is a pair of spirals with a resistance of 10–15 ohms. We check with a multimeter. If the threads are not damaged, then the problem is most likely in the ballast. And vice versa: with damaged threads, the ballast is intact.



Note! It is important to proceed carefully so as not to accidentally break the wiring extending from the bulb base.

Troubleshooting

One of possible causes breakdown of the device - short circuit and breakdown. First, we inspect the board for visible external damage. You need to inspect the diagram from both sides. External damage includes areas that are deformed or blackened from burning.

Advice! Even with obvious external damage, it is recommended to check the entire circuit.

Fuse

Finding a fuse is easy. This design component combines the base and the board. The fuse is treated with an insulator from above and docked with a resistor.

You will need a multimeter to test the fuse. We place one of the contact probes in the area with a fuse, and bring the other to the board. We measure the resistance. If everything is in order, this figure will be approximately 10 ohms. In the case of a burned out lamp, the multimeter will determine the unit.

If the cause of the failure is the fuse, it must be dismantled. You need to “bite off” the fuse closer to the resistor case. This approach will enable trouble-free soldering of a new element.

Flask

Before checking the board, you should look at the condition of the electrodes in the flask. Burnt thread should be replaced. In the absence of the same thread, a resistor with the same resistance level can be used. We solder the resistor in parallel with the burnt spiral. We also check the performance of all semiconductors on the board.

Transistors and resistors

To check the state of the transistors, we first remove them from the circuit. This must be done, since the p-n junctions are shunted in the transformer winding. If a breakdown is detected, it is allowed to replace the transistor with the same one, with the same parameters. Moreover, the dimensions of the transistor housing may be different, but the performance characteristics must be identical.

We check the resistance of the resistors in the same way - using a multimeter. Rated resistance indicators are usually indicated on the device case. If there is another (serviceable) light bulb, we compare the work of all elements, ringing them one by one.

Capacitors

The procedure for checking the capacitor is the same as in the case of the previously named components. If there is a malfunction, this element must be replaced.



A faulty capacitor is easy to recognize by its deformity. Bloating is usually observed, streaks are noticeable. Capacitor failure is the most common cause failure of inexpensive Chinese-made lamps.

Based on the measurements made, we draw a number of conclusions:

1. If the filament breaks, the ballast is most likely in good condition.
2. If the thread burns out, it can be restored.
3. If everything is in order with the bulb of the lamp, we are talking about a malfunction of the ballast.

Ballast repair

First of all, the ballast must be inspected for burnt components. Problems are indicated by swollen capacitances, deformed transistor cases, traces of burning. When the replacement of these elements does not lead to the restoration of the lamp, it will be necessary to check the entire circuit.

On fig. 3 shows a typical diagram of a ballast. It applies, with minor modifications, to all ballasts.



The symbols in the diagram are deciphered in the following figure.



Coil L1 and capacitance C1 act as a noise filter. In low-quality Chinese products, a jumper is installed instead of a coil.

The L2 coil is equipped with a certain number of turns - from 250 to 350. They are wound with a wire with a diameter of 0.2 mm on a ferrite core. The detail is made in the form of the letter Ш and looks like a small transformer.

Transformer T1 has 3 to 9 turns. The most commonly used wire with a diameter of 0.3 mm. A ferrite ring acts as a magnetic conductor.

The FY1-0.5 A fuse is usually not included in the configuration of Chinese products. In such cases, a low-resistance resistance (R1) acts as a fuse. This part burns out most often. Replacing it rarely allows you to restore the lamp's performance, since a blown fuse is a consequence, not the cause of the problem.



Ballast Troubleshooting

The sequence of actions is as follows:

1. Change the fuse resistor. Problems with the ballast are almost always associated with the burnout of the resistor.
2. Looking for faults. Most often, containers fail, so we start the search with them. Using a soldering iron, solder capacitors C3-C5. Next, test them with a multimeter. If there is a slight glow of the bulb in the area of ​​​​the filaments, it is almost certainly necessary to replace the capacitance C5. She refers to oscillatory circuit, which is involved in the creation of a high-voltage pulse that causes a discharge. With a burnt-out capacity, the lamp will not be able to enter the operating mode, although there will be a power supply on the spiral, which manifests itself as a glow.
3. If no problems are found with the capacitances, we check the diodes in the bridge. Testing is carried out without soldering the diodes from the board. If at least one of the diodes is faulty, there is a high probability of breaking through the capacitance C2. Swollen C2 detected - this is almost certainly one or more bridge diodes burned out.
4. Suppose that the elements described above remain operational, then we check the transistors. In this case, you can not do without soldering, since the strapping will not allow you to get accurate results when measuring.
5. When the source of the problem is found, we check the functioning of the light source by powering the base. We perform this operation carefully, since life-threatening voltage is supplied to the board.
6. As soon as the lamp is working, turn off the power and start the assembly process.

Burnt thread repair

Repair work with the thread entails the operation of the ballast in an emergency mode. This means that if a serious overload occurs, the ballast will fail. In the absence of overloads, the lamp usually continues to function smoothly for 9-18 months. The service life depends on the parts used in the circuit, as well as their quality.

In case of burnout of only one thread, we shunt it with resistance. How to do this is shown in the figure.



To create a shunt resistance (Rsh), it is recommended to install a resistor whose resistance is equal to the second (intact) filament. However, this approach is not completely reliable, since we measured the resistance of the "cold" thread. If you install an equivalent resistor, then there is a risk that it will soon burn out. Therefore, it is better to install a resistor with a nominal resistance of 22 ohms and a power of 1 watt or more.

Assembling an energy-saving lamp

Before starting the assembly process, we check the "housekeeper" so that it does not turn out that the already assembled light bulb is not functioning. After connecting the wiring, we screw the lamp into the cartridge (turning off the power supply in advance). A lighted up and not flickering lamp indicates the correctness of the previous actions.

We determine in advance whether the electronic control gear is suitable for its niche in the housing. If necessary, bend the resistance capacitors. At the same time, we make sure that there is no closure. Next, we assemble the lamp and glue the torn off elements (if any after careless dismantling).



Prevention

Breakdowns of 220 V energy-saving lamps occur due to the following reasons:

1. Short circuit. The source of the problem lies either in a factory defect, or in insufficient heat dissipation. Overheating of a light bulb or ballast circuit occurs when the insulating layer is broken, which leads to a short circuit. Reliable ventilation and improved heat outflow allow avoiding such a development of events.
2. Breakdown of the ballast. The problem is usually in factory defects, when the manufacturer strives to produce the cheapest possible product. Significant fluctuations in mains voltage also lead to breakdowns. If the problem is in the differences, it is recommended to put a stabilizer at the input to the room.
3. Burnt out filament. It is impossible to prevent it from burning out. In the event of a similar problem, there is nothing left but to replace or repair the light bulb.

Modernization of an energy-saving lamp



If desired, you can give the lamp a second life by upgrading it. To do this, we put an NTC thermistor between the filaments. This element allows you to limit the starting current. As a result, the risk of burnt filaments is reduced.

An important point: the thermistor should not be installed near the ballast, as in this case it will overheat and fail.

Repairing an energy-saving light bulb with your own hands is a very painstaking work, but quite feasible for anyone. Repairing a broken light bulb is much cheaper than buying a new one, especially when it comes to a lot of broken light sources.

An energy-saving lamp is in every home. Is there any harm, why energy-saving lamps burn out or smell, what to do if the light bulb flashes, cracks or breaks, you will learn from this article.

In this article, we will consider the following questions:

Energy-saving lamps include lamps that work on glow effects due to the luminescence of the phosphor and the emissivity of LEDs. They have a traditional design: a glass flask mounted in a base (cartridge).

The action of the lamps is based on the start of a gas-discharge process that causes the glow of a phosphor concentrated on the walls of the glass bulb of the lamp. The gas discharge process is caused by a high voltage acting on a gaseous medium consisting of an inert gas and mercury vapor. This process is called the avalanche emission of electrons from the cathode towards another electrode.

Modern energy-saving lamps do not require separate power sources, they use the type of cartridge familiar to incandescent lamps, they are technologically advanced and meet electrical safety requirements.

Why is an energy-saving light bulb harmful?

Due to the fact that the gaseous environment of a fluorescent lamp contains a certain amount of mercury vapor, as a result of which there is a danger of poisoning. Long-term human contact with mercury vapor and its chemical compounds ends in death, but it should also be understood that even short-term contact can cause poisoning and even a neurological disease - mercurialism.



The glass bulb of a fluorescent lamp emits ultraviolet radiation, which can be dangerous for people with sensitive skin. Its danger lies in the impact on the eyes, damaging the retina and cornea.

Harm from energy saving light bulbs is the danger of poisoning with mercury vapor and exposure to the cornea and retina of the ultraviolet radiation.

Energy-saving light bulbs on the market are positioned not only as economical, but they are also more reliable than incandescent lamps. The fashion includes various devices facilitating the life of a person in a metropolis. These are light switches. If the illumination is carried out by a neon light bulb, then the lamp is constantly energized, which leads to its premature resource consumption and rapid failure.



Another reason that energy-saving lamps burn out quickly may be a closed ceiling or other enclosed space where ventilation is difficult. Answer the question: " Why do energy saving light bulbs burn out? " analysis of the circuit for its inclusion, power surges will also allow. As the saying goes, nothing is eternal.

Why do energy-saving lamps smell or stink?

A foreign smell from an energy-saving lamp may be due to the heating of its plastic elements. The semiconductor elements of the power supply located in the base of the lamp operate in key mode. This is the most difficult mode of operation of switching elements - transistors in terms of energy. There are transistors on the board without heatsinks, heat removal is minimal, through a plastic case. Therefore, the smell can be given by the plastic elements used in the electric lamp.

If an odor is detected, the source should be carefully examined. Because the smell can be given not only by the lamp, but also by the cartridge into which it is inserted, and the insulation of the supply wires. The element that emits the smell must be replaced with a new, serviceable one. It is important to know that the cartridge into which the light bulb is inserted also has a limit on the power of the inserted load. This load should never be exceeded.

There have also been cases where the source of the odor was the varnish that was used to coat the circuit board of the lamp's power supply. This is evidence of the dishonesty of the lamp manufacturer, who decided to use an inappropriate element in the product. To avoid this, it is necessary to control the standards on the packaging of the lamp, which the lamps must comply with. The more standards a lamp meets, the better. The lamp emitting an unpleasant odor must be replaced.

The smell from energy-saving light bulbs should be the reason for the search for a possible source of ignition. Serviceable elements work practically without a smell.

Why do the energy-saving lamps that are off flash?

The flashing of electric lamps is clearly visible at night or in a dark room. These are such noticeable flashes of light with a frequency of about once per second. Here, the problem may also be hidden in the backlit switch. There is no problem on switches that do not have such a backlight.

The reason is as follows. Every energy-saving lamp has a capacitor that starts the lamp. When the switch is off, its LED lights up. This means that a small electric current passes through it (from the network and through our energy-saving lamp).



It is this small flowing current that charges the capacitor, which in certain moment time starts the energy-saving lamp. Then a small flash occurs and the capacitor discharges again and the process repeats. That's why energy-saving light bulbs flicker.

Why does an energy-saving light bulb flicker?

An extraneous sound effect occurs due to a malfunction of the power supply elements of the lamp itself. Recall that it works in a pulsed mode, if the elements of the power supply fail, an unpleasant chirring may occur.

The sound may also be of contact origin due to poor contact in the cartridge. If the effect is of contact origin, then it is easily eliminated by restoring good contact. First of all, it is necessary to tighten the lamp in the cartridge more strongly.

When positive result is not achieved in this way, it is necessary, with the switch off and the lamp unscrewed, to try to push the tongue of the lamp on which it sits in the cartridge. The last experiment is to replace the lamp with a new one or check it in another cartridge.

When an energy-saving light bulb crackles, it is necessary to check the lamp itself and the cartridge in which it is included.

What to do if the light bulb is broken

When an energy-saving lamp breaks, carefully collect the remains of the lamp, observing safety precautions. This is to ventilate the room so that the remnants of mercury vapor evaporate. Wet cleaning indoors, use a soapy water solution.



When cleaning, use rubber gloves, after cleaning thoroughly, wash your hands with soap, removing all possible remnants of the lamp from the room.

How to dispose of energy saving light bulbs?

It must be remembered that fluorescent lamps are not thrown away as ordinary garbage, where they break and everyone breathes mercury vapor, but recycling of energy saving light bulbs is carried out by handing them over to the appropriate collection points.



Outcome

There are many problems with fluorescent-type energy-saving lamps. The most common are flashing, sound effects and extraneous unpleasant odors can occur. In order to prevent these phenomena, it is necessary to choose lamps from time-tested manufacturers that meet a large number of international standards (from five), use energy-saving LED-type lamps.

Video: Energy-saving lamp flashes. Causes and how to fix

That which does not let light through
It deprives itself of it.

Marcus Aurelius




You go into the apartment, turn on the light ... no, somewhere we have already heard this. Last week, we dealt with the causes of burnout incandescent lamps. Now let's try to understand why energy-saving lamps burn out.

Energy-saving fluorescent lamps are much more complex than incandescent lamps. And that means there are more elements that can break. Let's first understand what a fluorescent lamp is, what it is made of, and what is the principle of its operation. Based on this data, we will be able to understand all the causes of burnout and other malfunctions and, most importantly, we will understand how to avoid them.




Oddly enough, an energy-saving lamp also has incandescent filaments, or rather electrodes, and, by the way, also made of tungsten, only covered with oxides of expensive metals such as strontium, barium and zinc. True, the principle of operation of this design is different, hence the many times lower energy consumption. The bulb of such a lamp is coated with a phosphor from the inside. It is worth noting that when you are at work in the office, as a rule, you have long fluorescent lamps above your head, either 60 or 120 cm. Such lamps have the same principle of operation, but in their design they do not have electronic components, which are placed separately in the lamp, and are covered with a cheaper phosphor, and therefore are cheaper. Office lamps are also called fluorescent lamps. Such lamps have even more harmful radiation than home ones.




So, in the dark, you have found a saving switch, click, and the light comes on. What is happening in the lamp at this moment? Did you notice that it flares up gradually? This time it's not quite easy. The design of the lamp has an electronic unit, which, at the moment you switch the switch, generates an increased voltage that is needed to ignite the lamp. If the lamp does not light up, then it generates a discharge again and again, and so on until it lights up, usually it takes more than one or two seconds.

The flask is coated from the inside with a phosphor and filled with atomic mercury vapor. When a sharp pulse is applied to the electrodes, an electric arc occurs under the influence of current. Electrons begin to move through the lamp and interact with mercury vapor. The interaction of electrons with mercury results in ultraviolet radiation, which, passing through the phosphor, is converted into a glow. Now you know why the lamp flares up gradually.




Next, we briefly consider the remaining components of the lamp. There is a fuse at the input to the lamp, it is also a limiting resistor. It straightens out the tension. It is followed by a choke (the electronic unit described above) and a capacitor. also in modern lamps there is a diode bridge, which is also included in the noise-immune lamp power circuit. In lamps good quality, and, accordingly, more expensive, most often they also put a fusible link. What it is? This is an element made of fusible material, which, in case of overvoltages and short circuits, will melt and break the lamp power circuit, preventing it from igniting. The whole complex of components is called electronic ballast - electronic control gear.

If you follow our blog, then remember that in one of my previous articles I described the problems of burning out incandescent lamps due to overvoltage and poor-quality wiring. All these reasons are also dangerous for an energy-saving lamp. Any components of the circuit can fail, which means more danger and you need to be more careful. But there are also extraordinary or non-obvious reasons that not everyone knows about.




The next reason is overheating. And it happens if you put the lamp in closed shades. It is better not to do this, since in this case the lamp sometimes does not have time to cool down or does not have the opportunity to cool down at all. The cause of overheating can also be the frequent switching on and off of the lamp. Only in addition to overheating, in this case there is also a strong load on the electronic ballast, which is also not particularly good.




The last main reason is low-quality lamps. Never buy cheap Chinese lamps. A Russian proverb says "the miser pays twice". Cheap lamps are made at an incomprehensible factory from obviously low-quality components and without any production control. Sometimes it comes to the point that even the plastic is of poor quality and the lamp starts to melt and stink in the ceiling. Sometimes components just burn out. More expensive trusted brands conduct quality control at all stages of production and reject lamps as they do not meet the standards at one stage or another. Rejected lamps are often sold under some unknown brand. No one can tell you how a low-quality lamp will behave, it can simply burn out, or maybe start a fire. Beware of low-quality lamps!

Using the tips above, you will extend the life of the lamps and protect yourself from unforeseen situations. Hope you enjoyed!

Energy-saving lamps, which, by the way, are very expensive, designed to save us HUGE AMOUNT on electricity, suddenly burn out. Not really bothering, I attributed it to quality, and only when I successively replaced several dozen lamps, this fact made me think and study the issue more deeply. What is the problem?

As it turned out, the resource of an energy-saving lamp depends more not on the duration of burning, but on the number of on and off. So, if you see that your lamp is flashing after turning off, these are the very “on / off” that reduce its resource at a tremendous speed just when you are not aware of it. A month or two later - bang - and the lamp died.

So I had to figure out why the lamp is FLASHING, especially since, in my irrepressible desire to save money, I began to switch to EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE lamps - LEDs. Flashing LED bulbs does not reduce their life, but it is much more noticeable and more annoying because they flash faster and brighter, and it is almost impossible to sleep in such a situation. And here's what I found...


What causes energy saving and LED lamps to flash when the switch is off?

This phenomenon is not only annoying, but also spoils the lamp, shortening its service life. As electricians write, flashing (periodic flashing) of energy-saving light bulbs when the switch is off occurs for the following reasons:

1. Illuminated switch: they have an LED installed or neon lamp. When the switch is off, a current flows through the signal light circuit, which charges the electronic ballast capacitor (inside the energy-saving lamp) - the voltage reaches the operating threshold and the lamp flashes. The capacitor is instantly discharged because the current that flows through the lamp is insufficient for normal operation of the energy-saving lamp, and it goes out. The process is repeated, as the capacitor charges and discharges, endlessly ...

Some manufacturers have solved this problem by shunting the lamp, others by increasing the lamp “ignition” delay time.

2. Defective wiring. According to the rules, the switch must break phase wire. In fact, this is only in 50% of cases ... In the good old days, electricians used single-color wires that our industry produced (APPV2x2.5) when installing wiring. The color of the wire does not affect the performance, but it makes it very difficult to mark when installing junction boxes. It is because of this that chandeliers and switches are incorrectly connected in houses with “old” wiring.

How to solve the problem of flashing energy-saving and LED lamps?

- if the switch is with an indicator, we cut it off (maybe not on all models of switches), or change the switch.
- if the switch is connected incorrectly (it breaks not the phase circuit, but the zero one), then it is necessary to re-switch the connections in the junction box ...

You can solve the problem without removing the backlight and without redoing the wiring:

- screwing one into the chandelier ordinary lamp incandescent. And be sure to one of the cartridges, which is turned off by a backlit key;
- by shunting the chandelier with a capacitor 0.05MkF * 400V
- the purchase of energy-saving lamps with the so-called "soft start" ...

The flashing lights also happen when the switch is on.

If the lamps blink when the light is on, blink (completely go out and flash), most likely this is a lamp malfunction - the exhaustion of its resource. At the end of the resource, a decrease in the brightness of the glow can also be observed.

Slight fluctuations in brightness can tell us about mains failures (bad contact, voltage fluctuations ...)

There is also the effect of "flickering" of ordinary cheap incandescent bulbs. This happens for the following reasons:
option number 1 in one chandelier - most likely the chandelier cartridge is faulty and needs to be replaced. (if not, then check the entire chain - chandelier - switch)

option No. 2 in more than one chandelier - (options No. 1 are very rare, in several rooms at once) most likely there is a loss of contacts in the junction box circuit - the electrical panel, or in the panel itself. Such malfunctions, as a rule, are emphasized when a powerful device is connected to the network (iron, kettle ...)

This process is quite insidious. He can easily leave you without light, at the most inopportune moment. Worst case scenario, fire...

Illuminated switches - they are so convenient! Especially when you need to get to the toilet at night! Therefore, in my case, I solved the problem by installing one incandescent lamp in the chandelier. Hopefully I can save now!