Energy to a light blub, very basic question

[metomeya]

Okay, like I'm mentioned before i'm a complete noob.......


Anyways a flourescent lightbulb, you know how it has two prongs on each side (a total of four).

Can you tell which ones are negative, or positive? Is it positive on one side, and negative on the other. Or is one prong negative and one positive for each side?


I think its a custom sized one, how do you suggestion I go about hooking it up for power (one 15 watt flourescent tube, about 8" to 10" inches)?



thanks

 

[SPDCHK]

This might help

Fluorescent Lamps, Ballasts, and Fixtures

 

[metomeya]

Well let me ask this, if I only have the wattage and # of bulbs to go by..(15 watts, 16 bulbs).

How do I know what voltage, and hertz to buy for my ballast?

 

[audioguru]

A ballast will power only one or two fluorescent tubes.
The voltage and Hertz ratings of the ballast must match your mains AC electricity.

You should select a ballast that is made for powering the tubes you have. Your tubes should have part numbers on them. The proper ballast will list the part number of the tube it is designed for.

 

[Hero999]

. .

 

[metomeya]

problem is its proprietary parts.

I found one ballast that does 4, 17-watt bulbs

I have 16, 15-watt bulbs.

So can connect four of these ballasts together for my 16 bulbs?

 

[Hero999]

What do you mean by proprietary parts? There are standarda for fluroescent tubes.

Have you read the page posted by SPDCHK or the pdf I attached in my previous post?

There are 100s of different types of fluroescent tubes and ballasts. A tube requires current limiting and a ballast should be designed to work with a specific tube (or pair of tubes) at a certain voltage and frequency.

Whether you can use a ballast designed for 17W bulbs with depends on the current and voltage drop of the tubes.

Are these linear (straight) tubes or are they compact fluroescent tubes?

Look at the part number on the ballast, find a datasheet.

You are not providing enough information here.

Two tubes might have the same power requirements but different driving requirements. Larger diameter tubes always require more current than narrower ones and longer tubes will have a higher voltage drop. For example a 15W T8 tube will require a different ballast to a 15W T4 tube (I don't know if either actually exist this was just an example), the former will have a higher current requirement but a lower voltage drop while the latter will have a higher voltage drop and a lower current requirement.

 

[audioguru]

I found one ballast that does 4, 17-watt bulbs

I have 16, 15-watt bulbs.

So can connect four of these ballasts together for my 16 bulbs?

The ballasts don't connect together. They are completely separate from each other.

Since the ballast is not made for your bulbs then maybe the ballast, the bulbs or both will burn out.

 

[metomeya]

What do you mean by proprietary parts? There are standarda for fluroescent tubes.

I'm getting UV bulbs for a custom Germicidal system. I think they are custom built for a certain face tanner, but I could be wrong.

Have you read the page posted by SPDCHK or the pdf I attached in my previous post?.

Yes but it doesn't list 15 watt bulbs on the list (16, 17, etc., but not 15)

Are these linear (straight) tubes or are they compact fluroescent tubes?

Straight

Look at the part number on the ballast, find a datasheet.

I haven't ordered the bulb yet. I'll check it once I get it.

You are not providing enough information here.

Sorry, I'm still pretty much a noob with electronics. Any more question you need answered?

 

[metomeya]

Also someone told me it has to be in a "preheat" system. What is that?

 

[Hero999]

Preheat, just means warming the fillaments at either end of the tube to boil electrons of and lower the striking voltage.

I thought you said you haden't ordered the bulb.

Which are you trying to do, order a special tube for a fitting or a fitting for a tube?

 

[metomeya]

fitting for a tube.

I just ordered the bulb. If there is any models or information on the bulb I'll post it here.

 

[audioguru]

Normally a "UV face tanning product" is a massive rip-off and sells for hundreds of dollars or more. The replacement bulbs for it are cheap. So he wants to make his own and blow up the bulbs by using the wrong ballast, because he is a NOOB.

Maybe he wants to assemble the products and sell them. You can't see UV so nobody will know that they don't work.

 

[metomeya]

So "Preheating" wouldn't be "required" for UV bulbs?

The guy said it had to be a preheating circuit

 

[metomeya]

Normally a "UV face tanning product" is a massive rip-off and sells for hundreds of dollars or more. The replacement bulbs for it are cheap. So he wants to make his own and blow up the bulbs by using the wrong ballast, because he is a NOOB.

Maybe he wants to assemble the products and sell them. You can't see UV so nobody will know that they don't work.

Man, you are a Scrooge. Don't take my previous posts personal, if you can't help then move on to another thread.

 

[Hero999]

So "Preheating" wouldn't be "required" for UV bulbs?

The guy said it had to be a preheating circuit

Preheating is required for any fluroescent tube or mecury low pressure discharge lamp with fillaments at either end, unless you have a high enough voltage to strike the arc cold and this isn't recommended because it shortens the tube's life.

https://home.howstuffworks.com/fluorescent-lamp.htm

Measure the lengh of the tubes or at least the distance between the terminals then choosing a ballast shouldn't be too hard.

 

[metomeya]

Do most ballast today already "Preheat" so I won't have to make a "preheat circuit" a on switch, and a starter switch.

 

[Hero999]

Use a switch starter which is completely automatic it connects the fillaments to the power when starting then disconnectes them when the lamp has struck.

Alternatively use an electronic ballast which although is more expensive the tube will be brighter, use less power and last longer too.

 

[audioguru]

My ordinary fluorescent tube lights in Canada operate from 120VAC and are called "rapid start". They don't have a starter. Their filaments operate at full power from the moment they are turned on until they are turned off. I don't know if each size or type of fluorecent tube uses the same voltage and current for the filaments.

New size and shape fluorescent tubes and ballasts are beginning to replace the older ones. They use an electronic ballast so that the filaments are turned off when the tube lights to save a lot of power and allow the tube to last longer. Nearly every tube that I replace doesn't start because a filament has burned out. The tubes and ballasts are matched so think how quickly they would burn if they were not matched.

 

[Hero999]

My ordinary fluorescent tube lights in Canada operate from 120VAC and are called "rapid start".

We have these in the UK too but switch start ballasts are more common. Probably because your voltage is lower so some setup-up transformer action is required.

Magnetec ballasts are slowly being replaced by electronic ballasts here too. I would assume this is happening faster where you live because rapid start ballasts are less efficient than switch start ballasts due to the energy wasted in continiously heating the fillaments.

You can also buy electronic starters to prolong lamp life and ease starting. They're supposed to start the lamp first time by opening at the peak of the mains waveform thus maximising the inductive flyback and be flicker free too.