Schemes for burned-out housekeepers. How to repair an energy-saving lamp with your own hands? We determine the degree of damage and repair an energy-saving lamp

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 the possible causes of device failure is a 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 of 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. It refers to an oscillating circuit that is involved in creating 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.

Before taking on the repair of energy-saving lamps, consider some philosophical questions.

Should I take on the repair of an energy-saving lamp?

First of all, you need to honestly answer this question for yourself, calculate everything (money and time), and only then move on to the technical side of the issue. I hope my article will help you make the right choice.

So, let's take the price of a normal new energy saving system as 150 rubles. What does it mean? If the lamp breaks after a year of operation, I think that there is no point in repairing it. First of all, because the price of the necessary parts is about 50 rubles, plus the cost of repairs is about 100 more rubles. By repair cost, I mean the cost of effort and time spent.

And most importantly - the resource and quality of the lamp is steadily declining over time, and this primarily applies to the luminescent bulb. It darkens at the edges, the overall brightness decreases every hour. As in the photo below.

The bulb of a compact fluorescent lamp darkens around the edges. On the right is an incandescent lamp, it burns without problems. Photo from the article.

The efficiency of such a lamp drops - it heats up more, but shines less. Another unpleasant effect appears - the lamp “thinks” before turning on. And it turns on in a second or two, and does not flare up immediately, but after a minute or two.

It sometimes infuriates me when I am in a hurry, but I have to wander in the dark.

Conclusion - if an energy-saving lamp breaks down after a year of operation, repairing the lamp is not economically viable. Perhaps something will go to spare parts, more on that later.

Moreover, now, when good LED lamps can be purchased for 90-120 rubles, there is no point in repairing CFLs at all.

Well, for the brave and desperate - this article.

Terminology and principle of operation

Let's expand our consciousness.

Luminescent, compact, energy-saving, with electronic ballast, with an inverter - everything is the same, the essence is the same. Moreover, such lamps have completely different designs. For example, there may be a G9 base, like a halogen lamp, or a regular one - E14, E27, E40.

The lamp can be separate and inserted through the cartridges, and the electronic ballast - separately. This applies primarily to linear, or tubular lamps. An example of such a design is Armstrong-type luminaires for office premises.

That is, there are different designs, but the essence is the same.

All these lamps have recently become fashionable to call "energy-saving", but the essence is the same. And why they call it that - because at the same brightness they consume about 5 times less electricity. According to the sellers, and this can be argued.

By the way, there is often confusion between the terms “ lamp" and " lamp“. In this case, I separate these two concepts as follows. Lamp It is a flask with a spiral filled with gas. BUT lamp- this is a lamp plus a circuit that provides ignition and combustion of the lamp. This circuit can also be called - electronic ballast, electronic ballast, inverter, power supply, generator, etc.

Electronic Ballast ECG. Four more lamps - and there will be an Armstrong-type lamp

We will not go into details. But the principle of work is the same.

There is a rectifier, which from 220V 50Hz produces a constant voltage of 300 ... 315 Volts. Further, a generator of high (compared to the input) frequency (about 10 ... 15 kHz) operates at this voltage. The generator produces a voltage that feeds a tube filled with gas and coated with a special compound. You can go deeper, but it is also on other sites.

In the meantime, it is only important to know that an energy-saving lamp basically consists of two parts - electronic block and glass part(tubes, or flasks).

Previously, instead of electronic ballast (electronic ballast, electronic ballast), a throttle and a starter were installed, but this is already a completely old story.

Causes of breakdowns of energy-saving lamps

The reasons for the breakdown of CFLs are commonplace, as in any electronic technology, namely:

• Overheating for various reasons,
• low quality components,
• Frequent on/off
• Problems with the supply voltage (low / high, low).

But here is another reason that does not seem obvious the first time, my regular reader Vladimir sent me a description of this problem:

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Quite unexpectedly, CFLs turned out to be very sensitive to the quality of connectors and cartridges. This is partly understandable contact elements were developed for incandescent lamps with their high current consumption, and switching to CFL could lead to an unstable connection. The fact is that any element that provides mechanical switching of an electrical signal, for example, a relay, has two characteristics - “maximum” and “minimum” current.

The first is understandable, it is determined by the area and form of contact, and the second parameter is less common and less known. It is laid down when designing the type of coating of contacting surfaces. If nothing is done specifically, then an oxide film is formed on the surface of the contacts, which increases the resistance in the on state up to an “unstable connection”. In the future, "soot" is formed at this place, which leads to an increase in the defect.

A poor-quality connection leads to surges in the charge current of the smoothing capacitor of the CFL electronic ballast, which reduces its service life, and abruptly changes the operating mode of the entire CFL, and this can already lead to worse consequences - burning of electronics or destruction of filament circuits in the bulb. And these are not just words, I myself encountered the manifestation of this defect. In one room I have a lamp with five horns for lamps of the E14 type (“minion”). In one of them, a fluorescent lamp burned out, noted “sometimes” and forgot. But a month later, in the same cartridge, a completely new lamp fell into disrepair. It seemed strange, but there was no desire to understand, and the lamp was simply replaced.

Alas, about a month later the story repeated itself again, which was extremely strange, because exactly the same lamps were installed in neighboring horns and no complaints were made against them. The only thing that could cause a problem was the cartridge of the ill-fated horn. An ordinary carbolite cartridge, one of the three that were on the lamp (the original ones were destroyed by exploding incandescent lamps, which prompted the transition to CFL). A thorough external examination did not reveal any defects, the connection of the wires is reliable, the contact surfaces under the lamp are clean and without any traces of soot. However, so many lamps burned out in this cartridge for unknown reasons, which cannot be brushed aside.

Well, I degreased the contact surfaces, and then also polished it with a fine sandpaper. After the prevention, the defect did not manifest itself, at the moment the lamp in this horn has worked for more than a year. I'll try to suggest that the fault was a thin layer of fat on the contact surface, which led to an unstable connection. If there was an incandescent lamp in this place, then everything would function normally - a rather large current of the lamp broke through the oxide layer and a reliable connection was established.

The problem was revealed precisely with the CFL, in which the current consumption is much less, and the current itself is not constant in time. Separately, I would like to emphasize - pay increased attention to the quality of connecting elements and cartridges when using lamps with low current consumption, especially with a suspiciously low life of these lamps. Not everything is determined by the quality of the CFL, the source of the problem may be outside it.

What breaks in energy-saving lamps

In this section I will describe how what needs to be analyzed before how to fix an energy saving light bulb.

1. Open the lamp.

As a rule, the place of opening is where the inscription with the name and technical parameters of the lamp is applied. The ends of the glass flask are also located there, if the flask has several kinks.

How to disassemble CFL. In the place of opening, pry with a flat screwdriver.

After opening the lamp, we see its device:

2. Flask.

If there is a noticeable darkening at the ends, then the flask can be safely thrown away. Also, you can consider the flask unusable if it has worked in the lamp for more than 2 years.

3. Filament

If the condition of the bulb is normal, we call its filaments with an ohmmeter. The resistance should be a few ohms. The more power, the less resistance.

Energy-saving lamps also have filaments, they are needed for the initial ignition. Marketers do not like to mention this fact.

4. Electronic ballast.

Spiral and flask are normal, good luck! R Removing an energy-saving lamp may make sense.

We examine the electronic ballast board. As a rule, if something burned there, it is immediately visible. Especially burnt resistors. Although, resistors can fail without visible consequences. As a rule, resistors in the emitter and base circuits, and transistors burn out. If something else burned out, I do not advise you to undertake repairs. Or you just have to change everything on the board, spending a lot of time.

Electronic ballasts from compact fluorescent lamps. Some parts are already out...

5. Filter capacitor.

This is the same capacitor that smooths out the ripple of the rectified voltage. When , some say that it is this capacitor that is “to blame”. If it is swollen, it must be changed. Capacity is better to choose a step more. For example, it was 4.7 microfarads - put 6.8. But this is not essential. The operating voltage of the capacitor is the same as the old one, or more if it fits in the case.

6. Installation.

And of course, check the fuse, the integrity of the installation, soldering, mechanical damage. Of course, it is better to do this in the first place, immediately after opening.

Now we have to make a decision. I took on the repair only when I have a lot of the same type of burned-out lamps at hand, so the repair is much more fun.

Lots of broken lamps. The renovation makes sense.

As practice shows, out of 10 lamps broken due to natural causes, the normal output is 3-4 pieces.

Scheme of an energy-saving lamp

Before undertaking repairs, it is necessary to consider the electrical circuit diagrams of energy-saving (compact fluorescent) lamps, which are given in a separate article. To be aware of how the lamp is arranged.

Energy saving lamp repair

What do we see in these diagrams? If there is one lamp in the lamp, then there are 2 transistors for any. So they burn out, and pull resistors along with them.

To repair the lamp, you must first determine which resistors have burned out. As a rule, now color marking is used to indicate the value of the resistor, without this there is no way to repair.

For example, the last circuit, number 17. Resistors of 1 ohm and 20 ohms burn out there, for a total of 4 resistors.

Transistors are a little more difficult. The power of the entire lamp (lamp) depends on the power of the transistor. Transistors are used high-voltage, type MJE or analogues. Here is an approximate table of correspondence between the transistor model and the lamp power:

• MJE13001 (power up to 7W)
• MJE13002 (power up to 10W)
• MJE13003 (power up to 15W)
• MJE13004 (power up to 20W)
• MJE13005 (power up to 40W)
• MJE13006 (power up to 75W)
• MJE13007 (power up to 100W)
• MJE13008 (power up to 120W)
• MJE13009 (power up to 150W)

The capacities are indicative, it is better to take with a margin of course.

Datasheets for transistors and what else I dug up on the topic, as usual, I post below. If anyone needs it, I can publish a method for testing transistors. And one more thing - from different manufacturers the same transistors can have different pinouts, you need to check before soldering.

Now for the prices of parts. 4 low-resistance resistors with a power of 0.25 W will cost at least 8 rubles. We take retail prices. Popular transistor MJE13003 - 25 rubles, retail again. Total - 33 rubles for parts for repairing a lamp with a power of up to 15 watts.

But it will make sense only if you put this business on stream, and if the lamps for repairs are free. For example, in an enterprise where, for example, 100 lamps can be used in one workshop.

An example of a refurbished lamp.

On occasion, I recently dismantled a CFL repaired by me back in 2010.

More precisely, I didn’t make it out, but she herself “figured it out” - the latches of the case popped out, and the bulb hung on the wires:

Here is what we have inside:

It can be seen that the resistors and transistors have been replaced (judging by the soldering).

At the same time, for lack of the necessary ratings, the resistors were selected so that instead of one 10 Ohm resistor in parallel 2 of 22 Ohm, and instead of 51 Ohm - two of 110:

I remind you that absolutely the same applies to electronic ballasts to lamps with replaceable lamps.

Well, if the lamp did not light up after replacing the resistors and transistors, throw out the electronic ballast. Although, after a trial inclusion, I will question the integrity of the new soldered parts.

But one of the options for using an electronic ballast from a compact fluorescent lamp is to light up an ordinary linear (tubular) lamp.

Ennoble - and you get a beautiful lamp.

Download reference data for transistors for fluorescent lamps

Now - I post files on the topic, as usual, everything can be downloaded for free and freely.

To date, the range of energy-saving lamps is very large. But only a fluorescent lamp is distinguished by its amazing practicality and economy in electricity consumption. Do-it-yourself repair of energy-saving lamps is possible if you understand the principle of its operation.

A fluorescent lamp (LS) is a gas-discharge light source in which, due to the interaction of incandescent filaments and mercury, an electric discharge is formed that creates an ultraviolet glow, which is converted into visible light with the help of a phosphor. It is worth noting that the current that passes through the filaments is evenly distributed along the circuits of the lamp, contributing to shunting, reducing heat, so these devices do not heat up, which is one of the advantages.
There are the following types of fluorescent lighting devices:
1. HP with chokes and starters.
Fluorescent lamps in terms of mass use are at the peak of their popularity. They are able to save up to 50% of electricity, unlike conventional lamps. To maximize the life of the operating period and uninterrupted operation of the device, it is necessary to use such.

The starter, similar to that used for cars, plays the role of a starting mechanism. It is needed for the lamp to start working. Often, the voltage at the time of ignition is much higher than in the network, so a stabilizer is needed. Also, the starter closes and opens the electronic circuit of the lamp network.

The inductor plays the role of a transformer and is able to stabilize the operation of the lamp. It protects the fluorescent lamp from power surges and overheating.
This type is characteristic and inconvenient in that at startup they start flashing (this effect is given by the starter, it passes current and gradually heats up the filaments), for the first 2-3 seconds they hit the eyes with sharp flashes of light, and then they ignite and burn normally.
2. Fluorescent lamps without a starter with a balancer.
Unlike the previous type, there is no starter in such devices. This allows you to avoid flickering of the lamp in the first 2-3 seconds, and start it immediately after switching on. Looking at the diagram, you can see that instead of the starter, there is a balancer here. This element refers to ballasts that limit the current. But if you compare the balancer and the starter, then the latter is better.

3. Energy saving lamps.
It is not uncommon for ordinary drugs to be confused with energy-saving ones, but this is not entirely true. Of course, when compared with incandescent lamps, then any fluorescent lamp is many times superior to them in terms of service life. But if you choose between varieties of drugs, then among them there are sales leaders - energy-saving models.

A distinctive feature of these lamps is their shape, tube diameter and reduced mercury content. Due to the fact that the bulb of the lamp is curved (often it has the shape of a spiral), and the diameter is reduced, this allows you to save electricity to ignite the incandescent filaments, but at the same time illuminate a fairly large area.
All types of modern type lamps use new technologies that provide reliable inverter feedback, which makes it possible to control the current strength. Inverters are used in electronic ballasts (electronic ballast), which guarantees their greater durability, economy and practicality.

Scheme of energy-saving lamps

Depending on which drug is used, there are different types of schemes. Consider a common one for energy-saving lamps in order to understand its internal components.

Having examined the figure, it can be seen that the power circuits include: L2 (noise suppression choke), F1 (fuse), four diode bridges 1N4007 and C4 (filter capacitor). In turn, the startup circuit includes the following elements: dinistor, R6, D1 and C2, in the same circuit D2, D3, R1 and R3 are network protection. In some lamps, these diodes are not installed.
As soon as the lamp is turned on, the dinistor, R6 and C2 start up a pulse that is applied to the transistor Q2, which allows it to open. After that, diode D1 blocks this part. Next, the transistors excite TR1 (transformer), and thus voltage is supplied to the filaments. The tube at the resonant frequency lights up and at this moment the voltage on C3 (capacitor) reaches about 700 V. After the gas is ionized, C3 (capacitor) is practically shunted.
Having considered this scheme, you can understand the principle of operation of the drug and its components.

Typical breakdowns

There are two options in which the lamp breaks:

• Damage to the internal components of the lamp;
• Natural aging. When the lamp fails, it is necessary to accept mercury lamps.

Do-it-yourself repair of energy-saving lamps is possible, but many do not risk doing it, preferring to simply replace broken equipment. At the same time, repairing such lamps is quite easy, the main thing is to determine the source of the problem. Consider the most common breakdowns.

Tip 1. Before you start inspecting the lamp for defects and breakdowns, you should prepare a workplace for yourself and take tools: a set of screwdrivers, electrical tape, wire cutters, a multimeter (tester), it measures voltage, current and resistance, and some types also check capacitors, diodes and transistors. This device allows you to check the choke, starter and directly the lamp bulb itself. In most cases, the reason lies in these elements, however, a variant with burnout of the tungsten filament is possible, but this happens less often. If there are no such tools, then they can be easily bought at any hardware store.

Tip 2. You should study the model of the lamp and understand its structure, because due to ignorance in this matter, you can not open the lamp, but simply break it. The manufacturer and model are marked on the plinth of each drug, so you can easily find this information.

Tip 3. It is imperative to adhere to safety precautions, since drugs have a small amount of mercury. Therefore, everything should be done with extreme caution.

Do-it-yourself balancer repair

DIY lamp repair

Repair of drugs at home requires a minimum knowledge of electrical appliances. The scheme of an energy-saving lamp is the main condition when troubleshooting a lighting fixture on your own.
The main causes of existing malfunctions in fluorescent lamps were listed above. Once the cause has been identified, you need to start correcting it.
1. First and most important - turn off the power to the lamp. We open the lamp. We disassemble the case and look at external defects and malfunctions that are visible to the naked eye. The lamp is opened with a screwdriver, after which the main cause of the malfunction is found out.

2. After opening, you need to see the components of the lamp.


3. We inspect the board and notice visible damage on it, they can be the cause of the breakdown.

As can be seen in the figure, the arrows show the places where the board burns. This means that somewhere there is a circuit short circuit when the lamp is turned on.
If the board is in order, we continue to inspect other details.
4. Next, check the fuse. Finding it is not difficult, with one end it is soldered to the board, and the other to the base. If it is damaged or the contacts are not soldered, then the cause of the breakdown is in the fuse.
5. Next in line for testing is a resistor. To determine the malfunction in this part of the lamp, you must use a multimeter and measure it. In the case of normal operation of the resistor, the multimeter will show a resistance of 10 ohms, in a non-working case, it will show one.


6. Next in line for inspection are filaments.

If the filaments are disconnected from the board or there is a coating on them (traces of burning), then the whole problem of the lamp's inoperability lies precisely here.
After the failure has been identified, it should be fixed. It is not an option to independently disassemble each spare part and try to solder it or do something, since this will take a lot of effort, and there may not be a result at all. For example, if the problem lies in the filaments, then this part of the lamp should be replaced, since soldering or repairing them yourself is not an easy task, and even an experienced specialist cannot always cope with this task. So don't waste your time on this.
All components of the drug can be purchased at any specialized hardware store. If the breakdown was determined, but the exact model of the part that failed could not be recognized due to soot or other reasons, then qualified store employees will help you choose exactly what you need.

There is only one conclusion - after the cause has been identified, it is worth replacing the faulty part, and the lamp will once again delight you with its bright light.

I am sure that many have lamps with fluorescent lamps, an iron choke and a starter, in garages, pantries, basements. Either they regularly carry out their permanent service, or the broken ones fall into dust, lie and wait for their time. If you really have a few non-working light bulbs, then why not repair them, because it's not at all difficult? Below we will tell you what to do if the lamp does not work, providing instructions for repairing a fluorescent lamp with your own hands.

Troubleshooting Procedure

Before looking for a breakdown, make sure that there is voltage, it may be absent and there is a reason that the fluorescent lamp does not light up. If this is not the reason, we are looking for it in that order.

Replace starter if:

• turn on the light and nothing happens;
• the bulb glows only at the edges;
• the light bulb flashes with a strobe;
• the starter is on, but the lamp does not turn on.

Please note that manufacturers recommend replacing fluorescent lamps and starters at the same time.

Replace the light bulb if:

• she flashes a strobe;
• the edges of the flask are black;
• it glows, but the brightness is not enough (weakly shines);
• lamp does not work.

A typical breakdown of budget fixtures is the destruction of lamp holders and loss of contact. High temperature of a closed lamp, the cause of the destruction of plastic fasteners and connectors. If possible, replace them, bend the contacts in case of a satisfactory condition.

A possible malfunction is a burnout of the throttle, often this breakdown is visible visually, a changed color, a melted terminal.

If you really find a malfunction, you will have to replace the choke with a working one to repair the lamp. You can check the performance with a multimeter, the resistance is good, about 30-40 ohms. Before placing the lamp in a non-working lamp, make sure that the throttle is not closed. Otherwise, you will lose your worker too.

Sometimes there is a breakdown of the wires - the core near the lamp holder or choke breaks off from the vibration of the lamp. In this case, the repair of the fluorescent lamp comes down to restoring contact. Owners of old-style lamps have bypassed these malfunctions.

If you have a lamp with electronic ballast made in china and replacing the light bulb did not solve the problem, most likely the problem is in the electronic unit. In most cases, you can fix it yourself, having a soldering iron and a multimeter at your disposal. Below we will dwell on how to repair the electronic ballast of a fluorescent lamp with our own hands.

Repair manual

Now we will consider the main malfunctions that can be fixed without much investment. Let's start with the electronic ballast, because there are a lot of elements in its circuit that can fail, and besides, tubular fluorescent lamps with electronic ballasts are more common today.

Ballast

The most common malfunction is a breakdown of transistors. This failure can only be determined by removing the transistors from the circuit and checking them with a tester. In the whole transistor, the junction resistance is ~ 400-700 ohms. When burning, the transistor pulls a resistor in the base circuit with a nominal value of 30 ohms.

Also on the board there is a fuse or a low-resistance resistor of 2-5 ohms, most likely it will have to be replaced, on which the repair will end. You may additionally have to change the diode bridge or its elements.

A breakdown of 47n film capacitors (half a microfarad) or a resonance capacitor in the filament circuit is rare. There have been cases when all of the above is whole and in good order, but the lamp does not work, the reason lies in the DB3 dinistor. If you have checked all the elements of the circuit, then try replacing the dinistor.

You may decide that it is cheaper to buy a new electronic ballast than to repair a broken one. Replacing the starting equipment should not be difficult, because the connection diagram is applied to the device itself. With careful study, it is easy to understand, L and N are terminals for connecting to a 220V network.

Repair instructions for electronic ballast

We draw your attention to the fact that this technology can also be used to repair an energy-saving CFL light bulb. For example, if one glow burned out, repair is the following procedure:

housekeeper repair

Starter + choke

If your old-style lamp does not light up and you are sure that the reason lies precisely in it, the first thing we recommend is checking the starter. The easiest way to perform the test is to have a working starter with the same characteristics on hand. However, if there is no suitable device for replacement, then a performance check can be carried out using an incandescent bulb with a cartridge. Everything is quite simple - we connect one wire from the cartridge directly to the outlet, and the second through the starter, as shown in the photo below:

If the light does not glow, then the reason is in it. Instructions for replacing a fluorescent lamp starter are clearly shown in the video:

How to replace the starter?

The inductor can be checked with a multimeter by ringing its winding. If the choke is really out of order, then repairing a fluorescent lamp comes down to the fact that you just need to change the choke to a whole one.

Here are the main malfunctions that we personally encountered and successfully fixed. Following our algorithm, troubleshooting will take a little time and it will be a couple of trifles to return the lamp to work on its own. We hope our do-it-yourself fluorescent lamp repair manual was understandable and useful for you! Be sure to watch the video tutorials, because. they detail all the steps to fix a broken light bulb.

Energy-saving lamps do consume significantly less electricity than their filament counterparts, but they cost several times more than the latter. And, as practice shows, they fail more often. It is doubly offensive when this happens two or three months after the acquisition. In such cases, you should not throw them in the trash for two reasons. First, these lighting fixtures contain mercury, so they need to be recycled. Secondly, with a high degree of probability, the lamp can be restored. Let's see how this can be done.

Design features

Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to understand the design of the lighting device. The main structural elements are shown in Figure 1.

Designations:

• A - A flask of a spiral shape. In fact, this is a sealed tube, inside it is an inert gas (usually argon) and mercury vapor. Two electrodes are fused from each of its edges, between which a filament is stretched. The inside of the tube is coated with a phosphor.
• B - The upper part of the body to which the flask is attached. We immediately warn you that it is unrealistic to pull out the flask without violating the integrity of the body, so it is better to perceive them as a single structure.
• C - a ballast mounted on a printed circuit board, it is also called an electronic ballast or simply a ballast. As you understand, when it fails, the lighting device turns into a recycling item. The ballast scheme will be given in the relevant section.
• D - Fuse, as a rule, its role is played by low resistance.
• E - The lower part of the hull, ballast is installed in it, fastening with the upper part is provided with the help of latches.
• F - base. In everyday life, the types E14 (minion) and E27 are more common. The lower part of the body with the plinth is also a single, non-separable structure. On the outer part of the case, the marking of the lighting device is applied, where its main characteristics are indicated.

The main stages of repair

A systematic approach to any task provides the best way to solve it, so we will act according to the following algorithm:

1. Preparing the necessary tools.
2. Dismantling the structure.
3. Troubleshooting.
4. Construction assembly.

Now in detail about each stage.

Required Tools

In the process of work we will need:

• flat screwdriver;
• digital multimeter;
• a soldering iron with a power of 25-30 W and everything you need for soldering.

Dismantling

We do all actions carefully, trying not to damage the body, and even more so the bulb of the lamp, which contains mercury vapor, which is dangerous to the human body.

As mentioned above, the upper and lower parts of the case are interconnected by latches. To separate them, you need to insert a screwdriver into the slot (shown in Figure 2) and turn it slightly. We recommend starting from the place where the marking is applied, as a rule, one of the latches is located there.

Now we need to disconnect the wires connecting the lamp filament and the board. There are four of them in total. In most designs, the wires are not soldered to the board, but are wound on special pins.

After this step, you can proceed to troubleshooting.

troubleshooting

The lighting device may not work due to a malfunction of the bulb (one or both filaments burned out) or due to the failure of the ballast. Let's start checking with the flask.

For this purpose, we need a multimeter. We put it into the low-resistance measurement mode and call each pair of pins. As a rule, their resistance does not exceed 15 ohms. There may be a slight discrepancy in the readings for each pair, but this is most likely an instrument error.

After taking measurements, we can form initial conclusions:

• If a broken filament is detected, then the ballast is most likely operational. The flask is subject to disposal, and the electronic ballast can be postponed until better times, for example, if it needs to be replaced on the same type of lighting device. Note that with one burned out filament, the lamp can be restored. How to do this will be described in the section on the ballast.
• In the case when everything is in order with the flask, it is mono to ascertain the failure of the ballast. Like most electronic devices, it is repairable.

Ballast repair

The first step is to make a visual inspection. In most cases, it can be used to identify burnt components, such as swollen capacitors, destroyed transistor cases, burn marks, etc. Note that the replacement of such elements may not give a result, in which case it will be necessary to check the entire circuit.

If no problems are found, the main elements must be checked. To do this, it is desirable to have a ballast circuit.

Ballast scheme

The above scheme is typical, it is used in almost all ballasts with minor changes.

Designations:

• Resistance: R1 - from 1 to 30 Ohm (plays the role of a fuse); R2 and R3 - from 220 kOhm to 510 kOhm; R4 and R5 - from 1 to 2.7 ohms; R6 and R7 - from 8.2 to 20 ohms.
• Capacitances: C1 - 0.1 uF; C2 - from 1.5 uF to 10 uF 400V; C3 - 0.01 uF; C4 - from 0.033 mF to 0.1 uF 400V; C5 - from 1800 pF to 3900 pF 650V.
• Diodes: VD1-VD5 - 1N4005; VD6 and VD7 - 1N4148.
• Dinistor VS1 - DB3 (may not be used in low-power lighting fixtures).
• Transistors: VT1, VT2 - 13003 (other analogues are quite possible).

Coil L1, together with capacitance C1, plays the role of a noise filter; in many inexpensive Chinese devices, a jumper is soldered instead.

Coil L2 can have from 250 to 350 turns, which are wound with a Ø 0.2 mm wire on a W-shaped ferrite core. It looks like a small transformer.

Transformer T1 in each winding from 3 to 9 turns, as a rule, a wire Ø 0.3 mm is used. A ferrite ring is used as a magnetic circuit.

Fuse: FU1 - 0.5 A. In most products made in China, it is not installed. In such cases, the role of the fuse is performed by the low-resistance R1. That is what burns out first. As a rule, replacement does not work, since its failure is a consequence of a malfunction, and not a cause.

Ballast Troubleshooting

The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• After replacement, we begin the search for faulty components. In the above scheme, containers most often fail, it is with them that you need to start checking. To do this, we arm ourselves with a soldering iron and solder the capacitors C3-C5 (see the diagram in Fig. 5). After that, we check them with a multimeter (how to check various electronic components can be found on our website).

Note that in cases where the lighting device is out of order, but there is a slight glow of the bulb in the area of ​​​​the filaments, we can say with confidence that the C5 capacitance needs to be replaced. As you can see from the diagram, it is part of the oscillatory circuit necessary to generate a high voltage pulse to cause a discharge. When the capacitance burns out, there is not enough voltage for the discharge, as a result, the lamp cannot enter the operating mode phase, but power is supplied to the spirals. This appears as a small glow.

Accordingly, if an external examination revealed a swelling of C2, there is a high probability of failure of one or more bridge diodes.

• If the listed parts are OK, then you should check the transistors. They will have a problem to solder, because the strapping will not allow you to accurately measure. As practice shows, during the above stages of testing, a malfunction will be detected.
• Having found a malfunction, it is necessary to test the operation of the lighting device by applying power to the base. This must be done carefully, since there is high voltage on the board elements.

After the lamp is lit, turn it off and proceed with the assembly. She usually has no problems with it.

Repairing a lamp with a burnt filament

It is necessary to immediately warn that such repairs will lead to the fact that the ballast will work in an abnormal mode. Overloading will damage the ballast. As a rule, it works in this mode for no more than a year, the duration depends on the elements involved in the circuit and their condition.

If only one filament burned out, it must be shunted with resistance, as shown in the figure.

As a shunt resistance R W, it is theoretically necessary to install a resistor with a rating corresponding to the resistance of the second (whole) filament. But, as practice shows, this is not entirely true, because we measure the resistance of a "cold" thread. As a result of such a repair, the device will fail within 10-15 minutes, while “burning out” most of the active components. Therefore, we recommend using a 22 ohm resistor with a power of at least 1 watt.