What is the function of the starter in a fluorescent lamp?

Fluorescent starters or glow starters are used to help fluorescent tubes and lamps ignite in the initial starting stage of their operation. Simply put, fluorescent starters are a timed switch. The switch opens and closes until the fluorescent tube ‘strikes’ and lights-up.

What happen when you switch on your fluorescent lamp?

When you turn on a fluorescent light bulb (correctly called a “lamp”), there is a very brief jump in current when the ballast charges the cathodes and causes the lamp to start. So, if you turn your fluorescent lamp off and on more frequently than every 5 seconds, you will use more power than normal.

How do you start a fluorescent light without a starter?

If you do not find a starter, unplug the light or shut off the power, then remove the deflector above the tube and look there, or disassemble the base if the light is a desk or floor model. To remove a starter, press it inward and twist it counterclockwise a quarter turn; it should pop out.

Will the tube light glow if the starter is removed after the tube light is on?

Tube light will not become off if you remove starter. The starter is required only at beginning to make light to glow. If you remove starter while the light is glowing it will not affect the light.

Is it better to turn off fluorescent lights?

Turning off fluorescent lights for more than 5 seconds will save more energy than will be consumed in turning them back on again. Therefore, the real issue is the value of the electricity saved by turning the light off relative to the cost of changing a lightbulb.

What does the starter do on a fluorescent light bulb?

The starter is there to help the lamp light. When voltage is applied to the fluorescent lamp, here’s what happens: Advertisement. The starter (which is simply a timed switch) allows current to flow through the filaments at the ends of the tube.

What happens if you don’t have a starter on a lamp?

Without the starter, a steady stream of electrons is never created between the two filaments, and the lamp flickers. Without the ballast, the arc is a short circuit between the filaments, and this short circuit contains a lot of current.

Why do fluorescent tube lights blink before a light bulb starts?

The current heats up the contact of the starter, turning its switch on and off until the fluorescent tube lights up. That’s why you see your fluorescent tube lights blink a few times before starting because the starter tries to maintain the flow of current.

How does a fluorescent light bulb glow?

A fluorescent light does not have the usual glowing filament of an incandescent bulb, but instead contains a mercury vapor that gives off ultraviolet light when ionized. The ultraviolet light makes particles that coat the inside of the tube, and these particles glow or fluoresce (see How Fluorescent Lamps Work for details).