Why does tube light flicker

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Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. In the "flickering type" of lamps it's an arc due to the hot cathode. Andreas H. It has a circuit like this: image source In these types a starting circuit randomly opens causing a inductive voltage surge in the tube to strike it.

Calmarius Calmarius 7, 6 6 gold badges 40 40 silver badges 74 74 bronze badges. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. Several factors including faulty ballasts and starters, loose bulbs or even wiring problems can lead to flickering in fluorescent light fixtures.

Make sure that your bulbs are screwed in tightly, as loose bulbs can cause flickering. Fluorescent bulbs look like tubes, and they should appear bright throughout the entire tube.

If you notice that a flickering bulb is dark near either end of the tube, it could be close to its end. In this instance, replacing the bulb should fix the flickering problem. Flickering can occur in otherwise healthy bulbs when they are exposed to cold, such as the fluorescent bulbs in a garage in winter. If everything else about the fixture is okay, the flickering will go away once both the room and bulb temperatures rise, but there are also measures you can take to prevent any flickering due to the cold.

The problem could be with the starter in your bulb, but most new bulbs do not have starters. However, if your bulb has a starter, you should be able to see it at the bottom of the bulb! Fluorescent bulb starters generally look like gray metallic cylinders and require a simple replacement! Flickering fluorescent lights can also be a result of temperature. The internal temperature of a fluorescent bulb should be about 50 degrees Fahrenheit for it to work properly and optimally.

If the air around the bulb is too cold, you can use an enclosed light fixture to help insulate the bulb. If you test your bulb in a known working fixture and it works perfectly, it is probably time for you to replace your ballast. In your lighting system, the ballast regulates the current flowing to the fluorescent lights and provides the voltage needed to start the lamps. The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current throughout the bulbs.