Fluorescent mods hard to source now ???

[RobTDCI]

I have been maintaining the lighting for many years now in the office building where I work. In one of the meeting rooms that has 3 x 4ft 36w mods, one of them stopped working with what was described as an electrical sound and then all 4 lamps went out. I knew it wouldn't be the the tubes or the starters and as I would not be allowed to do anything that involved wiring due to H&S, insurance and all that crap I said it would be a job for an electrician. I'm guessing it is something like a capacitor short or an earth fault that has taken out the built in fuse as the other two are still working fine. So the electrician visited yesterday morning while I wasn't there and condemned the whole fitting. Apparently it is very difficult to get replacement fluorescent mods now as they are all LED and the other two will also need to be replaced so they look the same. Funny as while it may be true that some sellers no longer stock them, I've had no trouble finding places that do still have them. Sounds like a classic case of trying to turn a small job into a big job and a load of bullshit. What do you think?

[AngryHorse]

No, their just eager to remove everything for led!, although I can’t do electrical installation from scratch at work now, I can do ‘like for like ‘ change outs and repair, our contract electricians Cal Barrie’s senior spark, has seen and inspected my previous work, and is happy that I’m competent enough to look after the electrical system, be it changing out a mod, or damaged socket and the likes.

They do the installation now, which makes sense, as I can’t put the certificate on it, I’m happy just to do the maintenance, (which is my job anyway) , but I do carry spares, chokes and lamp holders and stuff, so dead fittings can be fixed when needed

[Slyspark]

Sounds like an excuse to sell (and probably extortionately mark up) some new LED crap just for the sake of it. No reason any competent sparks wouldn't be able to repair that quite easily. Either the electrician is too crap to actually be able to fix something, or just can't be arsed.

[RobTDCI]

That's exactly what I thought, thanks guys. The whole thing is quite annoying and gives electricians and other trades a bad name.

[Slyspark]

You'd think that other electricians would take pride in their work and get a sense of satisfaction out of fixing things. I do and I suspect others in here do also. Just shows up the lazy sods who can't be arsed and the dishonest ones who will rip out and replace anything they think they can get away with when the customer knows no better. My local Rexel still have mods in stock also.....

[Ash]

From what i see sparks do prefer everything that goes "straight into 230V" no matter what

- HID gear confuses them. All they know is to wire 230 to the lamp holder and screw in a CFL. BTW, this was allready like that before LEDs arrived

- Fluorescent gear confuses them. All they know is to wire 230 to either end and stick in a LED tube

- Heavens forbid anything with emergency unit in it

Even in the position of buying a new luminaire (with everything internal prewired from the factory) they are confused by the mere presence of gear, and/or claim that the thing is unreliable because it have gear at all. (unmaintainable LED things dont fall here because they dont have accessible gear)

Sparkies that don't deserve to have their license shredded on the spot for downright incompetence (and not in lighting but in things like understanding basics of electrical circuit) are a rarity

[Kev]

He’s talking absolute absolute shite make sure you tell the powers that be that he is too. I’d try replacing the fuse first and go from there.