The Lamp Room

OK so this is becoming a real issue for me, some older ballasts that I have had stored once you bring them out and in to use again just don’t work! I just tried a old tridonic with the transformer at one end or the filter choke turned it on nothing then after about 5 minutes blew the RCD for all the tunnels.
This has been happening with emergency lights too. I think in a few more years this is going to be a real problem.

I wonder if it's damp getting in that's causing the issue? Or just components going bad?

Probably just crap quality Chinese components that go bad. Seems to be a problem with virtually everything electronic these days. Nothings made to last any more, HF ballasts included.

This is an old 90s ballast and been stored in the barn with the others heating is on so shouldn’t be that damp

Interesting topic, I have several NOS HF ballasts too so this is also a concern.

One thing to be aware of with those old 90's Tridonics with the inductor (the PC ## C001 and PC 2x## C001 ranges) they have a pair Rifa PME class Y paper filter capacitors between L-E-N just after the inductor on the PCB. These can be the cause of an RCD tripping as the caps had an inherent issue where the casings crack with age so the paper inside absorbs moisture (especially if stored somewhere damp) and causes RCD tripping.

A couple of years ago I got an NOS 1994 PC 2x16 C001 which had this issue, insulation testing L+N to earth showed low readings, so I opened the ballast up and eventually spotted these two capacitors so removed and replaced them with some brand new ones from RS which brought the IR value back up and solved the RCD tripping so the ballast works good as new now.
Had this not been on an RCD protected circuit I would never have known until the capacitors would have failed emitting rather a lot of smoke!

The Tridonic PC E011 and PC E011 IDC ranges also use these capacitors which also fail the same way so it is worth keeping an eye on them as they can be very easily repaired if they fail in this way. I think it is also worth checking the large axial leaded electrolytic capacitors (also mostly Rifa branded) in these as they may also dry out with age which could be a cause for the ballast simply not having any output.

Amazing you are actually correct in this as this is what happened with the 2 old ballasts I have. The Atlas made from this era are so much better imo.
However I didn’t replace the failed capacitors I simply wired the ballast up on the floor in the barn and used one of my sockets that isn’t on an RCD and watched it emit a load of smoke and cracking sounds now it works on an RCD

That's one way to fix it I guess....

I guess with the fault effectively cleared by the caps blowing open they would continue to work fine! I have always heard the Atlas ones to be good, never heard of this issue with them either.
What problems have you had with the EM's Kev?

Well as I found this week they don’t like having 415v put to them lol but generally I have found the tridonic EM B packs good

Well as I found this week they don’t like having 415v put to them lol but generally I have found the tridonic EM B packs good

I guess the transformers get a bit warm when that happens!
The EM basic modules are nice, a good reliable wire wound transformer in them. I like the pre heated start the electronic EM lp modules give when in EM mode, but they probably suffer the same issues as HF gear being electronic, especially powered 24/7.