Scheme of connecting daylight with a starter. How fluorescent ceiling lamps work

Lamps daylight gained significant popularity, which is constantly increasing. Due to the constant rise in the price of electricity, they are replacing conventional incandescent lamps, the use of which is more expensive. In fact, this is a kind of fluorescent lamp, but more modified. There are many varieties that differ in form, but are similar in components and principle of operation.

A fluorescent lamp is a sealed glass tube filled with gas vapor. When an electrical discharge occurs inside, the particles are excited and bombard the phosphor deposited inside the tube on its walls. A glow appears. The gaseous medium is a poor conductor for electricity, but a primary impulse of sufficient strength ensures that the lamp is turned on, after which it is only necessary to maintain a glow discharge.

Not all types of fluorescent lamps are designed for indoor lighting. The color emitted by the lamp resembles daylight. This is probably why they were called fluorescent lamps. Fluorescent lamps are also called a variety of similar devices with a blue tint of glow. There are several types of such lamps:

LB (white light lamps);
LD (fluorescent lamp);
LDC (the same, but with color rendition).

The first two are used for lighting, and the third have shades of blue and blue spectrum, are used in industrial premises. At LDC, although they are considered deluxe lamps, they have a lower luminous efficiency, up to 15% less than that of LD.
The principle of operation of such light sources is the presence of gas discharges passing through mercury vapor. Ultraviolet radiation appears, which is converted into light by means of a luminescent substance. In this case, the luminous efficiency is several times greater than that of an incandescent lamp at the same values power. The service life of energy-saving lamps is also quite long - up to 5 years, but you need to turn on the lamp no more than 2000 times.
Fluorescent lamps illuminate large rooms, which saves energy up to 83%. The disadvantages are the following characteristics of energy-saving lamps:

danger of chemical contamination with mercury vapor;
the spectrum of lighting is not very comfortable and distorts the color of objects;
the phosphor ceases to function over time, reducing the efficiency;
fluorescent lamps cannot be turned on through a dimmer i.e. smoothly change the illumination;
fluorescent lamps emit pulsed light.

There are other inconveniences associated with the operation of these lamps, but there are also many positive reviews.
For example, maxus energy-saving lamps are compact, economical, the bulb and the ceiling of the chandelier do not heat up to such a temperature that a fire hazard arises. Have long term services. However, they cannot simply be thrown away with household waste, they

Connection

How to connect a fluorescent lamp depends on the specific circuit.
Previously, fluorescent lamps were switched on using a choke, starter and capacitor in the circuit.

The disadvantage of such switching schemes was the flashing of the light of the lamps when turned on, striking in the eyes, the long ignition of the lamps and the frequent failure of the starter.
Then these schemes were replaced by schemes where the throttle and starter were replaced by one block, the so-called balancer. It is also called PRU (starter control device) or electronic ballast. The lamps began to light up quickly, without blinking.

Recently, another type of fluorescent lamps has appeared, these are energy-saving lamps that work on the same principle. It's still easier there. The lamp has a base similar to the base of incandescent lamps. PRU (or balancer) is hidden in the lamp base. The lamp is screwed into the cartridge instead of incandescent lamps.

How to give a second life to an energy-saving lamp

Fluorescent lamps can be turned on even after they have failed. How to do this is described in the article and throttle and.
Some craftsmen do impulse blocks power supply from balancers from failed energy-saving lamps. The balance diagram looks like this:

To make a power supply, the following steps are taken.

The lamp opens, which is easy to do by prying 4 clips with a screwdriver.
Carefully handling the bulb, which is very fragile when pressed, you need to release the two contacts extending from it.
Spiral wires running from the board to the base must be cut or unsoldered.
On the board, insert a jumper between the contacts that went to the bulb (see diagram).
Next, we wind the winding on the L5 inductor, removing it from the circuit. 0.5 mm is used, in quantity as much as will fit. Pre primary winding isolate with paper, tape.
We add diodes soldered into the rectifier diode bridge VD14-VD17 to the conclusions of the new winding. After diode bridge we put electrolytic capacitors C9 - C10 to smooth out the current ripple.
We measure the resulting voltage with a voltmeter. You can change the voltage by changing the number of turns in the wound winding.

In this way, it is possible to connect the structure to an electrical consumer with the same consumed voltage. An energy-saving lamp gets a second life.

The lamp got its name from a special coating of phosphor, which is applied to the inner surface of the tube. It contains phosphorus. Thanks to the phosphor, the light power is much greater than that of conventional incandescent lamps with the same power consumption. This provides an economical consumption of electricity. Various additives are added to the composition of the phosphor to create color effects.

Lamps are produced in the form of a straight tube and a spiral or straight ring. The first option consists of a glass container with plinths located at the edges.

The second option consists of two parts - a cartridge and a glass tube of a straight or spiral shape. This type is called compact fluorescent lamps, abbreviated as CFLs. According to the type of cartridge, they are pin and threaded.

The latter option is suitable for a conventional cartridge instead of a traditional incandescent lamp. The first option is used only in devices with a special device. Inside the tube are inert gases and mercury vapor. It is the presence of mercury that makes the use of this light source unsafe.

The basic principle of operation is the glow of the phosphor. When turned on, the tungsten element begins to heat up and an electric discharge is formed in the mixture of gases inside the glass tube.

As a result of the interaction, a glow appears in ultraviolet spectrum. Since the inner surface of the flask is covered with a phosphor, which contains phosphorus, as a result of interaction with the UV spectrum, the flask begins to glow.

Types of lamps and base

Colorful temperature

There are seven types that differ in the characteristics of light:

Natural cool color with LKB marking.
Daylight with improved color reproduction with LDC marking.
White warm color LTB.
day color t with LD marking.
White color LB.
natural color with improved color reproduction LEC.
Cold White color LHB.

Types of plinth

Electronic ballasts

Fluorescent lamps, unlike incandescent lamps, are not switched on directly electrical network. For connection, special devices are used - ballasts, these are ballasts.

They are divided into two types: with external ballast and integrated ballast. Ballasts are ballasts, electronic ballasts are electronic ballasts. Ballasts can be built into the cartridge or into the instrument.

Models with external control gear are divided into 2-pin and 4-pin bases. Four-pin bases are connected using a special device or.

A two-pin base can only be turned on with a throttle. Lamps with external control gear are often used for table lamps, chandelier.

Also, there are models that are produced with a base in which an electronic ballast is built. The base is produced with a thread of two diameters - standard and small.

Scope, advantages and disadvantages

Used in domestic, public and industrial lighting. To create the illumination of buildings at night, advertising signs, lighting devices with a colored phosphor are used.

Pink lamps are used to illuminate shop windows with fresh meat. This illumination enhances appearance product. Radiation of the UV spectrum is used to disinfect rooms in hospitals, since this lamp, unlike quartz, has a very weak external glow.

Also, they are used for large areas, such as office, industrial and trading floors.

Main positive aspects:

High level of efficiency.
Long service life.
Good level of light output.
Low temperature glass bulb.
Color shades of light.

Main disadvantages:

High price.
When destroyed, there is a danger of chemical contamination.
The flicker increases as the network load changes.
Demanding on temperature environment. Do not work at temperatures below zero.
When the load drops in the mains, the service life is reduced.

CFL can not be used with dimmers (dimmers), this will lead to breakage. For them, ordinary switches are suitable. They have a long shelf life, but if used properly.

Markings

Domestic manufacturers have adopted a marking consisting of 4 or 5 capital letters and a number:

Letter L- stands for luminescent.
Second is a characteristic of the color of the radiation.
Third letter set for lamps with improved quality of color transfer C and with increased CC.
fourth letter denotes a shape or design.
Number indicates power.

The lamp can display different shades of light from warm shades: daytime, natural shade of white, warm white to cold range: cold white, white. There are also color shades: blue, red, yellow, green, blue, ultraviolet. In the marking, they are indicated by the first capital letter.

Models from foreign companies are produced with individual markings.

International marking consists of a three-digit code:

First, the heat transfer index is written, the higher the number, the more natural the color transfer.
The second and third digits characterize the color temperature of the radiation.

The code is indicated on the individual packaging.

Characteristics

UV Lamp

Models are produced with the following characteristics:

With high color reproduction, they are used in exhibition museums, galleries, when printing in printing houses, hospitals, laboratories and dentistry. They are also used in outlets specializing in art goods, fabrics, paints.
With light, similar in spectrum to sunlight, they are used in low natural light.
With increased blue and red emission, used to illuminate plants and aquariums. They are beneficial to biological processes. They are used in greenhouses, greenhouses, shops selling plants.
For aquariums with sea water and corals, backlighting with increased blue and UV radiation is suitable. But it is combined with daylight lighting.
With color effects, which are used for decoration, are used in advertising.

They produce lamps with UV radiation for beauty salons and solariums.

They are of three types:

With pure UV radiation, which does not cause burns on the skin and gives a good tan.
With high power radiation, with the use of which it is possible to obtain a minimum degree of burn.
With radiation similar to sunlight. This type of radiation causes permanent skin pigmentation and is used in solariums. When dosed, does not cause burns.

Fluorescent lamps are produced with a power of 5 to 55 watts. Lamps with a power of more than 23 W are large in size and are not used for domestic purposes. They are used to illuminate large rooms.

Prices

OSRAM lamp

The most popular and reliable manufacturers: OSRAM (Germany), Sylvania (Belgium), Cosmos (Russia), PHILIPS (Holland), General Electric (USA). The cost ranges from 1032 to 150 rubles.

There are models of domestic and foreign production on the market.

The cost depends on the technical characteristics and the manufacturer. The low cost of the lamp in comparison with other models may indicate a low-quality product that will not last long.

The prices below may vary from store to store, but are on average per CFL:

ECONOMY Cosmos SPC 105W E40 4000K T5, worth 745 rubles.
OSRAM DULUX L 36W/830 2G11, worth 269 rubles.
OSRAM DULUX D 18W/830 G24d-2, worth 154 rubles.
OSRAM DULUX S/E 11W/827 2G7, the cost is 127 rubles.

The average cost for a tubular fluorescent lamp is:

OSRAM L 36W/950 G 13, price - 1032 rubles;
OSRAM L 58W/965 BIOLUX, price - 568 rubles;
PHILIPS TL-D 58W/865G 13, price 156 rubles;
PHILIPS TL-D 18W/54-765, price - 49 rubles.

Do you know which month of the year, according to statistics, is the most fruitful for the dead? February. Why? Because during the long winter days a person receives the least daylight. And although by nature he must somehow fight this, in modern realities this is not always possible. It's all about prolonging wakefulness, although the day itself is shortened. That's why everyone's health starts to go haywire by the end of winter. The only way out is to install ceiling lamps daylight. Why?

The thing is that these lamps create the presence of an artificial sun in the premises. That is, they can be used to extend daylight as if everything is really happening. Of course, this is a hoax, but the body reacts to it.

Fluorescent Lamp

We are all familiar with fluorescent lamps, which were long, cloudy bulbs. These are old samples, which, by the way, are still used in many premises (especially office ones). All other models that ordinary people call energy-saving are light bulbs that are installed even in living rooms.

The principle of operation of this type of ceiling lamp is based on the production of radiation (ultraviolet) by an electric discharge in mercury vapor. True, such radiation is rather weak, therefore the inner plane of the flask is treated with phosphors. What is a phosphor? This is a substance that converts the energy absorbed by itself into a glow. AT fluorescent lamps phosphors of inorganic origin are used. Basically, these are metal sulfides (not all), which are activated by copper ions.

Attention! These lamps have one big drawback - this is flickering, which has a harmful effect on human eyes. Therefore, their package includes ceiling lamps. Without them, to install fixtures with daylight is to harm yourself.

In addition to ceiling lamps, flickering is extinguished by special devices that are now installed in modern lamps. This is an electromagnetic ballast (electronic ballast). This effect can also be reduced by installing two fluorescent lamps (two-lamp) in one lamp at once. It's just that their flicker pulses work to cancel each other out.

As for the correct use of this type of lighting in residential premises, it is premature to say that it will be correct. After all, at home everyone is trying to relax, leisure not used here. So the yellow light of incandescent lamps will be just right. Although it should be noted that manufacturers today began to offer sources of daylight color with a yellow tint, which is more acceptable in living rooms.

Marking

What are the criteria for fluorescent lamps? Three criteria:

Light power.
Colorful temperature.
Color rendering index.

Manufacturers indicate all this on the packaging. So you should carefully consider the inscriptions that define specifications device. For example, products of the well-known company "PHILIPS". Here is the marking of one of her lamps: TL-D 58W / 830 - what does this mean?

TL-D - fluorescent lamp.
58W - glow power.
8 - color rendering index.
30 – Colorful temperature.

This is a purely international label. In Russia, the whole abbreviation comes down to determining the type of lamp according to the old GOST 6825-91. In this document they are labeled as follows:

LB - with white light.
LHB - cold white light.
LTB - warm.
LD - daytime.

As mentioned above, today manufacturers offer an expanded range, where you can highlight luminescent sources lights for solariums, for nurseries where birds or animals are kept, for catering points, in the glow of which the food has a more attractive appearance. And yet it is necessary when choosing to pay attention to power. For example, a LPO lamp is 2x36 W, which means that the total power of the device is 72 W. It has two lamps. Or a ceiling lamp AOT 4x18 W gives exactly the same luminous power. But it has four lamps.

Warnings

First, regarding connectivity. Usually fluorescent lamps connected through the throttle and starter. Unfortunately, these simple and cheap devices are already outdated. Today, electronic ballasts are used for this. They work perfectly and for a long time, do not make noise, practically do not react to power surges in the 220 V network. True, this is an expensive device.

Secondly, mercury vapor contained in the bulb of fluorescent lamps can be dangerous to humans. Of course, while they are inside, there is no need to be afraid of them. Therefore, it is impossible to break the lamps, throw them into the garbage for household waste. They are specially disposed of.

Energy saving light sources

So, it has already been mentioned above that the new generation of fluorescent lighting sources in everyday life is called energy-saving lamps. These are all the same tubular devices only with different form(spiral, U-shaped, double and so on). These light bulbs are similar to incandescent light bulbs. They have standard cartridges or E14 or E27. That is, you can screw in and unscrew the light bulb in the old fashioned way.

To be honest, it is impossible to consider that only this type can be called energy-saving. Because there is a fairly large number of different devices and light sources with which you can greatly save electricity. We add that in these lamps there is an electronic ballast, only it is located in the base of the device, therefore it is not visible to the eye. This is a convenient design that allows you to simply screw the lamp into place without having to additionally connect to the starting device.

LEDs

LED ceiling light bulbs for pendant or stretch ceiling also belong to the category of fluorescent lamps. True, they have higher characteristics (technical and operational).

First, they are completely flicker-free.
Secondly, their emission spectrum is closest to the emission spectrum of our star.
Thirdly, they have a higher color temperature. And this suggests that the color rendering is also higher and closer to the glow of the sun.
Fourthly, they have increased safety due to the absence of dangerous mercury vapors in the flask.

Not without flaws. LED ceiling lights by far the most expensive light source.

Conclusion on the topic

So, daylight, which is so important to all of us, can be artificial. Of course, this is not the sun, but its prototype. But studies have shown that it is with the help of these lamps that the human body adheres to certain norms of vital activity. And this is not only health, it is an increase in life expectancy. And, therefore, it is, most importantly, harmless.