Fluorence

[Night Rider]

Hi guys,
this is the problem:
i'have got a ballast and three fluorence lamp's. the ballast is 58W and the lamps are 14W each. i connect them in series with their starters. the lamps lights after a long time and not immediately. i closed the light to see what happened with the starters and i saw in the dark that the second and the third in the line was working, but the first nothing. i change the lamps and the starters between them but i had the same result. i wonder if i need to place a compensating capacitor. i want to do this but i dont know what capacitor to place. the ballast has some characteristics such as: 58W, lamp 1x58W, V=230Volt, A=0.67Ampere, 50Hz, cosφ=0.49. I know that i need the power factor for the compensation (which is PF=cosφ=0.49), but i dont understand when the 0.49 takes place. i dont have 1x58W lamp but 3x14W=42W. in that case the PF is the same? 0.49? at what value i must correct the PF? 0.9 is well? can i make it 1.0? is this action solve the problem of the delaying lightning or is something else? i'm asking this because at the past i built a circuit with a 18W ballast(choke) and 2x8 lamps and is working fine. the lamps are lightning immediately.

 

[Hero999]

Read the PDF linked below.
https://www.electro-tech-online.com/attachments/rss-guide-to-fluro-tubes-pdf.11102/

Does your ballasts say that it will power three 14W tubes in series?

Are the 14W tubes the same diameter as the 54W tube that the ballast is designed to power?

I think the probem it that the striking and or running voltage of the three 14W tubes is much higher than the 54W tube that the ballast is designed to power.

Buy the correct ballast for the tubes you want to operate and use the correct starters or you'll run in to trouble. If you're not careful the tubes and ballast could overheat causing a fire.

 

[Night Rider]

The ballast says that can operate with 1x58W tube. i dont know what diamater has a tube like that. i thought that i can make a connection with any tubes i want but not to exceed the 58W of the ballast (3x14W=42W<58W). can you explain me what do you mean saying "I think the probem it that the striking and or running voltage of the three 14W tubes is much higher than the 54W tube that the ballast is designed to power" ? sorry for my bad english... for that i said before to place a compensating capacitor, is wrong or it can't solve that problem?

 

[Hero999]

The ballast says that can operate with 1x58W tube.

That means it's designed for one 58W tube nothing else.

i dont know what diamater has a tube like that.

It should be written on one end of the tube, it's normally something like T5 or T8.

i thought that i can make a connection with any tubes i want but not to exceed the 58W of the ballast (3x14W=42W<58W).

No, that's a common misconception!

A ballast is designed to power a particular kind of tube and no other!

can you explain me what do you mean saying "I think the probem it that the striking and or running voltage of the three 14W tubes is much higher than the 54W tube that the ballast is designed to power" ?

Yes.

sorry for my bad english... for that i said before to place a compensating capacitor, is wrong or it can't solve that problem?

Worry about that later.

Buy the correct ballast for the tubes and it should tell you that on the datasheet. Failing that you can calculate it but you need to get everything else right first.

A ballast is designed with a tube's operating current and voltage in mind. Please bear in mind that:

Longer tubes have a higher striking and running voltage.
Wider tubes require a higher current and a lower voltage.
Narrower tubes have a higher voltage and a lower current.

This is why the ballast needs to be suitable for the tube(s).

Lots more infromation can be found from the link below.
https://members.misty.com/don/f-lamp.html