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How to use burnt Compact Florescent Light Circuit Module

by iffee on August 18, 2006 Table of Contents How to use burnt Compact Florescent Light Circuit Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro: How to use burnt Compact Florescent Light Circuit Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 1: Find a CFL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 2: Disassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 3: Parts required . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: CFL module wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Mounting and Assembling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Connect to light up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

Intro: How to use burnt Compact Florescent Light Circuit Module

Note and precautions: CFL's contain mercury which is hazardous material, so it should be handled accordingly Most CFL lamps, electronic circuits are working perfect and are still useable, only the bulb goes defective. CFL circuit of 18-24 Watts are useful for the activation ofreplacement type two feet 18-20 Watt Florescent Tube Light bulb.

Step 1: Find a CFL

You will need a CFL as shown in picture. Any CFL of which bulb is defective, broken or has outlive its life is useful for this modification. Drive voltage may be according to your country 110 Volt or 220 Volts. In my country (Pakistan) voltage standard is 220/230 Volts.

Step 2: Disassemble
Disassemble the CFL as shown in the picture. Note there is a single pair of wires/connections which goes to the 110/220 Volts. other side has two pair of wires 9four wires) these will be connected to the replacement type 20 Watt 24" Florescent Light bulb. After disassembling you will need electronic module from it. Check carefully there are no burnt parts on it. Using multimeter check its diodes, fuse etc. some time fuse is found melted you can replace it or bridge with a very thin copper wire. NOTE;- DO IT IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH ELECTRIC/ELECTRONICS EXPERIENCE

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

Step 3: Parts required

You will need a replacement type Florescent Light bulb of 18 or 20 Watts type and hardware to hold the tube bulb and ofcourse salvaged electronic module from the CFL.

Step 4: CFL module wiring

Rewire appropriate length of wires as shown, say about 4 to 6 inches.

Step 5: Mounting and Assembling

mount the parts and assemble. Note the CFL module shold be mounted on an insulated plate. I used a piece of Plexiglas and fixed the CFL module with a hot glue on it. For extending connections, use terminal blocks.

Step 6: Connect to light up

Now after assembling check all connections taking care there should be no loose connection. Now power up!!!. I have assembled three such units successfully.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

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Comments
50 comments Add Comment view all 60 comments

arzhou says:

Sep 4, 2009. 5:42 PM REPLY Hi, I was wondering is it possible to buy the ballast commercially? I checked online but it did not seem possible. How much would a ballast cost?

iffee says:

Feb 20, 2010. 11:14 PM REPLY Main purpose of this instructable is to use those CFLs of which bulb has been burnt or damaged and its circuit (module) is in working order. It is a salvaged part and not sold separately. For more information "About failed CFLs http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=27197

Vulcanator says:
go to your local hardware store

Feb 20, 2010. 11:48 AM REPLY

Vulcanator says:
they are $25-$30

Feb 20, 2010. 11:49 AM REPLY

chub2 says:
Most common CFL are 18W to 26 W. if one wants to run a 40 w tube how do we modify the circuit? regards Chuba

Dec 3, 2009. 7:14 AM REPLY

labatt says:

Feb 20, 2010. 9:50 AM REPLY chub2 you don't have to modify the circuit for a 26W to 40W tube, the main concept is add some heat sink around the transistors or ground the tube mettalic housing to. However all in all just try and implement the procedure in this instructable and you may be surprised that it works, For tubes they only fail to work because it fails to strike on, putting your hands near the tube makes it strike (grounding) Jan 26, 2010. 5:39 AM REPLY

bronz says:
Hello Sir

Looking at CLF circuit there are four pins ,two of which go to one side of the tube and the other two to the other side.Just a Curiosity ,how do we know which ones are +ve and which ones -ve. And one more thing,the circuit intake is AC and output ?.If output is also AC.How can we make it DC.

quince_ron15 says:
sir,did you use the starter?

Nov 26, 2009. 10:27 AM REPLY

bronz says:

Sep 2, 2009. 3:15 AM REPLY sir this is excellent work. how much watt and current do you think will be suppling to tube1 and 2. And can we use the similar process to make an adopter. Thanks

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

iffee says:
@Bronz: There is only one tube 20 Watts.

Sep 3, 2009. 9:14 AM REPLY

12V says:
some times i have cfls sent to me for free.

Aug 8, 2009. 4:11 AM REPLY

iffee says:

Jul 11, 2009. 2:53 AM REPLY @alcpower1 1. Your CFL module should compare by wattage to the lamp you want to use. little can be tolerated, say for 8W you can use 6 to 10 watt type CFL module. 2. No starter required. 3. There are 4 wires to be connected to the tube (2 each side) If the CFL module and Tube are perfect then seems no problem..

alcpower1 says:

Aug 2, 2009. 4:49 PM REPLY Dear iffee, I did exactly as you suggested. I obtained a 9 watt CFL module (to match closely to my 8w, 12" fluorescent bulb) and it worked the first time. It is very bright, no flickering, and I saved at least $14 from having to purchase a new ballast for this set-up (3 gallon fish tank hood light). Thank you for your Instructables. Best Regards, AL Santa Clara California Jul 11, 2009. 11:13 PM REPLY Hello iffee, Thanks very much for your reply. I will try another 6-10 watt CFL module and let you know the results. If I purchase an electronic ballast online, the cheapest is about $8 with $8 shipping ($16) so I hope to save some money using your method. AL Santa Clara, California

alcpower1 says:

ajaypi says:
Nice article...thanks

Jul 19, 2009. 10:49 AM REPLY

alcpower1 says:

Jul 5, 2009. 12:22 AM REPLY Hello, Thank you for posting it. I did try this with an 8w, 12 inch long fluorescent tube used for a fish tank hood light that I want working again. I did not want to spend money on replacing the magnetic and bulky ballast transformer and wanted to upgrade with the CFL electronic ballast. So, I tried two times with two different ballasts from two different CFLs. One was old (but still was working) and the second one was new. I FAILED both times to make the small 8W fluorescent light come on. What am I doing wrong? Q1: Does the CFC work with a small 8W tube fluorescent light ? Q2: Am I missing a part (Is there a starter still required?). I didn't think so as a starter, i think is needed only with the heavy, (60Hz) magnetic ballast and not needed with the electronic ballast in the CFC. Any advice would be welcome as I have spent at least 5 hours on this project today, Independence Day, USA. Thanks in advance! AL in Santa Clara, California.

nemroff says:
(removed by author or community request)

May 20, 2008. 7:26 PM

0xCyrusx0 says:

Aug 29, 2008. 5:22 PM REPLY You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. The mercury is CONTAINED INSIDE of the glass. Therefore, you have to break the glass to be exposed to it. Even then, it contains extremely small amounts of mercury.

nemroff says:

Aug 29, 2008. 8:31 PM REPLY each cfl bulb contains anywhere between 1 - 4 mg of mercury, not a ton, but more than 0. The mercury is a gas floating around inside the bulb. It's released by the act of opening the tube. In some cases by attempting to remove the base one can damage the tube. As ironsmiters said, you can attempt this project but you must approach it carefully. Integrated CFLs are, after all, not intended for this use, that's what non-integrated ones are for. please, next time don't respond so angrily, it's totally unnecessary. by responding so aggressively you break the Instructables "be nice" comment policy. and anyway, after all, in your own words, "You obviously have no idea what you are talking about."

geeklord says:

Nov 23, 2008. 5:51 PM REPLY Yea, my school went to a "STEM"(Science Technology Engineering and Math) Conference thingy. And the only cool thing they had was a tesla coil(that was pretty wimpy) and they demonstrated how you can hold the flourescent tubes near it and they light up. Someone dropped one, and they were long tubes too, and you could see the vapor but nobody did anything about it...... Was that a bad thing??? sorry that was so long......

tanmanknex says:
if you're still alive, then it didn't matter, as long as you didn't bend over and breathe in the smoke. ;D

May 26, 2009. 10:04 PM REPLY

geeklord says:
alright, good to know

May 27, 2009. 5:22 PM REPLY

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

BFeely says:
Opening a CFL only releases mercury if you break the tube.

Aug 9, 2008. 3:41 PM REPLY

ReCreate says:

Feb 19, 2009. 5:09 PM REPLY yeah , CFLs have about 5Miligrams of mercury,about 100 is lethal,so if you do brake it,who cares your not a dead man,unless it you go through like 20 of these and brake every one of them

iffee says:

May 27, 2008. 2:59 AM REPLY For the visitors to this project, it is advised that they should always keep in mind all the precaution while handling this or any other project. How people handle 220Volts AC, Tesla sparks, knives,acids, Anybody's dog can bite him! So this project should be on the same principles. For the benefit of visitor the following extract from http://www.eartheasy.com/live_energyeff_lighting.htm is reproduced. Mercury and CFLs Mercury is a toxic metal associated with contamination of water, fish, and food supplies, and can lead to adverse health affects. A CFL bulb generally contains an average of 5 mg of mercury (about one-fifth of that found in the average watch battery, and less than 1/100th of the mercury found in an amalgam dental filling). A power plant will emit 10mg of mercury to produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb compared to only 2.4mg of mercury to run a CFL for the same time. The net benefit of using the more energy efficient lamp is positive, and this is especially true if the mercury in the fluorescent lamp is kept out of the waste stream when the lamp expires. All fluorescent lamps do not contain the same amount of mercury. Philips lamps with Alto Lamp Technology, for instance, contain less mercury than conventional fluorescent lamps. Philips claims the bulbs have the lowest amount of mercury of any bulb on the market at less than 3.8 mg per bulb. To achieve this, Philips uses a specially developed mercury capsule which ensures the exact amount of mercury is placed in a tiny glass capsule which is attached to the lamp cathode. To purchase the new 'Alto' CFLs, click here. Important Note: Handling and Disposal of CFLs The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one: - open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more - use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag - place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag - call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward. Although household CFL bulbs may legally be disposed of with regular trash (in most US states), they are categorized as household hazardous waste. As long as the waste is sent to a modern municipal landfill, the hazard to the environment is limited. However, CFLs should not be sent to an incinerator, which would disperse the mercury into the atmosphere. Burned out CFLs can be dropped off at Home Depot and Ikea stores. Another solution is to save spent CFLs for a community household hazardous waste collection, which would then send the bulbs to facilities capable of treating, recovering or recycling them. For more information on CFL disposal or recycling, you can contact your local municipality.

surgevoltage says:

Mar 16, 2009. 3:06 AM REPLY very useful idea, but i wonder whether the broken filament tube of the CFL itself be used again for lighting. will it be possible to ignite the CFL tube with some starting circuit modifications so that the tube will not require thermally emitted electrons from its heated filaments? something like starting the tube only with field emitted electrons.

ironsmiter says:

May 25, 2008. 8:38 PM REPLY hmm, yes and no. to both the mercury AND safety comments. It can be difficult to safely disassemble the base of some CFLs.... but if you take your time, and precede carefully, It shouldn't be an issue(I and many others have safely disassembled many, many bulbs... the CFL TUBES do contain mercury. the base(containing the circuit) is actually vented. So as long as there is no leak in the bulb itself...no mercury will be released. RC Jedi.... Just a suggestion, if you don't know how to safely handle a capacitor, SAY THE HELL AWAY from tesla coils, as it will KILL you. Probably stay away from all electrical projects, until you develop safer work habits. Learning is only of value, if you're still alive to use it.

usman3pk says:

Apr 21, 2009. 3:54 PM REPLY Salam What a nice and best project for living in Pakistan. Keep it up. I was not beleiving that you are from pakistan I am also Pakistan and very like your project I will now try this at the earlier basis. Thanks and Salam. Allah aap ki umer draz karay Ameen.

SinAmos says:
I just took apart three that went out, so thanks for giving 1 of them a use so early on.

Mar 21, 2009. 1:24 PM REPLY

msw100 says:

Oct 15, 2008. 1:04 PM REPLY Great instructable You show a picture of a philips bulb with straight elements but the circuit is from the spiral CFL do you have the pinouts for the straight element bulb?

MairseyDotes says:

Feb 27, 2009. 1:17 PM REPLY The straight flouro tube has two pins at each end. There is a low-wattage incandescent coil between the two pins at each end; just connect the two pins from one end to the wires that are next to each other on the electronics board, and the same for the other end of the tube - you should have four wires on the board which were originally connected to the spiral tube. Try to imagine the spiral tube "unwound" into a straight tube and you'll see how it works.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

Jack of Most Trades says:

Feb 27, 2009. 8:02 AM REPLY Interesting instructable. my friend has a lot of those cheap 2-tube "shoplights" with the electronic ballasts in them. I hate them. They're noisy, contribute to early failure of the tubes, and they don't last all that long themselves. What do you expect for $12, I guess. Anyway, when one craps out, I rip out the electronic drivers, throw the caps and choke into the junk box then spend $24 on a magnetic ballast to replace it with. I still like this. Never thought you could re-purpose the driver to drive a tube. Good job!

wolfy_9005 says:

Sep 2, 2008. 7:21 AM REPLY Nice. Would it be possible to remove the but you attack to the wall and make a handle so you can use it like a portable shop light?

iffee says:
It requires connection to the wall plug, so may not be convenient to use as shop light.

Sep 6, 2008. 6:07 AM REPLY

joinaqd says:
nice instructable,by the way im from Bangladesh..salam

Dec 30, 2008. 6:06 PM REPLY

chrismake says:
Excellent: with time the ballasts of most light strip fluorescent fixtures comes to failure. It is a good trick to know. Thank you !

Aug 18, 2006. 12:15 PM REPLY

radiorental says:

Aug 18, 2006. 12:41 PM REPLY So, I have a couple of floro lamps that have blown. Not knowning much about how they work I have some questions. Why is it in europe I could replace the 'starter' a little 1.5" by 1" cylinder which would fix the deal in most cases. Over here in the US I not have seen these starters in or around the ballast. I have a few broken strips and would like to fix them, this instructable sounds great but I'd still liek to understand the missing 'starter' mystery - thanks

kscience says:

Dec 6, 2008. 8:41 PM REPLY The starters had neon bulbs and ceramic capaitors in them, they acted as delay/relaxation oscillators in the old fixtures. They were outmoded in the late 1970's in the US, as ballasts got made smarter. The solid state ones are smarter yet. I imagine thats why they disappeared in Europe, too. The neon bulbs, NE-2's, were the weakest link.

lairdkelly says:

Dec 19, 2008. 3:28 PM REPLY Close... Actually they contained a neon lamp with an integral bi-metallic switch element that would close in response to heat from the glow discharge and re-open after cooling - when the fluoro 'ignites' the drop in impedance would draw current away from the starter preventing further starting cycles. The ceramic cap was just a RFI bypass.

stienman says:

Aug 18, 2006. 2:42 PM REPLY Electronic ballasts often do not use a starter. Here's how the old flourescent bulbs worked: Heat the filaments on either end of the bulb for some period of time, then strike the lamp with high voltage, then drop back down to a steady state high voltage across the lamp. The starter sits next to a filament and determines when the filament has heated up enough to strike the lamp. In electronic ballasts the sequence is different, and a starter is not necessary or is implemented in sold state circuitry. "Instant on" flourescent lights are this way - they don't really preheat the filaments.

kemog says:

Dec 18, 2008. 3:22 PM REPLY Hello, this is understandable and easy to accomplish. And I am interested for same thing but in car usage (12 V). do you have any ideas or instructions about using good parts of CFL with smaller fluo tube which can fit in rear part (trunk) of a car. Thank you!

zubain says:
Brilliant!

Oct 16, 2008. 1:42 AM REPLY

Hubson says:

Sep 6, 2008. 7:30 PM REPLY I have a collection of CFLs in various wattage: 9W, 11W, 15W, etc. Can I in some way connect them in some combination to power a 40W florescent light? If so, how?

iffee says:

Sep 7, 2008. 1:00 AM REPLY You can not connect CFL modules in any combination, how ever I have tested a 23W CFL module to drive 40W Florescent light. It worked without any problem but with some reduced light.

Radioactive_Legos says:

Aug 6, 2008. 2:05 PM REPLY Does anyone know the output voltage/amperage of the driver circuit? I believe florescent lamps need relatively high voltage to run. Thanks.

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/

charles67 says:

May 18, 2008. 12:15 PM REPLY Nice! I hadn't realized these things could power big tubes ... now if anyone happens to know how to convert one of these things into cheap base power supply for a mini Telsa coil .. I mean since its high frequency and all ... I'm hoping to get 1mhz to 2mhz for some experiments :)

inertia18 says:
COOOOOOOOOOOOOL! i ahve lots of CFL's running around. i could use this.

May 11, 2007. 12:08 AM REPLY

n0ukf says:
You'd better go catch them then, no telling how much trouble they'll get into.

Mar 18, 2008. 12:57 PM REPLY

rc jedi says:

Aug 16, 2007. 5:42 PM REPLY I am scared of capacitors after i shocked myself 1 time mak'in a tesla coil. Careful of the contents of the glass, isn't it supposed to contain mercury? This project is cool and useful, thanks.

n0ukf says:

Mar 18, 2008. 12:47 PM REPLY Then don't break the glass! ;) They also contain phosphors which probably aren't any good for you. I saved saved one of these CFL from the trash a couple years ago. I didn't know exactly why but perhaps I knew this was coming... naw! Anyway, the light wouldn't start any more so I don't know yet what went bad in it. I'll just have to open it up and see what's still usable.

view all 60 comments

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-burnt-Compact-Florescent-Light-Circuit-/