Tube Light Wiring Diagram with Capacitor

How Wire the Tube Light?

A tube light or florescent tube wiring is simple but we frequently face questions with the issues-   how to wire fluorescent lights to plug? how to find a double tube light connection diagram, tube light connection with electronic choke, tube light connection with choke and starter, and tube light connection with a capacitor, how to wire a fluorescent light fixture with a diagram? how to assemble tube light? and so on.

Okay, let’s know first why fluorescent tubes still need where CFL lamps; LED lamps are available. Actually, CFL and LED lighting products are produced on a large scale but LED lights cannot replace tube lights thoroughly, because the tube light gives smooth bright light, but till now LED can’t.

Low-pressure mercury vapor gas discharge lamp or tube light is called fluorescent light and mostly produces a white light that can light last longer than CFL or LED.

Schematic Wiring Diagram for Two Tube Light with One Ballast (Choke).

Here in this tube light wiring diagram, you will find two fluorescent tubes are connected with one Choke or ballast, two separate starters are used for each tube and finally connected to a 230V power supply through a switch to ON/OFF both tubes together.

Working Principle of Tube Light

Making a real tube light connection following the above wiring connection, tube light, ballast, starter, and fluorescent light is required. 

Each fluorescent tube has two filaments with four terminals;  the starter is connected between two filaments, and the ballast is connected between the main AC supply and one filament in the tube light.

Here another terminal in the tube light is directly connected to the AC supply. 

To ionize the mercury atoms in the tube light starter element is used, after the ionization operation of the starter it does not need a fluorescent lamp. 

The ballast is employed to convert the AC supply frequency to high frequency and the ballast regulates the supply given to the tube light.

You must know the Electrical Wiring Tools and Equipment

What is Ballast or Choke? and How Does it Work for Tube Light?

Fig-3: Typical Fluorescent Tube Choke

This is a well-known typical tube light ballast; this electric device actually produces high voltage by using low-frequency AC voltage that helps the tube light mercury vapor gas to ionize.  After ionizing, this ballast or choke reduces the output voltage level.

This means in a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps.

What happens without Choke? ( ''I am not sure this CHOKE means Coca-Cola or eyes'')
Anyway, without ballast in tube light, to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high-voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw.

What is the Tube Starter and How Does Work in Tube Light?

Fig-2: Typical Fluorescent Tube Light Starter 

Fluorescent tubes/lamps are filled with mercury vapor and A choke is a coil of wire. Tubes or lamps use an electric charge to excite mercury atoms in order to produce ultraviolet light. 

A glow starter or commonly known as a starter is used in the tube light circuit to provide an initial current to the filaments of the tube light.

The starter is placed parallel to the tube filament each of that contains a small neon lamp-like setup with fixed contact, a pics of the bi-metallic strip, and a small capacitor. 

The Starter Provides an initial current flow path to the filament of the tube. It becomes inactive after the gas ionization and current flow in the tube.

Tube Light Wiring Diagram with Capacitor

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Fig-4: Florescent wiring diagram with capacitor

The figure above already explained the wiring diagram of a florescent with a capacitor. Hope no need for further explanation. Rather we can explain why a capacitor is required with the florescent connection.

A tube light consists of a filament & a choke coil or inductor coil for lighting purpose. When this choke gets a power supply as its nature we see a delay in its switching action, it happens due to its inductor nature. 

1. The capacitor can reduce this starting time delay;
2. The capacitor can reduce radio interference due to switching activity; 
3. The capacitor can improve the overall power factor of the system.

It is possible to omit the capacitor on the individual lamps and to centralize them in the switch room and automatically switch in as many as required to keep the power factor within acceptable limits.

History of Fluorescent Lamp

In 1852, Sir George Stokes discovered the transformation of the ultra violates ray radiation into visible radiation.

From this time to 1920 various kinds of experiments had been done to develop low and high-pressure electric discharges in the mercury and sodium vapor. 

A major breakthrough happened in the 1920s, the ultra violate ray gets converted into visible light rays by using appropriate fluorescent material inside the lamp.

Later, Dr. W. L. Enfield in 1934 had received a report from Dr. A. H. Crompton about the use of the fluorescent-coated lamp.