The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
fitted it back them.

6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
completely.

The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
significantly. Is there anything I can do to reverse the yellowing? I
suspect not, in which case I'll just buy a new LED fitting!

--
My posts are my copyright and if @diy_forums or Home Owners' Hub
wish to copy them they can pay me £1 a message.
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 28/04/2023 14:11, Bob Eager wrote:
> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
> fitted it back them.
>
> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
> completely.
>
> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
> significantly. Is there anything I can do to reverse the yellowing? I
> suspect not, in which case I'll just buy a new LED fitting!
>
Sometimes one looks at D-I-Y jobs and thinks '12 hours of my time, tens
of quid spent on materials, or 60 quid for a new unit...'

--
When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over
the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that
authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

Frédéric Bastiat

On Friday, 28 April 2023 at 14:18:38 UTC+1, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
> On 28/04/2023 14:11, Bob Eager wrote:
> > The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
> > fitted it back them.
> >
> > 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
> > completely.
> >
> > The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
> > significantly. Is there anything I can do to reverse the yellowing? I
> > suspect not, in which case I'll just buy a new LED fitting!
> >
> Sometimes one looks at D-I-Y jobs and thinks '12 hours of my time, tens
> of quid spent on materials, or 60 quid for a new unit...'

Yup. OTOH sometimes there's good reason.
The 2 things you could try are retrobright & car headlight unfogging. The latter removes a microscopic surface layer, which is likely but not certain to be the problem.

On 28/04/2023 14:11, Bob Eager wrote:
> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
> fitted it back them.
>
> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
> completely.
>
> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
> significantly. Is there anything I can do to reverse the yellowing? I
> suspect not, in which case I'll just buy a new LED fitting!
>
Plus repainting the entire ceiling, since the LED batten will
probably occupy less space on the ceiling than the ancient old
florry.

On 2023-04-28 14:11:32, Bob Eager wrote:
> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
> fitted it back them.
>
> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
> completely.
>
> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
> significantly.

Ours fell off at some point and broke. We managed fine without it.

(Until the T12 tube burnt out and I found you couldn't buy single
replacements. So it was new fitting time, which should now be LED.
I had fitted an electronic starter which meant the tube lasted for
many years but had become obsolete by the time it did burn out.)

If anyone is buying an LED tube for an existing fluorescent fitting
note there are two types: one works with an existing magnetic ballast
(i.e. a coil) and the other requires you to bypass the ballast.
The type seems to be printed in small print on the wrapper.

I'm not aware of an LED conversion tube that works with an
electronic ballast.

--
Graham Nye
news(a)thenyes.org.uk

On 28/04/2023 14:11, Bob Eager wrote:
> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
> fitted it back them.
>
> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
> completely.
>
> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
> significantly. Is there anything I can do to reverse the yellowing? I
> suspect not, in which case I'll just buy a new LED fitting!

I wouldn't bother, it's cheap enough and far less work to replace the
fitting with an LED one. I changed both the 4' fittings in my railway
room (shed) with LED ones and found them far better. In my garage (no
diffusers), I have replaced the (failing) tubes with LED ones, which are
good, but not as good as the sealed LED units.

On 28/04/2023 21:59, Graham Nye wrote:
> On 2023-04-28 14:11:32, Bob Eager wrote:
>> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
>> fitted it back them.
>>
>> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not replace it
>> completely.
>>
>> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
>> significantly.
>
> Ours fell off at some point and broke. We managed fine without it.
>
> (Until the T12 tube burnt out and I found you couldn't buy single
> replacements. So it was new fitting time, which should now be LED.
> I had fitted an electronic starter which meant the tube lasted for
> many years but had become obsolete by the time it did burn out.)
>
> If anyone is buying an LED tube for an existing fluorescent fitting
> note there are two types: one works with an existing magnetic ballast
> (i.e. a coil) and the other requires you to bypass the ballast.
> The type seems to be printed in small print on the wrapper.
>
> I'm not aware of an LED conversion tube that works with an
> electronic ballast.
>

Philips did a LED tube that worked with an electronic ballast.

However most LED tubes sold in the UK are single ended powered (L and N
at one end of the tubes pins) with a short internally across the pin at
the non powered end. Depending on how you rewire the fitting this is
important - if done correctly the LED tube can be fitted both ways and
it will still work - if bodged it goes bang

On 01/05/2023 17:15, ARW wrote:
> On 28/04/2023 21:59, Graham Nye wrote:
>> On 2023-04-28 14:11:32, Bob Eager wrote:
>>> The fluorescent light in our kitchen is probably about 10 years old; I
>>> fitted it back them.
>>>
>>> 6ft tube, at some point I'll convert it to LED. I'd rather not
>>> replace it
>>> completely.
>>>
>>> The diffuser unclips for changing tubes, but it has yellowed
>>> significantly.
>>
>> Ours fell off at some point and broke. We managed fine without it.
>>
>> (Until the T12 tube burnt out and I found you couldn't buy single
>> replacements. So it was new fitting time, which should now be LED.
>> I had fitted an electronic starter which meant the tube lasted for
>> many years but had become obsolete by the time it did burn out.)
>>
>> If anyone is buying an LED tube for an existing fluorescent fitting
>> note there are two types: one works with an existing magnetic ballast
>> (i.e. a coil) and the other requires you to bypass the ballast.
>> The type seems to be printed in small print on the wrapper.
>>
>> I'm not aware of an LED conversion tube that works with an
>> electronic ballast.
>>
>
>
> Philips did a LED tube that worked with an electronic ballast.
>
> However most LED tubes sold in the UK are single ended powered (L and N
> at one end of the tubes pins) with a short internally across the pin at
> the non powered end. Depending on how you rewire the fitting this is
> important - if done correctly the LED tube can be fitted both ways and
> it will still work - if bodged it goes bang

Two out of five "identical" LED replacement tubes, bought together, had
faulty links on the non-powered end. I ended up adding an external link
to the tubes, rather than modifying the fittings.

In message <u2or9h$8vvu$3@dont-email.me>, SteveW
<steve@walker-family.me.uk> writes
>On 01/05/2023 17:15, ARW wrote:
snip
>> Philips did a LED tube that worked with an electronic ballast.
>> However most LED tubes sold in the UK are single ended powered (L
>>and N at one end of the tubes pins) with a short internally across
>>the pin at the non powered end. Depending on how you rewire the
>>fitting this is important - if done correctly the LED tube can be
>>fitted both ways and it will still work - if bodged it goes bang
>
>Two out of five "identical" LED replacement tubes, bought together, had
>faulty links on the non-powered end. I ended up adding an external link
>to the tubes, rather than modifying the fittings.

I changed 30 or so recently. Mostly choke types but didn't find any
issues.

Pays to open the box in the store. TLC were very good about replacing
transit breakages:-)

--
Tim Lamb

On 01/05/2023 20:23, Tim Lamb wrote:
> In message <u2or9h$8vvu$3@dont-email.me>, SteveW
> <steve@walker-family.me.uk> writes
>> On 01/05/2023 17:15, ARW wrote:
> snip
>>>   Philips did a LED tube that worked with an electronic ballast.
>>>  However most LED tubes sold in the UK are single ended powered (L
>>> and N  at one end of the tubes pins) with a short internally across
>>> the pin at  the non powered end. Depending on how you rewire the
>>> fitting this is  important - if done correctly the LED tube can be
>>> fitted both ways and  it will still work - if bodged it goes bang
>>
>> Two out of five "identical" LED replacement tubes, bought together,
>> had faulty links on the non-powered end. I ended up adding an external
>> link to the tubes, rather than modifying the fittings.
>
> I changed 30 or so recently. Mostly choke types but didn't find any issues.
>
> Pays to open the box in the store. TLC were very good about replacing
> transit breakages:-)

There was no visible damage and the link is normally hidden by the
plastic end cap.