My cooking tube toasted for the 2th time in a few years.
I replaced it but considering the age of the ferromagnetic ballast (30ans), it will be wise, to replace the ballast or the complete set by more efficient equipment (electronic ballast).
There is now a standard for the energy efficiency of so-called "neon" tubes (which do not contain neon).
The energy yields can be summarized by the ratio between the power of the tube, and the power lost in the Ferro Magnetic ballast.
- Class D: 9W or more for 36W, ie 25% or more (prohibited since 2003)
- Class C: 9W or less for 36W, ie 25% or less (prohibited from 2005)
- B2 class: 7W or less for 36W, or 19,4% or less
- B1 class: 5W or less for 36W, or 14% or less
For electronic ballasts, it is a little different, since a tube fed with HF needs less power than 50HZ for the same work. Thus, an 36W in 50Hz will only consume 32 to 34W with an electronic ballast.
- A3 class: 6W or less for 32W, or 19% or less
- A2 class: 4W or less for 32W, or 12,5% or less
The evolutions on these equipments concern the tubes whose yield has increased while their size and diameter diminished, but also concerns the electronic control which has improved the performances, the comfort of use (flickering removed, reduced ignition time ) and longevity doubled.
The frequencies of use are no longer in 50 or 100Hz but higher than 15KHz and beyond 25Khz the efficiency goes up again.
There are now ballasts to more than 35KHz ...
Ignition times shorter than 0.5 seconds are now possible and the operating time of 10 000 hours has been changed to 20 000 hours!
My problem: the advertised prices are 10 times higher (about 45 € for an EEI class ballast or CERMA: A2) and above all it is not found in the retail trade.
Finally, it is the same on the complete sets proposed, none are equipped with electronic ballasts, no standard is clearly displayed ...
