How does a fluorescent starter work?
A fluorescent light does not have the usual glowing filament of an incandescent bulb, but instead contains a mercury vapor that gives off ultraviolet light when ionized. The ultraviolet light makes particles that coat the inside of the tube, and these particles glow or fluoresce (see How Fluorescent Lamps Work for details). Fluorescent starters are used in several types of fluorescent lights. The starter is there to help the lamp light. When voltage is applied to the fluorescent lamp, here’s what happens: • The starter (which is simply a timed switch) allows current to flow through the filaments at the ends of the tube. • The current causes the starter’s contacts to heat up and open, thus interrupting the flow of current. The tube lights. •
