How to extend the service life of fluorescent lamps?

In lower temperatures, or when the supply voltage is lower than the rated voltage of the fluorescent lamps, the fluorescent lamps are often flickering and not easy to start, which tends to make the lamps age rapidly and shorten their life. Some people in order to be able to open the fluorescent lamps, usually before dark when people use less electricity to start, or change to a larger ballast. Both of these methods are not ideal measures, although they can achieve the purpose of assisted starting within certain limits. The former increases the ineffective lighting time, more power consumption; the latter when the electricity consumption voltage is sufficient, the same will increase the working current of fluorescent lamps, get it wrong easily damaged lamps.

Here, to introduce a simple and practical method: the use of half-wave rectification principle, the fluorescent lamps will be a modification of the lightener, with pulsed DC to trigger the ignition of the fluorescent lamps; materials only need a voltage greater than 250V, the current is greater than 500MA diode of any type (available at the store) can be. Installation, first remove the starter, remove the aluminum shell, cut off the capacitor, weld open the neon bubble fixed contact on either end, diode in series, and then cover the shell can be used. Note that the polarity of the diode can not be reversed. After the modification of the starter, in the cold winter, even if the voltage is lower than 180V, the lamp can be started in 10 seconds at a time, and can extend the service life of the lamp.