30" Flair Fluorescent Lighting Repairs / Options / Updates

[Christopher Burns]

Good day everyone--

After a pattern of replacing my 30" Flair's fluorescent light tube more often than it seemed should have been necessary, today I bit the bullet and changed not only the fluorescent starter but also the magnetic ballast too. What was happening was that the bulbs were losing their brightness / brilliance fairly quickly (like over a few months rather than years), and then at times I'd turn on the light and come back to it later only to find it had gone off; other times it would try over and over to start without ever "catching" and staying lit.

So the starter, a standard FS-25 which you can get fairly easily, was under the top over, rear center-- fairly easy to get to. The magnetic starter (ballast) for the fluorescent tube, a Robertson SP258AM as the replacement, was a bit trickier to get to-- it is accessed by removing the rear center tall cover panel, and then as you're looking at the back of the unit it is to the right of the power cord junction block-- and actually in behind the panel. The screws that hold down the magnetic starter were machine screws, in my case they were so tight I had to use a Phillips bit at the end of a ratchet to get them free-- I couldn't get them free with just a screwdriver, particularly the one further back around inside behind the back panel.

I'm pleased to report the light is now working properly again, bright, and starting on the first try every time. With that said, I was determined to change the starter and ballast for "as-new" performance because the proper fluorescent bulb is getting difficult to find for these 30" Flairs-- it is a "standard" (well, it used to be standard) appliance 28" F25T12 Cool White fluorescent tube (actual part number is F25T12/CW/28). My advice to all here is to buy at least a couple spare fluorescent bulbs for your Flair while you still can-- if you do a search online, you can still find a handful of places online that have them, but stock is dwindling given that T12 fluorescents have been banned.

Alternatives: 

(1) if you want to stay with the fluorescent tube light, you could replace the starter + magnetic ballast combo with an electronic ballast instead. One such example would be the Sunpark SL15T ballast. If you go this route, you will have a bit of rewiring to do under the top panel to bypass the starter & magnetic ballast, and you'll need to be a bit creative with mounting the ballast there somewhere. I opted not to go this route as I wanted to stay as original as possible with my Flair. 

(2) there are retrofit LED bulbs made to replace the 28" F25T12 fluorescent bulb, and the pricing seems fairly reasonable; I saw an option on Amazon for just under $30 delivered. Much as I'm not the biggest fan of LED generally and I prefer to stay original (fluorescent in the Flair), the LED retrofit option becomes interesting to me insofar as you can get these replacements in a variety of color tones. The "cool white" fluorescent is about 4,100 kelvin color temperature; that has always been a bit bluish and "industrial" looking, however a "warm white" more around 2,700 kelvin would be a great alternative for me, and is an option for the LED retrofit bulbs. But note: when you use the retrofit LED bulb, the starter + magnetic starter must remain in place and in use.

I hope this helps others "keep the light on" with their 30" Flairs-- best regards all,

Christopher

Christopher Burns P.O. Box 92207 Rochester, New York 14692-0207 (585) 234-3524

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Steve Dvorscak <stev...@gmail.com>

To: Frigidaire Flair <frigidai...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Friday, February 16, 2024 at 06:05:52 AM EST

Subject: [frigidaire-flair] replacement control panel glass

Hi David, do you have a glass for a 1964  RCIH-635 Custom Imperial 30"?

Thanks!

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replacement control panel glass

From: "DK Comet' via Frigidaire Flair"
To: "frigidai...@googlegroups.com", "leomc...@roadrunner.com"
Cc:
Sent: Monday January 29 2024 2:25:32PM
Subject: Re: [frigidaire-flair] Re: Flair Custom Imperial glass control panel for sale

Hi Leo, If you can send me a photo of the switch & the part number, I probably have one.

Also, - Glass control panels - I have several & each model/year/single vs double all have a different panel. If anyone needs a new panel, send me a photo of what yours looks like & I can let you know if I have a replacement. I also have many doors with good glass, so if you need a whole door with mechanism, or just the glass & frame, I likely have those. Lots of switches, dials, some clocks & elements.

Cheers,

Portland

David

[blaze....@gmail.com]

When did they ban T12’s because I just bought one for my 30 inch, and a shorter one for my medicine cabinet at Walmart just two days ago?  Now I am wondering if the medicine cabinet has a ballast issue because it is doing exactly what you described the stove as doing.  Starter is new, but the bulb comes on and gets instantly dimmer, very slightly flickering and that is where it stays.  But the tube is discoloring quickly at the ends.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/frigidaire-flair/1369089268.3734431.1709421999387%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Christopher Burns]

Good morning--

Curious-- I did see multiple references to a 2012 U.S. Department of Energy ban on the production of T12 bulbs and ballasts, but I do also see quite a number of "standard" T12 bulbs advertised and available for prices that don't suggest end-of-production scarcity. With that said, it is still a bit of a challenge to find the 28" T12 appliance bulbs for our 30" Flairs, and I still suggest getting one (or more) while you still can. Where hardware stores and home stores used to have them as a standard offering, I don't seem them in those stores anymore; that is fantastic that you found one at WalMart!

But yes, it does sound like the ballast for your medicine cabinet is due to be changed-- otherwise you'll be going through bulbs quickly, and not satisfied with the light in the meantime.

Best regards,

Christopher

Christopher Burns P.O. Box 92207 Rochester, New York 14692-0207 (585) 234-3524

[blaze....@gmail.com]

It was Walmart online so it was shipped in.  Sylvania still makes them.  But I heard the same thing as you.  What I have noticed is how hard it is to find a new strip light fluorescent fixture.

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