In the below picture is a component with yellow, red and blue wires wrapped around it. Is that a transformer or something else? It's in a CFL ballast in case that helps. There's already a large transformer in the middle which is blue and white.

 

Transformer or an Inductor.
But SMPS Tx are also wound in a similar manner

 

That was what I thought at first but then I changed my mind. Thanks!

 

By the way core is Ferrite.

 

In the below picture is a component with yellow, red and blue wires wrapped around it. Is that a transformer or something else? It's in a CFL ballast in case that helps. There's already a large transformer in the middle which is blue and white.

Its the tube ballast - the high operating frequency does away with the big heavy lump iron cored ballast.

The doofer with red, blue & yellow wire wrapped round it is the transformer - the circuit is more or less 2 blocking oscillators, one stacked on top the other.

Most CFL boards have a diac in the start up circuit - they're getting harder to come by these days.

 

I am sure you already know but in the picture it looks like the Diode at the top of the board is no longer connected? Not sure if that was something you removed or something that happened in service. The one closest to the Transformer.

 

I am sure you already know but in the picture it looks like the Diode at the top of the board is no longer connected? Not sure if that was something you removed or something that happened in service. The one closest to the Transformer.

At that end of the board; it could be one of the output clamp diodes.

A diode at the bottom has pretty crappy component placement - the one not fully inserted could be a manufacturing defect.

If its what I suggested, it wouldn't stop it working - until it went bang.

 

I removed that diode from the circuit whilst looking for a fault. I intend to put it all back together with a capacitor I'll salvage from a neighbour's dead CFL just like Dr Frankenstein but hopefully with fewer sparks.

 

I removed that diode from the circuit whilst looking for a fault. I intend to put it all back together with a capacitor I'll salvage from a neighbour's dead CFL just like Dr Frankenstein but hopefully with fewer sparks.

A local supermarket did a massive promotion on CFLs and then extended it to BOGOF, I bought a couple of carrier bags full.

Its a long time since I bothered repairing a CFL, and LED bulbs are heading that way..............

 

A local supermarket did a massive promotion on CFLs and then extended it to BOGOF, I bought a couple of carrier bags full.

Its a long time since I bothered repairing a CFL, and LED bulbs are heading that way..............

Yeah, I know but it's not for economic reasons but because I wanted to see if could. If I succeed I get a small hit of dopamine. I like it when I can fix my stuff.

 

Yeah, I know but it's not for economic reasons but because I wanted to see if could. If I succeed I get a small hit of dopamine. I like it when I can fix my stuff.

The tubes sometimes fail - more likely its a vented reservoir electrolytic.

Very occasionally the cap can go high ESR without venting.

Most other failure modes leave conspicuous burn marks and aren't worth bothering with.

There's often a thermal fuse disguised as a resistor and hidden in woven high temperature sleeve - sometimes they go open, I hardly ever bother trying replacement.