Electrical Question--Fluorescent Starter

[Mydogmax]

For all you electricians (or knowledgeable people).
I have under cabinet lighting (20 years old) that uses fluorescent lighting. The tubes are 8W and are 12" long. Each tube has a starter. I want to replace the old starters which are FS-U 2,6,8,14,15,20W with condenser.
From what I gather, the FS-U stands for universal which I don't need. I only need 8W which is an FS-5 but can't find anything local that says it has a condenser.
My main question is... do I need a starter with a condenser?
Or will just an FS-5 work OK.

 

[29aholic]

By condenser do you mean a ballast?


In a lot of cases it is cheaper to replace the fixture than buying parts for one.

 

[Mydogmax]

By condenser do you mean a ballast?


In a lot of cases it is cheaper to replace the fixture than buying parts for one.

No. It says right on the starter. FS-U with condenser.

 

[JSR III]

Look on eBay using FS-U with condenser, there are a whole bunch for like $1.00.

 

[DWalt]

eBay is always my first stop when looking for items like this.

 

[mudcat100]

I keep hearing these are being phased out. I recommend an LED fixture. You will like the amount of light. Doesn't use much power either.

 

[snubbyfan]

They're also available on Amazon.com.

 

[rick1085]

I keep hearing these are being phased out. I recommend an LED fixture. You will like the amount of light. Doesn't use much power either.

-----------------------------------------
This!

 

[snubbyfan]

Our kitchen light fixture's from 1949 and it quit working the other day. I just wanted to replace it with an LED unit but my wife wanted me to try to fix it first.
I tried a new starter first. It was just a coupla bucks, didn't work so I ordered a ballast.
All together about $15, 'bout half the price of a cheap LED unit.
I'm hoping it'll last another 66 years.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I had a ballast that failed in a 4 foot ceiling light. I bought a LED bulb and wired around where the ballast was. I now have more light and less electricity usage. Sometimes it is cheaper to just replace the entire light with a LED one. especially an under counter one.

 

[CoMF]

A feasible third option, assuming the fixtures are still in good condition, is to do away with the starter/ballast entirely and go with T5 12" LED bulbs. You'll need to hardwire the tombstones directly into line voltage for them to work. They usually come with instructions on how to make the new connections.

Edited to Add: The answer to your original question is yes, so long as the starter is rated for the same watt bulb you use, it'll work.