So, there's the circular bulb itself, and also this little removable plastic cylinder with two metal feet on it. How do I tell which of them needs replacing, and what specification to look for to know what to replace it with?
this post was submitted on 15 Jun 2024
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The cylinder is called a starter, if you google for "halogen lamp starter" you'll find those. Essentially they charge up and then release a spark that ignites the gas inside the actual bulb. They are very inexpensive, so I'd start from there. Doesn't hurt to have a spare anyway.
If you unscrew it, the correct wattage should be written on the bottom between the prongs, just make sure you get one with the same rating so it works with your bulb. Feel free to post a picture of it and I can help search for one.
The prongs itself should be standardized, but the length of the starter may vary, so check if you can still close the lamp.
IIRC they pull power through the inductor and the electrodes in the tube, so the inductor has plenty of current running through it and the electrodes are hot, then suddenly break that circuit. The inductor makes the voltage across the tube spike super high and an arc forms inside the tube.
The little cylinder is the switch and capacitor at the bottom of the image. It starts off closed, so power goes through the tube's electrodes but not across the tube, then opens forcing power to go through the tube.
It's the rectangular bit that actually does the charging up.