And ? He did wire it according to the instructions*. The instructions didn't say anything about looking for hidden chokes in the ceiling (I assume). Now I dare say most of us, on taking a flouro fitting down would be wondering where the choke was and go looking for it, but most people (the OP included) have no idea how they work and wouldn't know if one was "missing".
* OK, there was something about an extra earth wire, but that's not relevant to the issue with the choke.
The problem was in the hallway and the landing even though the chandelier was only for the hallway. Fed up, it was just by chance I decided to try the landing too...where it was the same problem again.
So electrician started in the landing and went in the attic, that's where he spotted the existing bog standard fitting was wired to a choke which was screwed in to the timber.
The existing fitting was one of those very basic pendant ones you get for £1 (round plastic base) with a standard 11w energy light bulb in it.
For the hallway he suspected the same thing, so we lifted the floor boards on the first floor and it was similar problem. Although this time it was wired to big black box in the airing cupboard which had 240v sticker on it...I don't know exactly what was in there or it's purpose but sparky said it was only wired to the hallway light so he removed the box because it seemed a waste of space and served no purpose.
I guess what I don't understand is why the chokes were left in when there wasn't any fluroscent lights in those locations when I moved in, not even a hint of a previous tube fitting.
Best guess is that this may have been a "custom" job - possibly DIY. Could be that a previous owner wanted a flouro, but didn't want the space taken by the control gear - so stuck it in the loft/airing cupboard. Then later, someone changed the fitting, didn't know about the choke, and by chance fitted a CFL which was capable of running with the choke in circuit. So the trap is neatly set for the OP to come along and try to run incandescent bulbs ...
Pure speculation, but it's one way I could see the situation arising.
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