In this Instructable, I will guide you to replacing a blown tube in a CFL. Unfortunatly due to poor standards in safety in manufacturing, when the tube blows, it is likely to also blow the electronic ballast, so hopefully you won't have a dud ballast + bulb like mine. (Maybe it isn't a dud, maybe the connections are just dirty, who knows.)

Disclaimer:
This Instructable involves you playing with mains electricity, lead and minute amounts of mercury, which you shouldn't be exposed to unless you break the fluorescent tube. If you dislike either risk, I recommend you go and do something less scary, because I take no responsibility for any injuries, deaths, or people becoming stoopid.

This is probably also a fire hazard, because mains electricity is real good at messing up your whole day if you do something wrong

Step 1: Gather Parts/tools

Parts:
* 2 CFL's. One with a blown tube, and another with a blown electronic ballast (preferrably of the same type) or even just a good tube without the electronic ballast

Tools:
For this Instructable, you will need a minimal amount of tools:
* A flat-headed screwdriver
* A pair of pliers (needle nose pliers are preferred)

Step 2: Dismantle the CFL With the Blown Tube

Using your flat-headed screwdriver, unclip the top of the bulb from the base on both CFL's (If you don't already have the good tube seperated from the ballast)

Use your pliers to unwind the connections to the bulb (Or use your soldering iron to remove them, depends on what type of bulb you have.)

Seperate the bulb/tube from the PCB and the base, set the blown tube aside.

Step 3: Replace and Reconnect the Working Tube

Using your fingers, and pliers, wind the wire around the pins that are on the board (again, you may just use your soldering iron, it depends on the type of the lamp.) Try to use the pliers to tighten the connections, so you will most likely have a good connection. Check for any loose connections, and tighten.

Step 4: Assemble Base and Test

Make sure that you have any alignment pins in the right place, and push the two halves of the lamp together, you may hear a click, and your lamp should have a nice and relatively good tube. Time to test.

Be wary that you may have messed something up, so don't do this in the middle of a gas station, or your whole day will probably get messed up. Insert the lamp into a suitable socket with the came voltage/rating of the lamp. If you see smoke, turn it off. If something goes bang, turn it off. If nothing happens, turn it off. If you get light emitted from the tube, congratulations.

Chances are, you will probably 1) See nothing, hear nothing, or 2) See light.

Either way, you will have voided the lamp's warranty. :-P

Have fun, and be safe,
Thermoelectric

BTW, The ballast in my lamp seemed to have passed away aswell, so there are no pics of light, sorry.