Bought new home, some flood lights come on some times, others other times

[scott]

Not sure if it's time to get an electrician or you guys have some advice fo r me. I bought a new home and the coach lights by the porch work fine, but the there's four different flood lights pointing up at the front of the ho me. When I turn these lights on, some will come on, then maybe another one will come on, then one will go off... Most often 3 out of four will come on, but it's not consistent which ones.

They have big bulbs in these things. Maybe I should replace them with LEDs sometime, but I'm wondering if I get out there and replace them I'll have just spent a bunch of money on LEDs that don't all work either.

The lights look like they have really big incandescent bulbs in them. They 're all glass and screw in like a regular, standard, indoor light bulb. I tried unscrewing them and screwing them back in, but that didn't do anythin g.

Any advice?

[clare]

sounds like low pressure sodium with ballast problems> They are a real pain in the @$$.

[Meanie]

Remove a bulb to see if there is writing on it to determine the type of bulb. Or if you can see a label on the fixture to determine the type of fixture. If it's a metal halide or high/low pressure sodium fixture, that would explain the off and on, which would most likely be the bulb. If it is that type of fixture, do not buy LEDs and simply screw them in. You can't screw in just any bulb in those type of fixtures. It would require a direct 120 voltage feed.

[Putz]

It could be loose wire nut(s) and/or loose bulb sockets and/or worn out bulbs.

Are there any model numbers on the bulbs or fixtures?

[David L. Martel]

Scott,

If it's a new home then call the electrical contractor who wired it..

Dave Martel

[trader_4]

On Thursday, September 1, 2016 at 11:32:49 PM UTC-4, [e-mail] wro te:

for me. I bought a new home and the coach lights by the porch work fine, b ut the there's four different flood lights pointing up at the front of the home. When I turn these lights on, some will come on, then maybe another o ne will come on, then one will go off... Most often 3 out of four will com e on, but it's not consistent which ones.

Ds sometime, but I'm wondering if I get out there and replace them I'll hav e just spent a bunch of money on LEDs that don't all work either.

ey're all glass and screw in like a regular, standard, indoor light bulb. I tried unscrewing them and screwing them back in, but that didn't do anyth ing.

Find one new bulb that you know works and find out if it's a bulb problem or something else? Take one of these bulbs, try it in another socket, verify the bulb is good and then try it in the other locations?

[Fred McKenzie]

Scott-

In addition to the advice from others, also look to see if any of the lights have an individual photocell control.

Lights with a ballast may have a warm-up time before they come on. If they also have a photocell control, each could have a different sensitivity to light.

Fred

[clare]

After a few years even professionally installed sodium vapour lamps purchased from first-line electrical distributors DO fail. About 3 of the original 12 exterior floods at a 6 year old high end office building are still functional. I've changed several of them - have given up.

[Ron]

Not sure why you see frequent failures like that. Maybe your environment? Our bulbs go on at dusk, off at dawn and last about 22,000 hours. Winter lows are typically 20F and summer highs of 90F with lots of humidity.

Also, outdoor wire-nutted connections should be coated with appropriate grease and oriented in the j-box so any water runs off instead of into the nut. (Think upside-down coffee cup.)

[Jack Legg]

Good point but I'd guess that this is a wiring hack job done by the previous owner or his drunken jack-leg handyman using inexpensive devices purchased at McLowesDepotBigBoxSuperMartHomeCenterOutlet...which explains why it's fubar.

[clare]

Never had a problem with the wire-nutted connections. The bulb fails, and if not replaced almost immediately, the ballast dies. Outdoor , mounted to steel "rail" around the front of the building, poiting up to wall and signage above, or mounted to top of brick/stone wall pointing down on wall-mounted signage -all mounting as per manufacturer's specifications. Winter lows a bit lower, highs about the same - same humidity. East facing walls , so not exposed to prevailing winds.

[Dean Hoffman]

We've been using these for underground wire splices. They're good for outdoor use. And, silicone filled or not, open end down as you said. Amazon:

[Meanie]

If a replaced bulb still fails to light, 9 times out of 10, it'll be the starter/ignitor.

If a transformer goes, I wouldn't waste time replacing it when it can be eliminated and direct wired for a LED bulb.

[clare]

All underground power services in North end of Waterloo.

[clare]

We gave up before LED bulbs were available - still hard to get in Magnum Edison base. If we decide to re-light the old fixtures will dissappear completely - and be replaced with purpose designed LED fixtures.

At the plant where I work 2 afternoons a week, they replaced all the parking lot lights with that kind of LED unit - and also replaced all the vapour lamps in the factory. The office lights are also being replaced during a renovation that has just started.