I just replaced the two florescent bulbs in our kitchen light fixture. The old ones suddenly just stopped working. I put the two new ones in, and they won't come on. Dead as a doornail. I measured the output voltage at the ends of the fixture, and they're all putting out a little over 4 volts.
This is a fairly new fixture, about 8 years old. It has one ballast in the middle. Any ideas?
Thanks, Ron M.
Ballast would be first thought...
You forgot to pay your electric bill !!!!
You heard this from "The Source" !
Check to see that you have 120 volts at the ballast (primary side) if you do it's probably the ballast. If you don't, check the switch
Mine too. Check the prices before you buy. Some fixtures are cheaper than a good ballast.
I have an under counter light in the kitchen that also serves as a night light. When the bulb burns out, I can buy a new fixture for $1 more than just a bulb.
I will add one more thing, in addition to the ballast and power supply problems, you may have a bad ground. While that seems less likely based on your measurement of 4 volts (that's what is making me and others suspect the power supply to the lamp. Even a disconnected circuit can show a few volts due to induction.) it is possible.
By any chance are these fixtures hidden from view, above a drop-ceiling? If so, kitchen moisture can creep into that unheated/unventilated space, causing the contacts on both the bulbs and the fixture to eventually glaze over.
Unc
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