Outside fluorescent light

[Artful Dodger]

I had a very good handyman replace the two bulbs in my outside electric eye fixture. The bulbs work, but they do not "obey" the sensor. Handyman covered the eye properly to test, but the bulbs did not go out. He cleaned up around the sensor. Still no luck.

Backstory: This light was installed quite a while ago. It worked fine (on at night, off at dawn) for years. Then it began to act up. The lights barely lit up. Just a very faint, dim glow. BUT the sensor was working!

So why, with fresh new bulbs properly installed, does the sensor not work?

Any advice appreciated.

[charlie]

bad sensor.

[larry]

New electronic two wire sensor made for incandescent load used to replaced old three wire thermal switch (or relay) sensor that worked with any load. Add a 40w incandescent to the fluorescents or find sensor not marked "for incandescent(or resistive) load only".

-- larry /dallas

[Blattus Slafaly]

The solid state switch is shot.

[clare at snyder dot ontario do]

Have you tried with a replacement incandescent bulb? Many electronic controls can not control a ballasted light without a resistive load also on the circuit. (X10 products are a good example)

** Posted from **

[larry]

Re-read the post, used wrong bulbs, or ballast is bad (dried out caps). there are at least three types of bulbs these days. Pre-heat lamps- used "starters". Rapid Start lamps- no starters. The new eco lamps that are lower wattage and work with the new eco or electronic ballasts- lower power factor, usually rated 32w for what would have been a 40w, smaller diameter- T8 instead of T12. There was another bulb design but I don't remember it's name or characteristics. Check Don Klipstein's pages.

-- larry/dallas

[RickH]

you need a relay-based sensor for flourescent, a resistive sensor is only for incandescent.

[jack]

Some sensors pass small amounts of current through the bulb so the sensor has power.

I am guessing your bulbs don't like that. Have you tried a regular bulb?