Fluorescent Light Not Starting Problem ?

Hello:

Have installed a two bulb linear fluorescent fixture bought from HD as an overhead shop light.

Have it all wired in now.

Howver, about 50% of the time, turning on the switch does not cause the lights to light. But, flicking the switch once or twice always gets them going. Once on, they are perfect; no flickering.

Wired to a new wall switch I installed for that purpose. Switch is fine, I believe.

Any thoughts on what might be the problem ?

Thanks, Bob

Reply to
Robert11
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Does the fitting have a good ground? If not, . . .

Perce

On 09/16/05 04:09 pm Robert11 tossed the following ingredients into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

Reply to
Percival P. Cassidy

If the ground is OK, I think you are just seeing the effect of a cheap POS fixture from HD. I can almost guarantee that if you were to yank out the ballast in that fixture and replace it with a BETTER ballast, your problems would go away.

On the off chance that you bought one with a truly defective ballast, I'd take a shot at swapping it at HD and see if the next one is any better.

If you go for replacing the ballast, you'll probably have to pay more for a good quality ballast than you did for the whole fixture. :-)

"You never get more than you pay for, and if you pay little, that's what you get."

HTH,

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Just a guess, but a bad ground?

-- Herb Stein snipped-for-privacy@herbstein.com

Reply to
Herb Stein

I have the identical problem/complaint.

My ground verifies with a VOM to the nearby kitchen faucet.

A mystery.

Reply to
John Keiser

Yes, I see that replacements ballasts are way more expensive than the whole fixture. If the DH fixture is a POS, how can I have any confidence that the more expensive ballast is really anything better? Aren;t they all made in Mexico? Is there a brand name I should look for?

Reply to
John Keiser

I've got no favorite brands in mind, but I bet you'll find that the replacement ballasts are a bit bulkier and heavier than what's in your fixture now.

I wouldn't be afraid to buy one and try it. It's not that big a deal to swap it in, and at worst, you could return it where you bought it.

One last thought. If you haven't already tried a different pair of bulbs, do so. I'm not hopeful, but you never know with things like "hard starting" flourecents, and it's easy to try.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

With the power on and the bulb not lighting, try the following:

1) Lightly touch the bulb and see it it comes on. 2) Twist the bulb, while also making sure its connections are seated in the pin sockets properly. 3) Remove the bulbs and wipe them down to remove any residue on the glass. 4) Be sure you have the right bulbs for the fixture's ballast.
Reply to
Phil Munro

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