Need Help With Under Cabinet Lighting

[armagh13]

I have 24.5 inch flourescent lights under the cabinets in my kitchen. After about a year living here they all stopped working. The builder came back and replaced all the fixtures. Now, 4 years later, all the lights burned out at the same time. When I replaced them, there are two 12" lights in each fixture, only one light works in each fixture. If I switch the lights, the light that wasn't working begins to work and the light that was working no longer works.

In two fixtures, one of the lights flickers, but never turns on. Eventually it stops flickering and does not light.

The odd thing is that it is the light bulb on the left in each of the fixtures that does not work, and it is happening in every fixture.

The light bulbs are flourescent and the number is F8T5CW.

Thanks

[roger61611]

I'm going to say this for dramatic effect as much as anything but this happened to a friend of mine, not with flourescents, but with other lights:

"Sounds like a short. Your house will burn down."

I'd shut that circuit off and get an electrician out.

[m Ransley]

Do they have replaceable starters. The units are probably not a good grade, but cheapies.

[armagh13]

How do you tell if they have replaceable starters?

[Brian]

Trash them and buy halogens.

[m Ransley]

You should be be able to see them under the bulbs or remove a bulb they are round and twist out counter clock. If no starter it is a cheap ballast. I have 30 yr old units fine and cheap HD chinese crap thap blow in a year. One just started SMOKING so I could of had a fire. If it is the ballast tell your builder he is responsible for putting in junk and it is his issue to eat. HD sells commercial units and 2 dollar crap. Good units should be maintenance free for 3-30 years

[m Ransley]

Of course I assume bulbs are good, try new ones.

[Joseph Meehan]

Frankly it sounds like the typical result of cheap fixtures. Contractors tend to use cheap fixtures because few people look at the quality of the fixtures when they buy a home. I suggest they they all be replaced by some high quality fixtures. Note that today you have choices of a number of different types of fixtures. Consider your choices and don't expect the local big box store to stock the good stuff. Find a real lighting store or electrical supply house.

[armagh13]

There is not a replaceable starter in these units. The ballast is:

Catalog # WMB-920 made by ISE Telecommunication Limited.

[m Ransley]

ISE no name junk probably.