Florescent light not working

[beezee28]

In my kitchen I have 2 separate florescent lights (wired in series) but one of the light quit working one day when i switch the light on. Took the casing aprt and it has a long (about 8") balast. Could the balast has gone bad? The light is about 2 years old. Also when I look at the wiring, there are 2 wires that goes from the balast to the socket where the light tube prong goes to. Can i cut this wire and replace a new balast?

 

[gss036]

Re: Florescent light not working

Have you tried to replace the tubes? Most of the time that is the problem. Not to say ballast can't go bad but not very likely in 2 years.

 

[K-MAC]

Re: Florescent light not working

More then likely the ballest is bad, I have had them go bad in less then a year nothing seems to last any more.Check the prongs to make sure you have voltage it's easy to bend one of them.But always make sure all the tubes are good even the new ones. Good Luck

 

[heyttown]

Re: Florescent light not working

Check the tubes first in the good fixture, then you rule them out....Second thing I would do would make sure you have power going to the 2nd light,strange things have happened and maybe the lead isnt making contact in the wirenut...Unlikely but cheaper then a new ballast you may not need. If those all check out, its the ballast and yes all new ballast have wiring diagrams on them and you can cut the wire going to the sockets and splice in the wires from the new ballast. Make sure you turn off power, the load(socket) side of the ballast packs a punch...

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Florescent light not working

It is probably the ballast and you probably wont find it at the store you bought the light from. We had about 5 of these lights in my house and now all are back to incandescent. Most of ours did not make it a year either. If they are standard 4 ft tubes they run around $25 for a two tube light to $35 for a four bank light setup.

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Florescent light not working

How could fluorescent lights be wired in series?Gotta think about this one.Mebbe?Ron G

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Florescent light not working

I don't know how everyone checks their bulbs, but I use a 9 volt battery. Just touch the terminals of the battery against the pins at the end of the bulb. If the end lights up, its usually okay. Of course if the end doesn't light, thats your problem.

Many of these lights have gone to electronic ballasts. One mistake people do is change the bulbs while the power is on. This can kill the electronic ballasts in short order. If you have to replace the ballast, just make sure you get the one that is specified for the bulbs your using. There are so many different wattages out there and using the wrong size bulb to the ballast will cause premature failure of either the bulb or ballast.

 

[Sig_Mech]

Re: Florescent light not working

Hey Beezee, what you got here is pretty simple to fix. Usually on flourescent fixtures the main power feed is connected to the ballast with wire nuts and they have been known to loosen up if not installed properly. First check to make sure that you do have 120V coming in to the fixture and that all connections are tight. Check the plastic connectors that the lamps twist into. Sometimes the wiring connected to these ears loosen up and pull out of the ears. Then take a look at your lamps. As flourescent lamps age they tend to get dark areas inside the tubes near the end pins. If it is a multi-lamp fixture and you have one bad tube chances are good that none of the tubes will light up. If you check and rule out all these problems then I would look at the ballast. Take the numbers off the old ballast and go to your local hardware/do-it yer-self shop. They can find a replacement for the old unit. In most cases the wiring on the ballast is color coded and it will be an easy replacement. Yep, you can cut the old wires and splice in the new ballast, just shut off the power first then follow the color code. Hope this helps.

 

[beezee28]

Re: Florescent light not working

Thank you all for your help, I change the florescent tube with a working tube and still the light did not come on. So follow some of the suggestion that you all gave and still the light did not come on, so I think the balast is gone. Will go to the hardware store to get a new balast and try it, if it still doesn't work then I guess the light fixture has gone bad and time to get a new one. Will keep you all inform. thanks

 

[beezee28]

Re: Florescent light not working

Ok, tried everything I know and did not work, so took down the model # of the ballast and when to Lowe's to findthe ballast. Lowe's does not have it and those that they carry cost anywhere from $28 to $38. The parts is way more than I paid for the whole light fixture (go figure). So what i did was bought a new light and not bother with the ballast anymore. The new light fixture cost less than $20. Porblem sovled.

 

[gss036]

Re: Florescent light not working

Sounds like a good decision to me.

 

[gss036]

Re: Florescent light not working

OPPS! doube posty

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Florescent light not working

Ok, tried everything I know and did not work, so took down the model # of the ballast and when to Lowe's to findthe ballast. Lowe's does not have it and those that they carry cost anywhere from $28 to $38. The parts is way more than I paid for the whole light fixture (go figure). So what i did was bought a new light and not bother with the ballast anymore. The new light fixture cost less than $20. Porblem sovled.

Been there with all the lights my wife had me put in the house. Eventually went back to Incandescent. Unless you are using standard 4 ft tubes ballasts are tough to find and even then a standard T8 ballast will cost about 30 dollars at Home Depot. Where I work we have a terrible power grid where voltage will go down from 208 down to 195 and then the current goes out and fries the ballast on some of the lights. It is like a 30 dollar fuse to protect a 1 dollar light.