Fluorescent tube shop light
#1
10-15-02, 06:32 PM
Fluorescent tube shop light
Good evening. I have just tried to replace the 2 fluorescent tubes in the shop light hanging in my basement. I used new tubes with two pins each end, identical to the ones I removed. I slide them into the tracks on either end of the fixture and then tried to twist them so they would stay in. Neither of the two tubes lights up. What am I doing wrong? Thank you!
#2
10-16-02, 07:48 AM
It's possible that you are not doing anything wrong. It seems by your description that installed the new tubes correctly.
Fluorescent fixtures, in addition to having the tubes, also have what is called a ballast inside of the fixture. The ballast is pretty much like a transformer. If tubes that are bad are left in the fixture too long, the ballast will deteriorate quickly. You may need to replace the ballast!
Another thing about these kinds of fixtures is that if you had tubes in there that weren't working before, when you put in new tubes sometimes they won't light right away. I have installed tubes and had to wait as long as fifteen minutes before the tubes would light.
I suggest you turn the fixture on and leave it for a while and then come back and check to see if the tubes lit. If not then you will need to replace the ballast inside of the fixture. If this is a fixture with 4 foot tubes the ballast are extremely simple to replace. You turn off the power on that circuit and remove the old ballast, install the new one and connect the wires. The wire connection for a fixture with 4 foot tubes is easy just match color to color. You should have a black and a white and two yellows on one end and two blues and two reds on the other end. It doesn't matter which blue goes to which blue, this holds true for the reds and the yellows as well. The black must go to the wire comes from the switch, usually black, and the white wire goes to the white wire.
If this is an 8 foot fixture, then you will need to pay attention to the wiring that is existing in the fixture, prior to the removal of the old ballast. Connect the new one EXACTLY the same as the old one.
Good Luck!!!!
Fluorescent fixtures, in addition to having the tubes, also have what is called a ballast inside of the fixture. The ballast is pretty much like a transformer. If tubes that are bad are left in the fixture too long, the ballast will deteriorate quickly. You may need to replace the ballast!
Another thing about these kinds of fixtures is that if you had tubes in there that weren't working before, when you put in new tubes sometimes they won't light right away. I have installed tubes and had to wait as long as fifteen minutes before the tubes would light.
I suggest you turn the fixture on and leave it for a while and then come back and check to see if the tubes lit. If not then you will need to replace the ballast inside of the fixture. If this is a fixture with 4 foot tubes the ballast are extremely simple to replace. You turn off the power on that circuit and remove the old ballast, install the new one and connect the wires. The wire connection for a fixture with 4 foot tubes is easy just match color to color. You should have a black and a white and two yellows on one end and two blues and two reds on the other end. It doesn't matter which blue goes to which blue, this holds true for the reds and the yellows as well. The black must go to the wire comes from the switch, usually black, and the white wire goes to the white wire.
If this is an 8 foot fixture, then you will need to pay attention to the wiring that is existing in the fixture, prior to the removal of the old ballast. Connect the new one EXACTLY the same as the old one.
Good Luck!!!!
#3
10-17-02, 07:24 PM
Fluorescent Lighting & Ballast
I'm curious about how to set up a light for an herb garden. I've decided to step up to a HID light, but the only ones I've found available look like they would screw into a regular light bulb socket. Except that the threaded part looks much larger than a standard bulb. In addition, it requires a ballast. Do you have any direction. Obviously the traditional fluorescent fixtures won't do the job, and I'm not sure about how to go about this set up.
#4
10-18-02, 07:43 AM
Novice:
You should have started a new thread. This has nothing to do with the original post.
To answer your question- you require a special HID fixture. The fixture has the required ballast for HID lamp. They come in 220 and 110 volt versions.
You should have started a new thread. This has nothing to do with the original post.
To answer your question- you require a special HID fixture. The fixture has the required ballast for HID lamp. They come in 220 and 110 volt versions.
