Florescent Lighting. Changed bulbs, but still will not light.
#1
01-28-03, 07:17 AM
Florescent Lighting. Changed bulbs, but still will not light.
Good Morning,
I have a florescent light fixture in my bathroom. Initially, I thought the bulbs had burned out since the light tries to go on but does not and the bulb seemed a bit black at one end.
I bought two new florescent tubes and the same thing is happening. One tube tries to light, but does not and the other does not work at all.
Is this a starter problem. If so, can I fix it myself or should I call an electrician?
Thanks for any response I may receive to this question.
Mary
I have a florescent light fixture in my bathroom. Initially, I thought the bulbs had burned out since the light tries to go on but does not and the bulb seemed a bit black at one end.
I bought two new florescent tubes and the same thing is happening. One tube tries to light, but does not and the other does not work at all.
Is this a starter problem. If so, can I fix it myself or should I call an electrician?
Thanks for any response I may receive to this question.
Mary
#2
01-28-03, 07:46 AM
It's either a starter or a ballast problem. You'll need to take the cover off the light and look if it has a starter (a little round canister that plugs in) or a ballast (a big and heavy brick like unit). A starter unit will have a transformer, a ballast unit will not.
#4
01-29-03, 11:15 PM
Or both ...
Our old flor. units in our kitchen had BOTH ballasts (old ones now boxed up waiting for the next household haz-mat collection) AND starters. My electrician gutted some inexpensive new units to rebuild the old ones, and now they have only ballasts (presumably non-PCB). 
#5
01-30-03, 07:08 AM
"My electrician gutted some inexpensive new units to rebuild the old ones, and now they have only ballasts"
Cheater! This is actually a great way to get replacement ballasts for fixtures you want to keep. Watch for noise level and such, but the light fixture people buy them by the thousands. Everyone else has to buy them one or two at a time.
Cheater! This is actually a great way to get replacement ballasts for fixtures you want to keep. Watch for noise level and such, but the light fixture people buy them by the thousands. Everyone else has to buy them one or two at a time.
