2-ballast repair question


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Old 03-29-08, 01:50 PM
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Question 2-ballast repair question

I have a 3-tube kitchen light fixture with two ballasts...a smaller ballast that powers one tube (center), and a larger one that powers the other two. None of the tubes will light, but I know the tubes are good. I have power going into the smaller ballast, but not coming out. Power going in and out of the larger one and to the two tubes it powers.

It seems that the smaller ballast is bad, but my question is this: If that is my problem, shouldn't the two tubes being powered by the larger ballast work just fine? Perhaps I'm reading the situation wrong and there is some other problem? If anyone has experience with this, please help me out.
 
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Old 03-29-08, 02:55 PM
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How are you determining that there is power "in" to the two ballasts yet power "out" of only the two-tube ballast?

How did you determine that all three tubes are good?

Does this fixture use "starters"?

Is the fixture housing well grounded?
 
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Old 03-29-08, 03:28 PM
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The only test for ballasts I have is to put in new tubes. If that doesn't work put in a new ballast. As long as there is power coming in. If the fixture has starters it could be that.
 
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Old 03-29-08, 04:11 PM
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I guess I'm making a little bit of an assumption that the tubes are good. I just replaced them about 6 months ago, and there's no discoloration in the ends of them, and they all went out simultaneously. Thus I believe it's a 99% chance they are good.

As for determining where I do and don't have juice, I have a craftsman pen-type AC voltage detector that lights up and beeps when close to a live wire.

I don't believe it has starters. Aren't those the little round things? I don't see any. And it's a fairly new fixture. 3 to 4 year old.

It just seems to me there is no reason for the two tubes not to light up that have power to them.
 
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Old 03-29-08, 05:12 PM
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Cool

A "pen type detector" will verify that , "yes" you have have a live "hot " (black wire) here. It will not know if you truly have 120v with respect to your grounded conductor (white wire). You may have an open grounded conductor (white wire). Check for 120v with a regular voltmeter (12 bucks sometimes less at radio shack).
 
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Old 03-29-08, 07:17 PM
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If you have electronic ballasts the #1 item will kill them is power surge they just can't handle the power surge and smoke them out.

just verify with the multi meter if you are reading 120 v between black and white white on incomming power source and change the bulbs then it is good time to get new ballast[s].

what wattage the bulbs you have in there ??

Keep in your mind there are some bulbs that the ballast will not work so please read the ballast label to verify the correct bulb

if it is a common F32-T8 bulbs there are few ballast i know it will work in your useage and i been useing them in both resdentail and commercal side with this one and this ballast will work with 3 or 4 lamp combo.

Merci,Marc
 
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Old 03-29-08, 08:13 PM
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Okay, I understand the basic theory: If the power is there going in and the bulbs are good, then it has to be the ballast.

But here is what's confusing me: I've never worked with a 2-ballast system before, so I don't understand how they interact with each other. I have 120v coming in on the hot. But, it's not getting to the contacts at the ends of 1 of the 3 bulbs. Both ends of the center bulb are dead. Both ends of the other two bulbs have power. Is it possible that, if one of the two ballasts is bad, it would affect all three bulbs?

And by the way, the one ballast I suspect is bad is a LC 12013T and the bulbs are F32-T8.

And thanks for helping! I don't want to have to buy unnecessary parts, or especially a whole new fixture.
 
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Old 03-29-08, 08:24 PM
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my quickest way is get new ballast those are very common ballast go any big box store or hardware store and make sure you get the electronic ballast not the maganitc one [ some big box store worker will steer you a wrong item so watchout on that one ] and make sure you get 120v not the 277volt ballast [ some store will stock this one as well so WATCHOUT that one ]

to replace it very easy task they are no worst than single ballast unit is just follow the wiring diagram very carefully before you start work on that make sure you kill the power at the breaker [ i dont trust the switches at all espcally that is true with 3 way's ]

when you hook the new ballast make sure check the tombstone to see if the wires are tight

you should able get this one in about 15 min if you follow the colour pattern as labeled on the ballast

[ I done this just about every day and can swap them in about 5 min of course power is off ]

you will need pick up small orange wirenuts as well [ get about half dozen or so ]

Merci, Marc
 
 

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