More than twelve years ago our contractor installed, in the kitchen ceiling, a "Rapid Start Ballast for One 32 Watt and One 40 Watt Circline Lamp."

A problem developed in the last week or so. When I turn on the wall switch both bulbs light up instantly but much more weakly than they should. The inner, smaller (32 watt?) bulb has a pinkish glow. The outer, larger (40 watt?) bulb has a strange minor flicker to give the illusion of something moving around the inside of the bulb.

I'd welcome any opinions as to whether it's the bulbs or the ballast that needs replacing.

Thanks,

Lades

 

With almost any fluorescent problem, it's a good idea to start by replacing the bulbs.

 

I agree with John, especially since it was installed twelve years ago.

 

If you have a ceiling fixture with one 40 watt (16 inch diameter) fluorescent and one 32 watt (12 inch diameter) fluorescent, and the bulbs have gotten very dim with a weird flicker effect, DON'T do what I did:

1. Go to the store, find they have no 16 inch diameter bulbs, so just buy a new 12 inch diameter bulb.

2. Install the new 12 inch bulb, observe that the light it gives is exactly the same as the bulb it replaced, so (THIS IS WHAT TO AVOID)

3. Conclude that since there's no difference in the way the smaller bulb is giving off light the problem must be with the ballast.

4. Buy a new ballast, and do the very strenuous job (for someone with weak arms and shoulders) of wiring the new ballast into the kitchen ceiling and reattaching the fixture.

5. Observe that with the new ballast the lighting isn't any better than before.

6. Go to Home Depot, see that the only 16 inch diameter bulbs they have are Cool White "for workshop, garage, basement," so don't buy them.

7. Return home and observe that the 16 inch bulb that _was_ in the kitchen fixture was indeed "Cool White."

8. Go back to Home Depot, buy the 16 inch "Cool White" bulb, find that when it's installed things light up and that both the old and the new 12 inch bulb work fine.

9. Conclude that you didn't need a new ballast after all--the problem was with that larger bulb. So take the fixture down, reattach and rewire the old ballast and again engage in that horrible job of reattaching the fixture to the ceiling.

10. Return the new 12 inch bulb and the new ballast for refunds.


Again, if you've got the problem of the dim, flickering 16 inch and 12 inch bulbs, DON'T follow the steps above.

Lades