24in flourescent 2 bulb fixture


  #1  
Old 01-30-10, 11:53 AM
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24in flourescent 2 bulb fixture

Bulbs will light only if I touch them. New bulbs do the same thing. Bulbs glow at the ends. Identical fixture 5 ft away on same wall switch works fine.

Need suggestions.
 
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Old 01-30-10, 12:07 PM
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Welcome to the forums! Are the grounding wires attached properly in the fixture as well as at the switches? Fluorescents like grounds, and will act up without them.
 
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Old 01-30-10, 12:19 PM
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socket loose?

swap out lamps with other fixture, this will rule out bad lamps if they work fin in other fixture
then check to see they are properly seating in the fixture, as you might have intermediate contact with pins and socket ( hence why when you touch them they light ), the tombstone ends can be loose , some time you cannot find replacement and it cheaper just to replace the fixture
 
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Old 02-03-10, 05:43 PM
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its definitely a ground issue cause when you touch it your the ground. so open up the fixture and make sure the ballasts ground wire(green) is connected to both the metal frame of the fixture and the ground from the feed coming into the light.
 
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Old 02-13-10, 09:15 PM
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Originally Posted by chewylu103
its definitely a ground issue cause when you touch it your the ground. so open up the fixture and make sure the ballasts ground wire(green) is connected to both the metal frame of the fixture and the ground from the feed coming into the light.
Assuming this is an older T12 fixture, the ballast is magnetic and is grounded when the metal F-Can ballast is mounted in the fixture body, there is no ground wire from the ballast. I think you need a new ballast.
 
 

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