Electical help

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Marc Phillips

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Joined
Jun 1, 2004
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900
Location
Columbus, GA, USA.
OK... light in the kitchen quit... so, here's what I did:
(1) Checked that each bulb was seated properly
(2) Replaced all the bulbs
(3) Checked the switch with an ohm meter

Nope... still does not work.

When I checked the bulbs I noticed that the black metal box (transformer??) was pretty hot to the touch... as in I could not keep my hand on it for more than a second.

The only other clue I have is that occasionally the light would not come on when I turned the switch on... I would have to shut the switch off and turn it back on again a couple of times and then the light would work.

What do I check now?

Thanks....
 

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if you have power at the light ,and good bulbs , the ballest would be the only thing left . some times you can get a light as cheap as a ballest
 
Yup. It's the ballast. They go after a while. Get a new one, being careful to match the number of bulbs and wattage rating.
 
When you replace the ballast, turn off the switch and the circuit breaker. NOT just the switch, safety measure.
 
Make sure you fluorescent lamps are seated well in the sockets. If they are not making good contact that can cause the problem. If someone would come up with a better fluorescent socket than the styles that are available now they would be instant millionaires.
 
Thanks all...

I looked at the ballast... gonna be kind of a pain in the patootie I see... all the sockets have to come out too.... ppttttt....

Hopefully (1) Lowes has this ballast... and hopefully (2) it comes with the sockets...

Thanks for the quick help, I appreciate it!
 
If not, get some "heat shrink tubing" for your wire size (16?) This makes splicing the wires much easier. (First solder the wires, but the tubing makes a quicker and cleaner repair than electrical tape.)
 
Marc Phillips said:
I looked at the ballast... gonna be kind of a pain in the patootie I see... all the sockets have to come out too.... ppttttt....

Hopefully (1) Lowes has this ballast... and hopefully (2) it comes with the sockets...

Thanks for the quick help, I appreciate it!
Click to expand...

Mark,

Typically, ballasts do NOT come with new sockets. Simply cut the wires close to the ballast (leaving a long lengths of wire hanging out of the fixture), and splice the new ballast in using a small wire nuts sized for 18-16 AWG wire. I don't recommend using butt splices, as they don't make good connections on solid wire and tend to work loose over time. Make the connections to the ballast one wire at a time, using the colors as your guide. Black to black, white to white, (1) blue to blue, (2nd) blue to blue, etc. Gather the excess wire up and zip tie it neatly so that the cover fits back over the ballast without pinching any of the wires. Most importantly, TURN OFF THE POWER AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. If you're not experienced with this type of work, it's safer and easier to take any and all precautions to keep from getting "surprised".

PS.--Make sure the ballast matches the old one: number of bulbs, type of bulbs (T-12, T-8, etc.), and voltage.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
ed4copies said:
When you replace the ballast, turn off the switch and the circuit breaker. NOT just the switch, safety measure.
Click to expand...

Not only is it good practice . . . it is a must do . . if you live in an older home, mid 80's or older the electricians may have "series" the neutrals . . . the sometimes stray current will knock your socks off . .

Just remember, technically you can kill someone with a 9VDC battery source . . .Just upset the old ticker at the wrong time . .

Steve
 
Quality . . .

ed4copies said:
If not, get some "heat shrink tubing" for your wire size (16?) This makes splicing the wires much easier. (First solder the wires, but the tubing makes a quicker and cleaner repair than electrical tape.)
Click to expand...


Quality wire nuts sized properly & Scotch Black #33 tape will do well also . . . do not use cheap tape in your home . . . Scotch #33 quality only ! ! !
 
It was the ballast....

Thanks all... $30 at Lowes, 10 minutes to install... done deal. The bulb holders popped the wire out with a paper clip... then the new wire popped right in... really easy.

Thanks again.
 
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