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Fluorescent lights and ballasts


Alpo

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I have a light in the spare bedroom. 9, maybe 10 months out of the year when I turn the switch on the ends of the tubes glow, but the light does not come on. But in winter, when it is cold up by the ceiling, light comes right on.

 

Why is this?

 

I have seen this for or five years now, so I know that it happens. But I would like to understand why it happens.

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I have one shop light that does the same thing.  If I lightly tap the end of the case in summer, it lights up. 

 

I'm thinking the cooler temp in winter might contract the case lengthwise  just enough to make a better connection.  

(just a conjecture). 

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Bad bulbs or weak ballast or both...probably both.

 

Change out the ballast and lamps with new. Problem solved. Better yet, change the bulbs to LED (120/277v) and eliminate the ballast. You'll probably have to hire an electrician as there is some rewiring within the light fixture, but there's a real good chance that you'll never have to worry about it again in your lifetime. If you don't want to hire an electrician, I can walk you through it...it really isn't hard to do.

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6 minutes ago, Cypress Sun said:

Bad bulbs or weak ballast or both...probably both.

 

Change out the ballast and lamps with new. Problem solved. Better yet, change the bulbs to LED (120/277v) and eliminate the ballast. You'll probably have to hire an electrician as there is some rewiring within the light fixture, but there's a real good chance that you'll never have to worry about it again in your lifetime. If you don't want to hire an electrician, I can walk you through it...it really isn't hard to do.

I bought the kits, they came with new sockets and the wiring was straight forward. You can do it!

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49 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I have a light in the spare bedroom. 9, maybe 10 months out of the year when I turn the switch on the ends of the tubes glow, but the light does not come on. But in winter, when it is cold up by the ceiling, light comes right on.

 

Why is this?

 

I have seen this for or five years now, so I know that it happens. But I would like to understand why it happens.

I've always had the opposite, fine all summer, but don't like the cold! Go LED. About $20 per light a year or so ago 

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Actually this is the solution I'm going for

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B51WRTCC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=A2MX68QQKQYIJ8&psc=1

 

The room is only 100 square feet, and that will light it fine. Getting the damn four foot by a foot and a half fixture that's up there off the ceiling - that's a little more difficult. I'm no longer as young and limber as I used to be.

 

I used to have a curly fluorescent in the bathroom, and early morning in the winter it did not want to come on. I would reach up and catch hold of it, and after a couple seconds it would light up. My body heat warmed it enough that it worked.

 

I do not like fluorescent lights. I do not like them, Sam I am.

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I used to stick the duckie antenna on the five watt Motorola talkie up between the fluorescent tubes and key up.
They'd go from glowing at the ends, to lit up full length.

 

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19 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Actually this is the solution I'm going for

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B51WRTCC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=A2MX68QQKQYIJ8&psc=1

 

The room is only 100 square feet, and that will light it fine. Getting the damn four foot by a foot and a half fixture that's up there off the ceiling - that's a little more difficult. I'm no longer as young and limber as I used to be.

 

I used to have a curly fluorescent in the bathroom, and early morning in the winter it did not want to come on. I would reach up and catch hold of it, and after a couple seconds it would light up. My body heat warmed it enough that it worked.

 

I do not like fluorescent lights. I do not like them, Sam I am.

 

That will work just fine. The existing light fixture is probably fastened with toggle bolts. might have to patch a couple of holes, but that's no big deal. You've got Worthless to supervise you so that's a plus.:P

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4 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Yeah, she can call 911 when I drop it on my head.

Take the ballast out first, then the fixture won't be heavy at all.

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1 hour ago, Cypress Sun said:

Bad bulbs or weak ballast or both...probably both.

 

Change out the ballast and lamps with new. Problem solved. Better yet, change the bulbs to LED (120/277v) and eliminate the ballast. You'll probably have to hire an electrician as there is some rewiring within the light fixture, but there's a real good chance that you'll never have to worry about it again in your lifetime. If you don't want to hire an electrician, I can walk you through it...it really isn't hard to do.

I'm converting our PD lights now, then the water and wastewater plants. LED is really easy to do. Getting zapped by 277 volts at my last job was certainly an enlightening experience though!

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I wired my own LED lites in my shop.It's simple. You can go online & get the know how.They are a lot brighter & use less electricity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

I ordered my bulbs off EBay & were alot cheaper.

                                                                                                                               Largo

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23 minutes ago, Michigan Slim said:

I'm converting our PD lights now, then the water and wastewater plants. LED is really easy to do. Getting zapped by 277 volts at my last job was certainly an enlightening experience though!

 

Yep, 120 volt isn't too bad if you don't get it across the chest. 277 volt is another story all together, it hurts...a lot, especially if you get it on an open neutral on a fluorescent light circuit. Take my word for it.

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ill do the candle - wife wont , i like the LEDs where ive converted to them so far , im not getting quite the predicted life expectancy but its a lot better that the old gave me , 

 

i did find the dawn to dusk LEDs have a sensitivity to proximity - the lights on the front of my garage are a bit to close together [8' doors separate the three fixtures , they blink on and off with the dawn to dusk , fun at the first but irritating after that , worked fine after i taped over the sensors 

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Drop fixture on head.
Get hit with 220.

Fellas, fellas ... now you-all ain't supposed to imitate my bad examples! :P:P:D:D

 

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9 hours ago, Alpo said:

Actually this is the solution I'm going for

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B51WRTCC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=A2MX68QQKQYIJ8&psc=1

 

The room is only 100 square feet, and that will light it fine. Getting the damn four foot by a foot and a half fixture that's up there off the ceiling - that's a little more difficult. I'm no longer as young and limber as I used to be.

 

I used to have a curly fluorescent in the bathroom, and early morning in the winter it did not want to come on. I would reach up and catch hold of it, and after a couple seconds it would light up. My body heat warmed it enough that it worked.

 

I do not like fluorescent lights. I do not like them, Sam I am.

My daughter and son-in-law put up a similar light in their tiny kitchen. The white light it gave off was like a cool white fluorescent light. Not appealing at all in a kitchen. 

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54 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

My daughter and son-in-law put up a similar light in their tiny kitchen. The white light it gave off was like a cool white fluorescent light. Not appealing at all in a kitchen. 

 

They probably didn't know that there are different "colors" of LED lighting. IMO, all LED lights are a harsh, bright light best used for diffused or indirect lighting. It won't be too long before consumers won't have any choice but LED lighting as Edison (incandescent) and fluorescent bulb/ballasts get phased out by energy conservation rules. Edison (incandescent) bulbs have already been phased out and once existing stock is gone, that's it for them.

 

For the record, I've changed all lighting in my house to LED in 5K color rendition. My gal likes it, you know the saying...

 

Below is an explanation of LED "colors" which aren't really "colors", but the article will explain that.

 

https://www.lightingaccess.com/led-light-colors/

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1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

My daughter and son-in-law put up a similar light in their tiny kitchen. The white light it gave off was like a cool white fluorescent light. Not appealing at all in a kitchen. 

They have warm white now as well. Not nearly has harsh.

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10 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

Yep, 120 volt isn't too bad if you don't get it across the chest. 277 volt is another story all together, it hurts...a lot, especially if you get it on an open neutral on a fluorescent light circuit. Take my word for it.

I vouch for it. Pat Riot warned me to watch my heart rate. It did some odd flutters for a couple days. 

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On 12/21/2022 at 6:43 PM, Alpo said:

Actually this is the solution I'm going for

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B51WRTCC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=A2MX68QQKQYIJ8&psc=1

 

The room is only 100 square feet, and that will light it fine. Getting the damn four foot by a foot and a half fixture that's up there off the ceiling - that's a little more difficult. I'm no longer as young and limber as I used to be.

 

I used to have a curly fluorescent in the bathroom, and early morning in the winter it did not want to come on. I would reach up and catch hold of it, and after a couple seconds it would light up. My body heat warmed it enough that it worked.

 

I do not like fluorescent lights. I do not like them, Sam I am.

I do not like fluorescent lights

I do not like them in the night

I do not like them in the day

I do not like them anyway 

 

 

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According to the chart, 5,000 to 6,000 k is high noon sunlight in the summer.

LED-Color-Temperature-Chart-40.jpg.53f9df9701a2a960defc64097e580442.jpg

That light I bought is 5,000k. I put one in the kitchen, and it lights up the room, which is the purpose of a light.

 

I kept seeing things talking about dimmable and cool lighting and all kinds of weird crap like that. I don't want that. When I turn the light on, I want to be able to see.

 

What a concept.

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6 minutes ago, Alpo said:

According to the chart, 5,000 to 6,000 k is high noon sunlight in the summer.

LED-Color-Temperature-Chart-40.jpg.53f9df9701a2a960defc64097e580442.jpg

That light I bought is 5,000k. I put one in the kitchen, and it lights up the room, which is the purpose of a light.

 

I kept seeing things talking about dimmable and cool lighting and all kinds of weird crap like that. I don't want that. When I turn the light on, I want to be able to see.

 

What a concept.

 

Yep, there is all kinds of dimmable, programmable LED lighting produced these days. LED dimmers run $40 and up, programmable dimmers, and the like, run considerably higher as do the bulbs themselves.

 

Like you, I'm a "when I switch it on, just give me light" person. I don't want or need any of that fancy crap.

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When I was a kid (last century) Dad took one of those two-bulb "Y" sockets and rewired them in Series instead of Parallel.
This voltage divider network ran each bulb at half voltage for longevity.
He used to run them in the well house and in the sub-basement (fallout shelter) non-stop.
When Dad died in the 90s, we went up to attend his house, and they were still burning.

I run the 6w (?) LED bulbs in my garage on a 24x7 basis.
They give enough light to fetch things from the pantry, etc, without having to turn on (and off) the main lights.
Daylight temperature bulbs are harsh to my eyes... the warmer units are more appealing for us.

 

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I went the other route to convert my florescent tube lights to LED.

 

Installed an up to date ballast and then used the ballast compatible LEDs. Have done 4 different 4 tube fixtures and they all work perfectly.

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Just retired from the LED lighting business, your going to see some good changes in a year or two, their are new bulbs about to hit the market that will be adjustable for color saturation, what this means is they will automatically be set on the standard sunlight spectrum so your eyes will see everything as if it were in open sunlight but you will be able to adjust the light from bright blue down to a warm red (6500k to 2500k) you won’t be stuck with having to change bulbs to get the room lighting the way you want, it’s been developed for a couple of years now but the chip shortage that Covid caused made it to expensive to build the bulbs but that’s starting to get cheaper again

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I absolutely HATE the 6000k LEDs. 4500 - 5000 are good for me. So naturally, almost all automotive LEDs are 6000k. 

I had LEDs on my Jeep, but replaced them with halogens. The 6000k light makes everything look like the brightness is up too high on the world. 

For indoor lighting, I get the "Soft White" version. 

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