Need to fix fluorescent kitchen lights- fixtures not lighting up completely. Any ideas?

Question

I bought new bulbs for my 2 kitchen lights thinking my bulbs were burned out but they're still not working right. I have a round fluorescent light fixture as well as a fixture that contains 6 very long lights. I turn the switch on & it turns on but very very faintly like it's not getting enough power or something. Is this something I can fix myself or should I call an electrician? I don't have too much experience with this stuff but do have a little bit of general knowledge. Any ideas anyone?

Answer 1

You probably have an old fixture with a magnetic ballast driving T12 bulbs. T12 means 12/8ths of an inch, in other words 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Virtually all such fixtures, standard before about 1988, are driven by a magnetic ballast that lasts at least 25 years (often much longer) but is fairly inefficient and makes an annoying flicker. Bulbs driven by magnetic ballasts strobe at 60 times a second, the same speed as AC power. Your ballast, or the starter which is really a replaceable part of the ballast, is dying, and should be replaced.

Switch to a fixture with T8 bulbs (one inch in diameter) driven by an electronic ballast, which will strobe at about 20,000 times a second. That will eliminate your flicker and give you better lighting and better efficiency (since a 4 foot T8 uses between 25 and 34 watts, rather than 40, per bulb, to put out the same amount of light.)

A new shop light type fixture currently costs $8.50 at Home Depot, so it doesn't make sense to just replace the ballast alone and fiddle with the wiring. Since every T8 fixture is electronic, and strobes at that fast rate, all you have to do is look for a T8 fixture. If your current fixture is hard wired, you might have to have someone a little bit handy in to put in a terminal box to plug the new fixture in, or buy a hard wired fixture for about $20, but it's worth it. I assume you have one of those recessed box part-of-the-ceiling type kitchen arrangements, with a 'lens' (see through plastic sheeting) between you and the lights, so no one will ever see what kind of fixture you put up there. You don't need to get anything pretty.

Once you've done that, I'd recommend getting full spectrum bulbs for your new long fixture - try lightforhealth.com.

Unfortunately, as far as I know, you can't replace the round fixture with a similar electronic ballast type fixture. No one makes an electronic-ballast version of a Circline fixture. You might just have to live with that until it completely dies, or replace it with a compact fluorescent (which fits a regular light socket), wiring up a regular $2 closet-type ceramic socket, but that would also require a little rewiring. No help for that. Or if you're willing to do the drywalling and painting required, you could put in a recessed can fixture, with a compact fluorescent in there.

I'm hardly an electrician, but this isn't much of a challenge if you're willing to get into the wiring a little. You'll get instructions in any new fixture on how to wire it into your existing setup.

Answer 2

If new bulbs don't work, I think you need a new ballast, but you may be having problems because fluorescent bulbs have changed in the last ten years to use lower wattage and some older ballasts will not fire them. If the starter was bad, if you had one, the lights would flicker, not come on dim. But those kind of units normally don't have starters these days. Does very long mean 4' , 8' or something else? I think you need to talk to a serious lighting store taking with you the numbers and info on the current fixtures and ballasts and if it is convenient, photos of the installation. You may need to have them updated or buy special bulbs.

Answer 3

Well, you can do it yourself if you're not afraid to give it a try. I did just recently. Make sure the switch is OFF... and everyone around knows it stays OFF.
The problem could be the ballast. Its the long black heavy thing thats wired into the fixture, above the lights.
Unwire the old ballast, take it out. Go to a hardware store, or even Wal-Mart has them. The new one might not be as long or as heavy, but get one thats the same comptability. Take the old one with you if you are not sure.
Put the new ballast in using the same wires that are up there. You might need to get some new wire-nuts. Wire it up the same way you took the old one out, matching the wire colors.
Secure it back in, put the lights back in and turn on the switch. Good luck!

Answer 4

Time to replace the ballasts -- the long "block like" object inside the fixture's "works" -- This should be a simple job (be sure to turn the "breaker" off) --- remove and replace this and you should be back in business
The ballast should have a set of numbers on it -- and any good lighting department will have a replacement that can be made by way of these numbers --- and the cost will be relatively inexpensive !!

Answer 5

The fixture may have a "starter" which is a small, round piece that unplugs and can be changed. The cost about $4-5 at most home supply or hardware stores. If there is no starter, then you need a new ballast. If that is the case it may be cheaper to replace the whole fixture.

Answer 6

sounds like you need new starters.
Little round thing in the side of the light fixture. Push in slightly and turn, it'll pop out.
Take it to a hardware store to get the correct replacement,

Answer 7

Twist on the tubes; may not be completely 'locked'.
If still not working, probably the ballast. Not hard to replace; instructions come with the part.