fluorescence light problem

wfw

Member
Had a fluorescence light ballast go bad, light would not come on at all. I bought a ballast from Lowes and installed it. the fixture has two tubes (the u type t8 tubes). now only one tube will work. I bought a new tube to replace the one that would not work, it did not work either. I move the working tube to the bad side and it works fine (in either side). trying to figure this out I tried moving the tubes around. what I got: 1: good tube works fine in either side by itself with no other tube in other side. 2: bad tube works fine by itself in either side without a tube in other side. 3: new tube works but dim in either side without tube in other side. only one tube will work. ballast supplies power to both sides. I have all the blue wires wired together and both the red wires wired together, just like the old ballast. I have changes ballast before without problems, including lots at where I worked at back in the seventies( they worked on 277v ac, one side of 440 three phase to ground). I am thinking the new ballast is bad. any opinions?. Thanks.
 
About a year ago I changed a ballast out, and just wired it up like the old one. The light did not work and after checking it out the new ballast had a different wiring diagram than the old one. It had all of the same color and number of wires , but it did not wire in the same. Now to add insult to injury, that ballast did not last 1 year, I suppose due to miss wiring at first. These are 120 volt 8 ft lights. Good luck.
 
The new ballasts are a whole new ball game . Follow the diagram on the ballast exactly. The neutral no longer goes directly to a socket. Old wiring out -- new in.
 
as for the ballast not lasting a year, read the reviews of some of these fixtures at Lowes and home depot . Many of the ballasts aren't lasting 5 months. Bill
 
I like the old PCB filled tar ballasts better. These electronic ballasts don't last at all.When you remove the ballast there is a date on the back. I just changed out old ones still[ well just stopped ] working since 1975 . Maybe not in service that long but date of manufacture.
 

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