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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Flourescent Light Fixtures

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Ron in Nebr

08-01-2004 22:53:59




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Less than 6 months ago my brother and a friend who supposedly has had electrical "training" put up several new 4ft flourescent light fixtures in our barn. We had a lightning storm and apparantly lightning hit the barn's wiring system and the lights didn't work after that. A few days later, I found all the "brand new" 4-ft flourescent light fixtures in the dumpster, and asked why. I was told that the "ballast" had been burn out of the fixtures by the lightning and it wasn't repairable, so they had to put up all new fixtures. I'm by no means an electrician but this sounded strange to me. Is this right? Are the complete fixtures junk? Or can the ballasts be replaced and the light fixtures reused? Sure seems like a waste to toss the whole thing- cords, pullchain switch and all, especially since they were brand new not long ago.

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RayP(MI)

08-02-2004 19:00:16




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
Frys me - have put up several "shop lights," only to have the fixture fail before the bulbs were half worn out. We use 'em in our basement where our 4-H club does arts and crafts. Temperature shouldn't be a problem, but they fail to start, sometimes after only a few months.



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DH in Carolina

08-02-2004 16:29:44




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
Don't know where you are located at, but if these lights are in a unheated barn and it gets cold there these lights will not work. You need lights with a low temp ballast for cold temp. DH



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jeff

08-02-2004 08:38:49




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
I would bet they may have been those $5.00 each fixtures. I had one in the basement and it lasted about one year. They have a little circut board that is a "solid state" balast. Pitch them out. Jeff



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Hmm

08-02-2004 07:15:15




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
I'd bet the fixtures aren't grounded. Lots of wannabe "electricians" run ungrounded circuits to lights... with incandescents lights it's not a problem... with fluorescent fixtures it's a big problem.

The guys are right about the cost of the ballast being about what a new fixture costs but if you can get an electrical supply house to sell to you wholesale, then it makes more sense to replace the ballasts. There are some fixtures where the ballasts are replaced very easily, without having to diassemble the fixture. Others are a real PITA.

TheRealRon

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FarmerDave

08-05-2004 20:27:37




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Hmm, 08-02-2004 07:15:15  
This is an interesting comment Ron. I am always cleaning up after slackers. My favorite slacker left me a two wire circuit for some flourescents. Will they be failing frequently?



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MarkB

08-02-2004 03:40:57




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
You can certainly buy replacement ballasts. However, for cheaper fixtures the cost of the ballast is going to be within a few dollars of price of the fixture.

Something sounds a little fishy, though. Lightning burns out all of the fixtures? And didn't do anything else (such as burn the barn down)? I don't suppose insurance paid for the replacement fixtures?



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Jim Ulmer

08-01-2004 23:20:31




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
Sounds strange but it is often cheaper to replace the fixture than change the ballasts. Pullchains and cords and plugs sound like you are using lo cost utility shop lights. If that is the case, you can not afford to put any time into repairing them or you will exceed the value of the fixture.
I usually salvage the bulbs and clip the cords off because I have occasional need for a short cord with a 3 prong plug but trashing the fixtures is the best bet.

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Bob

08-01-2004 23:15:55




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Ron in Nebr, 08-01-2004 22:53:59  
Price a new replacement ballast, and then price a new fixture. In many cases, it will become clear why the fixtures were replaced. A sign of the times for the era we live in, I guess!



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Ron in Nebr

08-03-2004 10:55:22




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 Re: Flourescent Light Fixtures in reply to Bob, 08-01-2004 23:15:55  
Thanks for all the good advice. I really pulled the fixtures out of the dumpster thinking, like Jim said, that if nothing else I could clip the cords off and use them for something else. Guess that"s what I"ll do. Yes, they were cheap fixtures. The barn was wired with electrical outlets on the ceiling and these lights were just plugged into the outlets. Don"t know if the circuit is grounded or not. No, it didn"t burn the barn down, but the same lightning storm fried several other electrical appliances in other buildings on the place, and yep, insurance is covering most of it. Thanks again!

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