8 Issues with Fluorescent Lighting

  • The Fluorescent “Buzz” Just at the mention of fluorescent buzzing, you can conjure up the sound in your mind. …
  • Mercury Content. …
  • Poor Performance in Cool Environments. …
  • Non-Dimmable. …
  • Non-Directional Lighting. …
  • Bad Ballasts. …
  • UV Ray Emissions. …
  • Frequent Switching and Early Failures.

What are the common problems of fluorescent lamp?

Common Faults and Treatment Methods of Fluorescent Lamp

Type of Fault Reasons of Fault
Fluorescent lamp blinking ON and OFF Loose contacts. Wrong circuit connections. Low supply voltage Defective starter. Defective fluorescent tube.

What is the most common reason for fluorescent lamp failure?





A dead fluorescent can be caused by lack of electrical power (tripped breaker or blown fuse), a dead or dying ballast, a dead starter or a dead bulb(s). Check for power first… then the starter (if applicable) and then the bulbs. When all else fails, the ballast should be replaced.

How do you know when a fluorescent light fixture is bad?

5 symptoms of a bad fluorescent ballast

  1. Flickering. …
  2. Buzzing. …
  3. Delayed start. …
  4. Low output. …
  5. Inconsistent lighting levels. …
  6. Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp. …
  7. Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent. …
  8. Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to T8 linear LED.

What is the simplest problem that can be diagnosed in fluorescent lamp?

Single Pinned Lamps



This problem arises when one of the fluorescent light lamp pins is missing in the socket or poorly connected to the socket. This is an easy fix and does not require calling a professional. You just need to remove the lamp from the socket and reinstall it.

What happens when a ballast goes bad?

The ballast itself can go bad, which causes lights to flicker or even appear to be burnt out, when in fact they aren’t. They require maintenance and energy to power, on top of the power used to light the fluorescent bulb. They are a large part of the equation when using fluorescent lamps.

Why do fluorescent lights not turn on sometimes?





The fluorescent tube won’t turn on



No electrical power due to a tripped breaker or blown fuse. A dead or dying ballast. A dead starter.

What causes fluorescent lights to flicker?

Blinking can also be caused by a loose connection in some of the wires inside the fixture, or by a defective ballast. It can also be caused by low temperatures (below about 50 degrees) unless you have special low-temperature tubes and low-temperature starters.
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How do you troubleshoot a fluorescent light ballast?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: The other blue wire. Now the red one has a problem you can see the multimeter showing the resistance. It's bouncing all over the place. But then we check the other red one here. And that one is too.

What are the procedures in troubleshooting fluorescent fixture?

Troubleshooting a Fluorescent Light

  1. Fixture does not light. Check for power and test to see if the bulb is seated properly in the sockets. …
  2. Tube flickers: First, check to make sure the tube is securely seated in the sockets. …
  3. Fixture hums or buzzes: Replace the ballast (see “How to Replace a Fluorescent Ballast,” above).



How much does a new ballast cost?

A replacement ballast costs about $10-25 depending on capacity and brand. The bite is that an electrician trip charge (which includes 30 or 60 minutes work) is going to be $75-150 probably – for about 5 minutes work on each light fixture.

How long do fluorescent ballasts last?

12 to 15 years



According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or 12 to 15 years with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years.

Is it the bulb or the ballast?

The ballast provides enough voltage to start the fluorescent bulbs, and once they are started, it quickly lowers the current to produce just enough electricity to produce a steady light source. Without the ballast, a fluorescent bulb would attach directly to 120-volt current and quickly burn out the bulb.

How do I know which ballast to replace?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: The only things that matter when you're replacing a ballast are we're number one the number of bulbs number two the type of bulbs number three the voltage.

Can a fluorescent light work without a ballast?

In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Without a ballast to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw.

How do you check a ballast?



To measure it, set your digital multimeter to around a thousand ohms resistance setting. Connect the black leads to the white ground wire on your ballast. Afterward, test every other wire with the red lead. When you do this test, a good ballast will return an “open-loop” or max resistance.

What happens if you put LED bulbs in a fluorescent fixture?

You have fluorescent tube lights in your home or business already, and you’re wondering if you can pop LED tubes in these fixtures or if you’ll need to change out the fixtures for something designed for LED. Good news! You can use LED tubes in your existing fixtures!