If the fixture still starts slowly, it could have a defective ballast or transformer. The ballast is the rectangular device inside the housing. It is connected by wires to the tube holders. The ballast can be replaced if an exact duplicate can be found at a hardware store or electrical-supply store.16 июл. 1987
Why does my fluorescent light take so long to come on?
Some older lights may contain a module called a starter. This unit sends a surge of current to the tube when the light first turns on. Over time, the starter can wear down and ultimately take longer to do its job. Lights that take a long time to come on or flicker on and off without starting are common symptoms.
Why are my lights taking so long to turn on?
This is caused by the LED transformer, which can be responsible for delays of up to 2 seconds after the light switch has been pressed. The reason for this delay is the same as with a line-voltage LED light source. The circuit in an LED transformer has several capacitors for the intermediate storage of energy.
Why do my fluorescent lights not come on sometimes?
If a fluorescent tube neither lights nor flickers when switched on, first check to see that the fixture is plugged in and that no fuse has blown or circuit breaker has tripped. If this does not help, try wiggling the tube gently in its sockets by rocking it back and forth and from side to side.
How do you tell if a ballast is going out?
If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast:
- Flickering. …
- Buzzing. …
- Delayed start. …
- Low output. …
- Inconsistent lighting levels. …
- Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp. …
- Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.
How do I know if fluorescent starter is bad?
The older the fluorescent tube is and the older the fluorescent starter is, the less efficient they are at igniting. A tube that takes more than a few seconds to start-up is a clear indicator that the tube and starter may need replacing.
What are the common problems of fluorescent lamp?
defective starters, defective bulbs or a defective ballast. IMPORTANT: Flickering fluorescent tubes can cause the ballast to overheat and fail prematurely! They can even cause a starter to burn out! Don’t wait too long to fix the problem or you may end up with a bigger repair!
Does high humidity affect fluorescent lights?
Fluorescent bulbs use a hermetic seal, which means no humidity will penetrate the bulb itself. This seal is necessary to keep the toxic mercury vapor from leaking out into the environment. Humidity can cause corrosion of the metal fixtures on the ends of a fluorescent bulb, impeding its ability to transmit electricity.
Why does my light not turn on right away?
This could be on the switch itself, at the circuit breaker panel, or in a pass-through wire connection in the wall box or ceiling box. By far the most common problem is a loose wire connection at the switch itself, which is subject to constant on-off usage. Less commonly, a light bulb socket may go bad.
How long does it take for a fluorescent light to warm up?
The manufacturer doesn’t make any claims about the bulb’s warm up time, though our customers have given it an average 5-star rating. In our tests, the bulb reached its maximum output in 2 minutes, 2 seconds. That’s not exactly quick, but according to most manufacturers, it’s about on par for a typical CFL.
How do you tell if it’s the ballast or the bulb?
Take out your current bulbs and replace them with the new bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit. You could also try using a multimeter set to measure resistance.
How much does it cost to replace a ballast in a fluorescent light?
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.
How often does a ballast need to be replaced?
about 20 years
The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the bulbs. A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.
How do you change a ballast without turning off power?
Remove the wire nut from one of the power wires and carefully strip about 1/2 inch of insulation from the end, making sure not to touch the end. Hold the ballast wire next to this wire with the stripped ends parallel but not touching. Quickly slip on the wire nut and screw onto the ends.
How do you replace a ballast?
Quote from Youtube video: Piece out in the middle. And there's just some little clamps here but we just have to squeeze. And pull in a little bit. And now we have the ballast exposed. This is what we're gonna replace.
Why do ballasts fail?
Ballast failure is often caused by the surrounding environment—mainly heat and moisture. When it’s too hot or too cold, a ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps. Heat, along with continuous condensation inside an electronic ballast, can cause corrosion over time.
How do you troubleshoot 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.
Can a fluorescent light ballast be repaired?
If you can change out a light switch or outlet you can definitely replace an old ballast that doesn’t work. As I said in the beginning, you’ll save yourself $75 to $90 doing this fix yourself. Years ago I paid our electrician to do a similar fix at a rental and this is how much the fee was.
Can I replace fluorescent tubes with LED?
Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.
