Daughter bought 4 ea single bulb 20W T12 fixtures and bulbs…installed in pairs of two’s on short 16 ga. polarized extention cords to a switched recptacles.
Turn on the wall switch…maybe they came on….. maybe not…checked circuits, hots, neutrals, wire nuts….still erratic operations. Played with it for two days…off & on!
Sent back fixtures………….purchased 4 more at a different store.
Wired in the first one…………same intermittent operation scenario.
Found that wiggling the bulb in the fixture would bring it on…..
But then found that if the switched on non burning bulb was “carrassed lightly” with a hand it would instantly go on!
What is really happening? Where is the wiring error? The ground?
………………Iron Helix
Replies
It's not a wiring error on your part. The problem is in the design of the flourescent unit. It doesn't have quite enough oompf to start properly. The capacitance gained by putting your hand there reduces the voltage needed to get it to strike down to what it's able to produce. Try wrapping a long steep spiral of bell wire around the tube, not connected to anything, just there for the extra capacitance.
-- J.S.
Sounds like a problem usually associated with an improper or nonexistent ground connection. Most modern fluorescents require a proper ground to "strike".
Thanks for the responses......will replace polarized pigtails w/ three prong!
If that doesn't cure it, I will add the wire for "sh!tz & grins"....but will have to return the units as defective.
...............Iron Helix
'carrassed lghtly with a hand it would instantly go on!'
Funny thats what the GF said to me;-)