CBS News. This post has affiliate/referral links. U-shaped bulbs are held in the socket with tension springs. Without the ballast, a fluorescent bulb would attach directly to 120-volt current and quickly burn out the bulb. The thing you need to understand, a bulb will not light if there are any electrical issues. As you know, two straight pins at both the end of a bulb used as an electrode. Only a little extra pressure can break the pins which will put an end to your fluorescent bulb permanently. Make sure your bulb has plenty of ventilation and isn’t in trapped heat – ventilated bulbs last longer. A long term of use or over aging might cause brownish spot at the end of the bulb. Learn more. A dead tube is an easy problem to solve by replacing it with a working bulb. Test Ballast With Multimeter . 5 symptoms of a bad fluorescent ballast. If electrodes do not pass electricity from the source, the bulb will not light up. The new electronic ballasts require that you use the correct tubess. Let’s show you how to tell if a fluorescent bulb is bad. If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast: Flickering. Bad ballasts often buzz, or hum, when they're on their way out. Many different types of ballasts exist and you can buy one that matches your lighting needs. When bulbs get dark on one or both ends and glo reddish orange, or dim white, or just don't lite at all, it's time to replace them, ALL. Many people are aware of ballasts when installing tube fluorescent lighting in commercial facilities. Quick Checks to Find out if a Fluorescent Bulb is Bad Check the dark areas at the end of the fluorescent bulb. When fluorescent tubes flicker or go out completely, several different factors can be the culprit. Brownish spots indicate your fluorescent bulb standing at the end of the lifespan. To test fluorescent bulbs, start by checking your electrical panel box to confirm the circuit isn't broken. You should check your panel box before blaming the bulb. Simply look at the filament to see if it is broken, or give the bulb a gentle shake to listen for the familiar "tinkle tinkle" of the broken filament in the bulb. Learn more. Pull the U-shaped bulbs from the tension springs to release them from the socket. This post has affiliate/referral links. However, many are not aware the compact fluorescent bulbs also use a ballast. If you’re using a digital multimeter, often the digital readout will possibly list a “1” when it doesn’t find a measurable … To find out if your GE Lighting ballast contains PCBs, look for the two-letter date code that's stamped into the mounting feet at one end of the fluorescent ballast, and then check the chart below to find the month and year of manufacture. Do not to put too much force while working. Depending on the ballast, you may have only red and blue wires. Make it sure your circuit is in one piece. Maybe you want to switch off or dim half of your lights at a certain time. You can also use a multimeter to determine if the electrodes still hold conductivity. Shelly Lighting August 11, 2018. When you hear a buzzing sound coming from your fixture or the bulbs flicker or do not come on, check the ballast to see if it needs to be replaced. If T8 fluorescent lamps (the smaller tubes that are 1 inch diameter), or T12 fluorescent lamps (the wider tubes that are 1 1/8 inch diameter) burn out and stop working out where the ends of the lamps turn dark or black then the ballast may become faulty and need to be replaced. Electrodes get erosive after a long term use and might stop passing the electricity to the bulb. Not so long ago, we had tube-shaped fluorescent bulbs which required a starter. Choose "X1K" if there are multiple ohm settings on your multimeter. I know the obvious "change the bulb". When all else fails, the ballast should be replaced. If the ballast is still good, the needle should sweep to the right across the face of the multimeter. Before replacing your fluorescent bulb, you must check the bulb for once at least. How can you tell if a fluorescent light ballast is bad? Electrodes are the connectors from the source. Harsch received her Certified Nurses Assistant license in 2004. You can not expect the bulb to light up with a broken circuit. Learn more. This post has affiliate/referral links. Does anyone know the acceptable output voltage ranges and how to check them safely? Ballasts manufactured after January 1, 1979, do not contain PCBs. This post has affiliate/referral links. Metacritic. Sine a CFL lamp is basically just a fluorescent tube rolled into a bulb shape, it uses the same technology. A multimeter is a machine, used to check the electrodes. Despite all the method above, cleanliness is another secret to increasing your fluorescent lamps lifespan. Set the multimeter to the ohm setting. Though, checking the bulb is the ultimate answer to test a fluorescent lamp. This cover attaches with screws or inserts into slots cut into the fixture. This post has affiliate/referral links. Plugging it off and a closer view might solve the issue. If the ballast is still good, you’ll see the needle move or an indication that the circuit is continuous. Set a multimeter to the ohm (Omega symbol) setting, then touch one tester probe to each of the pins at the end of the bulb. 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. Rotating your fluorescent bulb by 180 degrees, from how the bulb usually sits may solve the problem. Latest News from. Starter gets dark along with time just like the bulb. Fluorescent Light Ballast Replacement. She attended Tarrant County College and studied English composition. If that’s the case, you should push the switch to off position and switch back on. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. If your lighting is flickering or strobing periodically, it's not necessarily that the bulb, or tube, is about to burn out. The reason is your baby always... You have entered an incorrect email address! If either bulb is bad, they may both flicker or one may flicker and the other show no life. A fluorescent fixture requires a ballast to send the proper amount of electricity to the fluorescent bulbs. It could just as well be that the ballast is going bad. Often we run to a hardware store and keep repeatedly complaining about the bulb. Your couch is probably the one place you enjoy sitting most during the day. The ballast in an HID lighting system requires a capacitor, this is a current limiting device that prevents too much amperage to be delivered to the HID bulb. A ballast is a long, rectangular box that controls and regulates the output of the fluorescent lights. Others can regulate the light output of different fixtures. If the ballast is bad and needs to be replaced, the needle on the multimeter won’t move or the screen will read that there isn’t a continuous circuit. Touch the remaining probe to the ends of the blue, red and yellow wires leading from the ballast. If the ballast is good, an analog multimeter has a needle that will sweep to the right across the measuring scale. You must test the fluorescent bulb before considering a replacement. She has several years of experience in the home-improvement industry, focusing on gardening, and a background in group exercise instruction. Check out if the bulb lights up. Your home means more to you these days because you may be spending extra time indoors. If the ballast is bad, the needle on the multimeter will not move. A multimeter can be used to make certain that it is indeed the ballast itself that has gone bad. Learn more. How do you change a ballast? You might use a tiny plier to straighten them. Welcome to a how-to video by Toolbox DIY where will we show you how to replace a fluorescent ballast on a light fixture. Time will tell. Tech Republic. How to Repair the Control Knob on a GE Super Capacity Washing Machine, The Family Handyman: How to Use the Multimeter, Instructions on How to Change the Fuse in a Fluorescent Light Fixture, How to Replace a Tombstone in a Light Fixture. If the light fixture had trouble starting and kept flickering the problem could be a bad connector at one or both ends of the bulb, a loose bulb, or a bad bulb. There are some usual reasons a bulb can go bad, and we can do some quick checks to find out if it’s fixable or a replacement is necessary. If you are tired of getting high electricity bills every month, you have come to the right place. [Click to enlarge any image] First check the bulb connections. You can check all four pins located at both the end. If the tester shows a reading between 0.5 and 1.2 ohms, the bulb has continuity. If your fluorescent bulb is flickering, switching on and off by itself, or dead altogether, test the bulb first. The procedures we said earlier to test a fluorescent bulb, can also be used to test fluorescent lamps. Cecilia Harsch has been writing professionally since 2009. Replace the tubes when you change the ballasts, if the tube does not work, replace it and then after about 3 times, the ballasts are usually gone also. Depending on the ballast, you may have only red and blue wires. Fluorescent Light Bad Bulb Or Ballast. CNET . Depending on the style of fixture, the lens cover wraps around the fixture, is held to the fixture with a series of screws or slides out of the fixture body. A flickering fluorescent bulb means that it or one of a dependent pair of bulbs in the fixture has bought the farm. Repeat the test at the other end of the bulb. 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). The multimeter can examine if the electrodes are passing current or not. This fluorescent light fixture in my garage either wouldn't turn on at all or would flicker so much it wasn't even worth it. She writes mainly home improvement, health and travel articles for various online publications. Bad Ballast Or Bulb . What if darkness forms in one side? The starter's purpose is to send a delayed jolt of ionised gas to the bulb to conduct electricity. Install the fluorescent bulbs, replace the lens cover and turn the power back on to the fixture at the circuit panel. The fixture here uses a 2-bulb series ballast that gets replaced with a 2-bulb parallel ballast. How To Test A Fluorescent Bulb Ballast. T-8 vs T-12, it is usually marked on the ballast.How can we tell using a voltmeter if fluorescent fixture/ballast/bulb is bad? Make sure to check all the wire pairs and see that they are positive. Constant dust can also cover the bulb and reduce the brightness. How to Repair a Refrigerator Electrical Cord, How to Troubleshoot Halogen Lights Under Cabinets, How to Start Elephant Ear Plants From Bulbs. I have a lot of fixtures and when doing trouble shooting/maintenance, I always end up with bulbs and ballast of unknown condition. Fluorescent bulb is the heart of the lamp. TV.com. How to Replace a Tombstone in a Light Fixture. But is it time to replace? You are not alone if you are stressing over keeping your house clean all the time. Besides, swapping starter with a working one can also tell whether the bulb defects or the starter. If any of the pins seem bent, try to fix it gently. You should clean the bulb pretty often to get the most out of it. It is... 20 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Electric Bill, How to Disinfect a Couch – Follow 9 Steps, How to Disinfect Baby Toys Properly – 7 Methods to Try, 7 Things To Buy That Makes Your Home Feel Nicer Under $30, Cute Christmas Nail Designs You Can DIY At Home 2020, 43 Awesome Baking Soda Cleaning Hacks You Should Apply Today, 9 Easy Ways to Keep Your House Clean All the Time, 50 Brilliant House Cleaning Tips That You Must Know. One probe of the multimeter should touch the hot wire connections, while the other touches the neutral wire connections. Remove the ballast cover from the fixture, if the ballast is not already exposed. If the bulb is lighting perfectly in another frame, you should understand your bulb is alright and the previous frame was defective. 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