ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Florescent fixture problem

NJ_Wireman,
Good point Kenny.
The strip that is used on these tubes is there for good reason.
It's what we call an Earthed starting strip and it works in relation to the Grounded body of the fitting.
It requires the inductance of the gas fill in the lamp and the body of the fitting to strike the lamp.
Without this strip, starting currents can be horrendous and will lead to early failure of the fittings and lamps.

I've found the same problem as Hal has, and it was with Phillips lamps, although quite a while ago. GE's were the fix.

Kinetic, Ballasts manufactured post-1979 are usually marked "No PCBs", and aren't considered to be hazmat. Anything that's not marked as such must be disposed of as hazmat. We call a licensed company for disposal.