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Joined: Nov 2005
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A switch controls a bank of 2x4 drop in, 277, 3 tube bi-pin fluorescent lights with electronic ballasts. One fixture, in the middle of the run is not working. The ballast was replaced, 2 new tubes are put in and it works, put the third tube in an the light goes out. The fixture is replaced with another from a different location. The third tube is put in and the light goes out. The switch is flipped a couple of times and all of the light come on. The switch is flipped again, the fixture and the one next to it go out. The original fixture is put in another location and works fine. What could it be?
Hank
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 482
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That's a good one.
First, I'd bypass the switch to see if that's the problem.
Then I'd do a voltage reading under load at the middle fixture to see if there is a bad connection somewhere causing a VD or intermittent power.
Then, I'd go through the lamp sockets and internal wiring of the fixtures to see if there is anything causing the short-circuit protection of the ballasts to activate. Get the fixture lit and then jiggle the lamp a few times to see if causes the fault/shutdown.
Good Luck!
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Voltage is ok, this fixture is in the middle of about ten lights that are daisy chained. All of the other lights are working.
Hank
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Joined: Feb 2003
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but i dont know if you knew this or not some ballast did have multi light level on the ballast so you may have to cycle the switch few time to get it all light up
i know one Advance ballast do this way
hit the switch all 3 tube will be on then hit again switch to 2 or 1 tube set up and again back to all 3
sorta of 3 way light bulb work so just a thought
the other thing is that some lumiaire if you have " remote " type check the ballast for max distance if too far it may not fire up not very well at all
Merci , Marc
Pas de problme,il marche n'est-ce pas?"(No problem, it works doesn't it?)
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Hank
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Joined: Aug 2004
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Are you using bulk tubes or name brand? Did you wipe the tube of any dirt/film. Is the fixture securely grounded? I've been fighting a similar battle with mixed success.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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The tubes are brand name, the tubes were never wiped down and the fixture is properly grounded.
Hank
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Joined: Nov 2005
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IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE BANK OF LIGHTS THAT YOU ARE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH HAS VOLTAGE PROBLEMS? THERE MAY BE VOLTAGE DROP ISSUES DUE TO DISTANCE OR WIRE SIZE. DON'T FORGET ELECTRONIC BALLASTS GENERATE ALOT OF HARMONICS THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE CIRCUIT.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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Why is it the fixture in the middle and the one next to it, in a bank of about 10 lights. All of the lights are controlled by one switch. The other lights work fine. There is also another problem in another office in the same building, but on another floor.
Hank
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Joined: Jan 2004
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Are you lamping these while energized? I have read on certain fluorescent ballasts before "do not lamp while energized. Lamp will not properly light"
Is this switch rarely operated and left on overnight? Just a stab, but.... excersing the switch reset the ballast that was lamped live and the light next to it was just waiting for a reason not to come back on, it was close to its end of life.
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