I'll check the bulbs, but I have three of these fixtures around the house and have replaced bulbs many times. Usually when the bulbs are failing, it will start with flickering, with the flickering worsening until the bulb is replaced. This just seems so different. Most of the time it starts right up and is solid as a rock, but every so often, it takes awhile to start, but then once it does start, it is solid as a rock.

Interesting HD story about the faucet. When I bought the first ballast, there were just three on the shelf and they all looked used, so I picked the best of the lot. I got the second ballast from a different, newer, HD. It had about a dozen of the shelf, most of which looked new. The price was terrific, under $20 with tax.



"Art" wrote in message
ink.net
I would check the bulbs first. The bad one you return may have been
previously used. People use stuff for years, buy a replacement at HD,
install the new one and put the old one back in the box and return it
to HD for a refund. There no one opens the box until the next
customer gets it. I almost bought a used faucet. Fortunately, my
wife noticed water dripping out of the box while we were on line at
hd.




"Jim Jensen" wrote in message
t...
About three months ago I replaced the ballast on a ceiling fixture
that has two circuline fluorescents - 32W and 40W. It's been fine up
until now. Lately, the fixture has been acting strangely in that,
occasionally, it takes a minute or so after I flip the switch before
it comes on. Usually, it happens the first time it is switched on
for the day, although occasionally it happens when I toggle it off
and on.

Would this indicate a bad ballast? It is an Advance ballast from Home
Depot, the second one. The first one was defective out of the box,
and looked like it was installed by someone else and returned (bent
wires). Is it a potential hazard?