On Dec 11, 9:43 am, "Silver Surfer" wrote:
Within the past few months I installed a new fluorescent shop light fixture
in the basement. Came from Lowe's if memory serves. This thing has been
killing bulbs ever since. Three replacements already. I've never had this
experience with a shop light in the past. Of course the fixture is made in
China. Do you think the design of the fixture is to blame or is it just a
manufacturing defect. On the other hand the bulbs could be defective, but
the ones I'm using aren't cheapos. They are made by GE, but who knows in
what country.

I'm ready to pitch the fixture and replace it with one made in America if
such a thing is still available. What do you think?

Are you sure it's the bulbs that are failing?

Do you have another fixture you could try them in?

The reason I ask is that I picked up a few "el cheapo" fixtures at
HD, and they all had electronic ballasts. They all worked OK, except
the
one which I stuck in our attic, with a long extension cord.
Apparently
the voltage drop of the cord was enough to prevent the thing from
starting reliably. When it didn't start, it would hum and apparently
draw quite a bit of current. The little transformers in the end caps
overheated (notwithstanding the little thermal fuses taped against
them), I believe some windings shorted, and now the thing almost
never starts, and tubes get blackened if you leave them in it.