On Fri, 2 Sep 2016 22:09:42 -0400, Meanie
wrote:

On 9/2/2016 8:15 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 2 Sep 2016 17:52:37 -0400, Ron wrote:

On 9/2/2016 3:06 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 2 Sep 2016 18:20:09 -0400, Jack Legg
jack@McLowesDepotBigBoxSuperMartHomeCenterOutlet. com wrote:

On 9/2/2016 7:51 AM, David L. Martel wrote:
Scott,

If it's a new home then call the electrical contractor who wired it..

Dave Martel



Good point but I'd guess that this is a wiring hack job done by the previous
owner or his drunken jack-leg handyman using inexpensive devices purchased at
McLowesDepotBigBoxSuperMartHomeCenterOutlet...whic h explains why it's fubar.

After a few years even professionally installed sodium vapour lamps
purchased from first-line electrical distributors DO fail. About 3 of
the original 12 exterior floods at a 6 year old high end office
building are still functional. I've changed several of them - have
given up.


Not sure why you see frequent failures like that. Maybe your environment?
Our bulbs go on at dusk, off at dawn and last about 22,000 hours.
Winter lows are typically 20F and summer highs of 90F with lots of humidity.

Also, outdoor wire-nutted connections should be coated with appropriate grease
and oriented in the j-box so any water runs off instead of into the nut. (Think
upside-down coffee cup.)
Never had a problem with the wire-nutted connections. The bulb fails,
and if not replaced almost immediately, the ballast dies. Outdoor ,
mounted to steel "rail" around the front of the building, poiting up
to wall and signage above, or mounted to top of brick/stone wall
pointing down on wall-mounted signage -all mounting as per
manufacturer's specifications. Winter lows a bit lower, highs about
the same - same humidity. East facing walls , so not exposed to
prevailing winds.


If a replaced bulb still fails to light, 9 times out of 10, it'll be the
starter/ignitor.

If a transformer goes, I wouldn't waste time replacing it when it can be
eliminated and direct wired for a LED bulb.
We gave up before LED bulbs were available - still hard to get in
Magnum Edison base. If we decide to re-light the old fixtures will
dissappear completely - and be replaced with purpose designed LED
fixtures.

At the plant where I work 2 afternoons a week, they replaced all the
parking lot lights with that kind of LED unit - and also replaced all
the vapour lamps in the factory. The office lights are also being
replaced during a renovation that has just started.