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?

Have you replaced the bulbs??

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?

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?

You also might just try removing the bulbs and replacing them several times
to clean the contacts. Also check the ground connection. I had all kinds
of trouble with a fixture and it turned out to be dirty contacts.


"Jim Jensen" wrote in message
. com...
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?

Well, it looks like it was the 32W bulb. After replacing it yesterday, no problems so far. Thanks to you and professorpaul for the suggestion.


"Art" wrote in message
ink.net
You also might just try removing the bulbs and replacing them several
times to clean the contacts. Also check the ground connection. I
had all kinds of trouble with a fixture and it turned out to be dirty
contacts.


"Jim Jensen" wrote in message
. com...
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?

Not only clean the ground but make sure that the fixture actually IS
grounded. An ungrounded neon will do exactly as you describe. I've stopped
counting the neons that I have found without grounds.


"Jim Jensen" wrote in message
...
Well, it looks like it was the 32W bulb. After replacing it yesterday, no
problems so far. Thanks to you and professorpaul for the suggestion.


"Art" wrote in message
ink.net
You also might just try removing the bulbs and replacing them several
times to clean the contacts. Also check the ground connection. I
had all kinds of trouble with a fixture and it turned out to be dirty
contacts.


"Jim Jensen" wrote in message
. com...
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?