# Fluorescent troubleshooting



## Daffypuck (Sep 12, 2009)

OK, probably something simple Im missing, but I have a fixture in the kitchen thats a 4 bulb unit. One day, it stopped working, then a few days later finally came on when turned on. Then it just stopped working. all 4 bulbs would not come on. So.. I first checked the power. 120v from the source when the switch was flicked. So powers not an issue. The I did a continuity check on all the bulbs...all good. BUT, from what Ive learned, they could still be bad. I replaced the ballest and still nothing!! So, that tells me that its one, if not all of the bulbs. Can one bulb affect three good ones and not come on?? Anything else i should check? I dont have another fixture to check the bulbs in other than taking them all to LOWES and checking them.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Sep 13, 2009)

What about the connectors at the ends of the fluorescent tubes.  I'm thinking a broken wire or electrical contact in those connectors could cause (at least) one of the bulbs not to work.

I'd take the bulbs out and see if you can see the electrical contact in each connector.


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## Daffypuck (Sep 13, 2009)

If one of the tombstones were bad, would hat affect all the bulbs though??


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## kok328 (Sep 13, 2009)

Depending on how the fixture is wired internally, a bad connection at a tombstone could cause a total outage.  This differs from a bad tombstone.  The connections to tombstoner are stab in's and they sometimes come loose/out.

I didn't know that Lowes would test a flourescent bulb, that's cool to know.
I am aware of a tester that you simply wand the bulb and it will test it that way but, that tool is several hundred dollars.


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## Daffypuck (Sep 13, 2009)

Naw, i havent taken them to Lowes yet, but thats my last resort. I just have to see if they will let me put em' in a fixture to check them.


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## JoeD (Sep 13, 2009)

How to repair fluorescent fixtures.
1. Change ALL the tubes.
2. If #1 doesn't do it then change the ballast.


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## locknut (Sep 14, 2009)

Daffypuck: There's nothing more frustrating than a fl. fixture that's doing what you describe.  These fixtures usually work in lamp pairs.  It's possible that two of the bulbs are bad.  You can try any two of the four in sequence to verify operation.  But it is worth buying two new lamps to try, assuming all other components are OK.


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