Common Fluorescent Lighting Problems and Solutions
- Fixture doesn’t light or ends glow but center doesn’t
- Tube blinks, flickers, or is slow to light
- Fixture hums
- Black resin seeps from fixture
- Desk lamp doesn’t light or lights incompletely
Fixture doesn’t light or ends glow but center doesn’t
| Possible Cause | Procedure |
|---|---|
| No power to fixture | Replace fuse or reset circuit breaker |
| Tube burned out | Replace tube |
| Wall switch faulty | Check wall switch |
| Tube pins make poor contact in sockets | Reseat tube Replace sockets |
| Starter faulty | Replace starter |
| Ballast faulty | Replace ballast Replace fixture |
| Grounding connections faulty (rapid-start) | Tighten grounding connections |
Tube blinks, flickers, or is slow to light
| Possible Cause | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Tube dump or dirty | Wipe tube with window cleaner and dry thoroughly |
| Short frequent use; tube requires time to stabilize | Leave light on for longer periods |
| Starter faulty | Replace starter |
| Tube makes poor contact in sockets | Reseat tube Replace sockets |
| Ballast faulty | Replace ballast Replace fixture |
| Location too cold | Install ballast rated for cold temperatures |
Fixture hums
| Possible Cause | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Ballast vibrating | Remount ballast |
| Ballast faulty | Replace ballast Replace fixture |
Black resin seeps from fixture
| Possible Cause | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Ballast faulty | Replace ballast Replace fixture |
Desk lamp doesn’t light or lights incompletely
| Possible Cause | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Tube burned out | Replace tube |
| No power to lamp | Plug lamp into another outlet to test |
| Switch faulty | Replace switch |
| Tube pins making poor contact in sockets | Reseat tube Replace socket |
| Ballast faulty | Replace ballast |
