I've been having issues with my fluorescent tubes, which I use for seedlings and clones. About a week ago, my 4 ft bulbs (2 t12 bulbs @40 w each) started flickering and then ended up going out. I plugged the fixture into another outlet, and only one of the bulbs came on. I switched the bulbs from one socket to the other, and the same issue presented itself, which told me the issue was likely with the ballast and not the bulbs themselves. I decided to go into my local hardware store, where they told me they no longer carry the t12 fixtures, and picked up a t8 fixture with 2 bulbs. I plugged it in, and both lights came on. I left the room and came back a couple of minutes later, and the bulbs had turned off. I plugged the fixture into another outlet, and it didn't work. Then, I tried the bulbs in my old fixture (it can use both t8 and t12 bulbs), and the same issue presented itself where one bulb at a time would turn on. I figured that the fixture was just a POS (it was only $10), and returned it. I then headed out to a different hardware store, where I encountered the lack of t12 fixtures, and decided upon a different brand of t8. I also chose some LED bulbs, to save myself a little bit of energy costs. I plugged the fixture in, and after lighting up for a split second, the bulbs refused to turn on again, even when I tried plugging it into a different outlet. I've got a 420w LED fixture, a 265 cfm squirrel cage blower, and a oscillating tower fan running 24/7 inside of my veg tent, hooked up to a heavy duty extension cord and have not experienced any issues with any of the equipment. The fluorescent fixture, a small fan, and a seedling mat are plugged into a surge protector, which is connected to an extension cord which plugs into the other socket on the same outlet. I have experienced no issues with any of this other equipment, either. The ONLY thing which keeps going out is the damn fluorescent fixture. This issue is driving me crazy. Could anyone help me understand what the hell is going on here? It doesn't seem like an electrical issue, considering none of the other equipment has been affected (and hopefully it stays that way).
Damn No clue, either stupidly bad luck, or that first outlet you used on both the fixtures (if i understand correctly) is fucked. It is a grounded outlet right?
Sounded kind of like you were using the same surge protector for all of your tests. Get a new surge protector. They're fickle as fuck and cheap to replace.
i may have read wrong but i thought he was saying all his other gear works fine on this surge protector, as it stays going when the floro fixture goes out. I think hes saying they were all on the same surge protector. But it also sounded like he tested them on independent outlets with the same problem. Is a little confusing to me the way he described it though. Not sure at all lol.
No clue just know when they get old and start to go they act weird. Sometimes an appliance with a high draw will make them not work properly. 5$ is a cheap experiment.
this is true indeed. although most $5 power strips aren't actually surge protectors, a real surge protector strip is usually $15-$20 even at wal-mart or something. I bet one could be had for $5 from amazon or ebay, but i wouldn't trust it with my equipment lol
The surge protector (which is about 2 months old) isn't the issue. All other equipment connected to the surge protector (small fan and seedling mat) works just fine. When I tested out the fixture on another outlet (on a different circuit), it was experiencing the same issues. To reiterate: I have a four foot dual bulb fluorescent fixture. Only one bulb lights up, and it doesn't fire up fully, it simply flickers. When I disconnect the working bulb, the other bulb will flicker on. I purchased a new fixture (the same length and number of bulbs), and both lights came on. After a few moments, the bulbs were flickering just as those on the original fixture. I then purchased a second new fixture (again, 4 ft with dual bulbs), only to have the lights briefly come on and then die. I tested each fixture on a completely different circuit, only to have the same issue pop up. Now, perhaps I should have tested them on this separate circuit BEFORE plugging them into the same outlet. I will do that with the next fixture I pick up. I was just hoping that someone could help explain what the hell is going on.
Well, I made the decision to return the latest fixture that wasn't working and picked up a single-bulb T5 fixture, which has been in for the past couple of days with absolutely no issues.