Need Electrical Help, Please!

[Guest joeharris]

Feel Stupid to ask this, but i could save time and Labor! I am sort of a Mr. Fix-it around the House and have plenty of experience with replacing switches,breakers and running and setting up new fixtures and lines around the House!

Here is the prob. downstairs have 3 fluorescent fixtures running in a straight line, 1 2 3, when i flip the wall switch 3 the furthest away always comes on, 2 & 3 sometimes do after a minute or two and if i flip the switch up & down then usually 1 will also come on, on sometimes all 3!

I know with these lights, if a bulb is bad or loose the whole fixture wont come on and they dont have or need a starter (like really old ones).

I think the problem might be the switch, since if quickly flipped on & off they all sometimes come on, dont think it is the wiring since the last one in line always will come on!

Just dont want to pull 12 ceiling tiles if a switch could do that, all switches i ever had replaced over the yrs. only were for 1 fixture and never for 3.

Thank You, for any Info!

Joe

[dralarms]

Joe,

The switch will be the same. single pole switch. I would replace the switch, pull the covers off all the lights and tighten/check all connections, and also check the ballasts.

[nightrunner]

if i were you i would change the switch first. it is certaintly the easiest and cheapest. use a high quality switch like a leviton brand. if this is a switch that is used very frequently, get a spec grade if you can, they are more expensive but are much tougher and more durable, and they are stiffer.

if the 3rd light truly is the third ligh in the series, it is NOT the wiring.

however, it sounds the me like there is a problem in the lights. look at the bulbs if the ends are dark, they are most likely almost shot. it could also be the ballast if the bulbs are good.

short version: do in order until it is fixed

replace switch

replace bulbs

replace ballasts

btw, i am an residential electrician when im not on here

[Guest joeharris]

Thanks, i do know as to the type of single pole switch, these fixtures dont have the old time replaceable ballast's.

The thing i dont understand is why the furthest one always comes on, and the other's sometimes do when the wall switch is flipped rapidly up or down, wonder if the switch might have a loose connection inside where it sometimes only gives enough juice for one fixture?

To me though, it would indicate a loose connection in the wiring, if the one closest only came on and the other 2 behind it did not!

Thank's

[nightrunner]

The thing i dont understand is why the furthest one always comes on, and the other's sometimes do when the wall switch is flipped rapidly up or down, wonder if the switch might have a loose connection inside where it sometimes only gives enough juice for one fixture?

Thank's

if this is true, it points towards the switch being faulty, internally.

the regular switch is only like 50 cents and the spec grade is less than a couple of dollars, not sure how much though. i usually dont buy them the contractor does.

residential grade : $0.65 http://www.dale-electric.com/detail?itemnumber=1451-2W

commercial grade : $1.85 http://www.dale-electric.com/detail?itemnumber=CS115-2W

Edited July 6, 2009 by nightrunner

[Guest joeharris]

Thank You, i really appreciate you all helping me out!

I just now went and flipped the switch, and the last one as always came on, filpped again quickly and the last one and first came on, then flipped again slowwwllly and all 3 came on instantaniously, then when i again flipped it the last one only (as always) came on!

So i still believe it is only the switch!

I just cant understand it, since the furthest comes always on, so i guess the switch is only allowing a partial load, but why only to the furthest and not the closest?

I just always like to know, why,what and how!

I will replace the switch in the next few days, and a sincere Thank You!

Joe:)

[nightrunner]

there are sometimes electricity cant be explained.

honestly i dont know what is inside a single pole switch, but i know all it does is connect the two wires together that are hooked into it. something is probably loose inside the switch and causing it to act erratically

[Guest joeharris]

Thank's again! It is just weird!

[Guest bkelm18]

Yep definitely sounds like the switch. Electricity can do weird stuff sometimes, I run into stuff at work every now and then that makes me scratch my head.

[oldogy]

The grounds on a florescent circuit seems to be critical for the long term correct operation and life. I agree, replace the switch first.

oldogy

[Guest canynracer]

LOL...I would hire someone...If I didnt, id burn my house to the ground...lol...sometimes, I will admit defeat.

[texfrazer]

I would vote for the switch, and I would also vote that #3 is actually wired first, which is why it always comes on.

But, you never know until you check it out.

[Guest joeharris]

Well, just replaced the Switch and all 3 light's work 100% instantly:D!

Still dont understand it exactly:screwy:, however i remember bits and pieces of somthing about 20 yrs. ago which might sort of explain this.

One day 20 yrs. ago gave a Buddy a ride home after work, while we pulled in the Drive way, his wife who had been Mowing the Yard, went inside their Trailer to take a break, she ran back out and was scared talking about Ghost's!

I dont remember all details, but i remember you turn on a light in one room it would come on weak, but also the more switches you turned on, stuff which wasnt controlled by that switch would also come on and even turning on a switch on the Stove would cause a light to come on in another room!

Was really Weird, we found out, somehow when Mowing the Grass she scraped the insulation on 1 wire bringing juice to the Meter and thus somehow interfered with the grounding as well as the Trailer not getting enought Juice.

So we went, turned outside Main Breaker off, bought about 25 foot of Cable, connected it to the Trailer's Breaker Box and then to the Outside

Power Box right under the Meter.

No Ghost's but i will never forget the weird Stuff going on inside!

Than You!

[nightrunner]

if you are just curious, carefully take apart the switch you took out and look at it and see what does what, lol