Balsacutter

My Feedback: (3)

Anyone know anything about flourescent lights, as in workshop lights?

Mine won't start up reliabily any more, especially when the shop is cold. I searched everywhere for a needle valve to adjust. (Just kidding.) I did replace the bulbs, but that didn't help. Is it worth replacing the ballast coils, or should I just replace the whole fixture?

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

You COULD replace the balast, and that would probably work, but some of those shop lights are so cheap nowadays that you might as well just replace the whole thing.

Check Home Depot, Lowes, etc

Or even your local Hardware Store

Charlie P.

Older fixtures have little starters that look like 1" x 1-1/2" aluminum cylinders. They create the spark that energizes the tube. A quarter turn counter-clockwise will remove them. They have an amp rating and are fairly cheap.

dmcmike

My Feedback: (14)

If I recall correctly, you can get tubes that are meant for 'cold' environments. They work well at any temp, but the standard flourescent has a rough time getting lit if it's too cold. Ballasts and/or starters (the little cylinder thingies) might help. If you're like me and don't keep the shop heated (too damn much rc money to keep it at 70 all the time) then you're probably better off either leaving them on, or going to the cold temp lamps.

chashint

When mine start doing this I just replace the whole fixture, it used to be much cheaper to replace the ballast and bulbs but just like ARFs the complete fixture is now a lot cheaper and even easier to swap out than the parts.

Jim_Purcha

My Feedback: (8)

You are looking for flurescent lights with a cold weather, electronic ballast rated for zero degrees instant on. Check with Home Depot or Rona (sorry wrong country). Your close to Salem, MA and it's -1C there (warm). It's -18C currently, my garage is insulated and the lights still turn.

RICMOD5634

The Balast is probibly getting weak. Did it work ok when new it the cold whether? For about 20 dollars you could over power the shop light. It will start (come 0n) in really cold whether and will also be brighter. For a two bulb 48 in shop light, get a four bulb 32 in balast. Connecting the wires in two pairs.
But if you don't feel comfy playing with electricity, then just buy another light!

Stripes

My Feedback: (19)

OK, here's a tip. I found a year ago that the standard florescent fixture sold by Home Depot, the new smaller tube type T12-34, has a cold start ballast. It says right on the ballast that it starts down to some sub freezing figure that I forget like zero. I even have one of these fixtures in my garage and this is the Buffalo. NY area. At the same time Home Depot is selling this standard one for a bargain price they sell an upgraded one as cold weather for ten bucks more or something like that.

So open the box and have a peek at what the ballast says about start temperature. I usually ask a salesman to open the box. They always do it for me.

lilhachet

My Feedback: (2)

Jim's right. You need lights with an electronic ballast. The bulbs have nothing to do with cold weather starts

WILDCRASHWILLY

In addition to what others have said here, look for high lummens rating on you bulbs. I just replace (12) 8 foot bulbs in my shop with High lummens and they are great.

Balsacutter

My Feedback: (3)

Overpowering shop lights? You guys rock.

It's like the heros in my club that put a Moki 1.35 on a .60 size plane, claimin' it's cause the plane's a little tail-heavy...

SDR-Hammer

Actually if you want an efficient cold start lamp go with the fluorescent T-8. The lumens per watt are much higher than T-12.

Many commercial buildings are converting to T-8 thus doing away with their HID high bay fixtures.
I'm certian if you do a google search on T-8 you will find plenty of info.

cloudancer03

My Feedback: (22)

the best thing to do is simply replace the whole light as these units are dirt cheap.If you want a better light make sure when you buy a new one to get it with an electronic ballast.but it would be silly to buy a standard ballast and install given that you can go to lowes or home depot and buy them cheap.under 10 bucks if you see a sale.