flourescent ballast box

[Snowstar]

So my kitchen lights start to dim and flicker and go out every 6 months so I figure I would change all three of the ballast boxes and now nothing works. Double checked that the boxes matched and wiring was correct, t12 f40w single bulbs. What are the chances I got 3 bad ones? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[let it snow]

So my kitchen lights start to dim and flicker and go out every 6 months so I figure I would change all three of the ballast boxes and now nothing works. Double checked that the boxes matched and wiring was correct, t12 f40w single bulbs. What are the chances I got 3 bad ones? Any help would be appreciated.

I'd say it's unlikely you got three bad ballasts. Did you put in new tubes?

I'm gonna assume you already checked for tripped breaker. It might have something to do with your supply voltage. Make sure you have 120Vac to ground AND to neutral. I had basement lights that would turn on and off whenever they wanted to. I had 120V to the lights but there was a bad neutral connection in an old (hidden behind drywall) junction box that was making contact once in a while. That was a nightmare to deal with. If it gets to that point just start tracing wires, opening JB's and checking voltage... When you find the problem it should be fairly obvious (broken wire, loose wire nut, pinched wire in the connector...)

Hope that helps... Let us know how it goes

 

[crazymf]

If all your lights were doing the same thing then I'd also be looking for a connection somewhere. For sure check the neutrals too. They can be tricky. If you are not %100 sure, get an electrician to help. That's your house you're fooling with. Don't burn it down....

 

[Snowstar]

new ballast and bulbs, worked before but would go through bulbs and now nothing works. I will get my DVOM from work tomorrow and test the leads.

 

[eyeles rmk]

Just remember that the bulb side of the ballast won't read 120 volts. Check the supply side first if you have 120v hot to neutral then there is something wrong with the ballast or with the lamps. Something else to look for is if you bought the new electronic ballasts. If you did then you will need to run a 32 watt T8 bulb. Also make sure that you have the correct ballast for the number of lamps that you have. Finally, check were the wires go into the sockets (called tombstones). I have seen the wires get loose and not work properly. Hope this helps. P.s I do this for a living so if you need more help feel free to ask.