To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Compact fluorescent tubes flicker for a minute

kkasson

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
24
Maybe you guys can help me with a problem I'm having with my bathroom light fixture. It's a combination fan/light, model is FV-LP003, but I can't seem to find much about it online. It's got 2 compact fluorescent tubes; the connector is 4 pins, G24q-2 base. It also has a small incandescent bulb as a night light.

Incandescent bulb works fine. The fluorescent lamps were dead when I moved in here, and after replacing them the right lamp flickers and hums for a few seconds before it turns on. It can last from just a couple seconds up to maybe 40 seconds or a minute. Once it lights up, it stays on fine and doesn't flicker again until it's been off for a while. I've switched the lamps around, tried news lamps, and it's always the same side of the fixture. They're the same kind of lamps that were in there originally, and are the correct ones as far as I can tell.

Does it sound like a problem with the ballast? Is there anything else I should try before replacing it? The contacts didn't look dirty to me, but should I try cleaning them? With like contact cleaner spray, or is there a better way?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
K

kkasson

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
24
I just noticed that one of the lamps was tilting down a little more than the other one, so I pulled the whole thing apart to see what's going on. Turns out it's a single ballast, but it sounds like they tend to have problems.

Ultrasave B 21812-F

If it's only one of the lamps that flickers and it's a single ballast, can that still be a ballast problem? Is there a way to test the ballast? I put it back in and turned it on, and the right lamp was flickering again. I switched them around and they're both turning on now, but that might just be because they're both already warmed up.
 

cybrdyke

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
3,449
Location
USA
just judging from the ballast part number, I'd say it's for 2 18 watt lamps. Are you using 18 watt lamps?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
OP
K

kkasson

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2014
Messages
24
I found that, but it sounded to me like theirs just wouldn't stay lit at all. But after having taken the fixture apart, I don't see what else could be the problem besides the ballast, so I'm just gonna order that Sylvania and it should take care of it. Thanks for the help!
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom