Modern day fluorescent light bulbs

[pilot199]

I was in the maintenance department with 7-11 about 30 yrs. ago & we regularly changed out dozens of magnetic ballasts every year on the T12 sized fluorescent tube fixtures.

I went to change the F20/T12 bulbs on a fixture in our home the other day & the new bulbs didn't work either, so I changed the old magnetic ballast out with one that I had stored in my shop for several years (still in the box). It wouldn't work either.

I ultimately bought a new "electronic ballast" for a F20/T12 fixture & it fired the old bulbs right up.

Anyone know how likely that a new ballast stored for years could likely go bad on the shelf or is it more likely that even the newer manufactured T12 bulbs won't work with the older magnetic ballasts??

Thanks,

Gary

 

[Norcal]

Bum ballast off the assembly line would be my guess.

 

[Nowater]

It happened to me. I had purchased some fixtures from HD and they sat for a while. Finally I said I wanted more light, so I put up a row of seven four foot fixtures installed end to end. Energized the circuit and the first four would not light. Swapped bulbs and that did not fix it. Ran a ground wire to each fixture, and that did not fix it.

Finally, a call to the fixture manufacturer had me explaining the situation and telling the woman there that I was a retired electrician. She sent four replacement ballasts. I put them in and they all worked. Before that, had you told me that four ballasts in four consecutive fixtures were all bad, I would not have believed you. At least all I lost was some time.