Broken Light

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Socks

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Jan 20, 2007
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Maine,U.S.A.
Hi. I have a Coralife Auqalite 2x 65w compact florescent light.I came home from work this week and it's not working.If I tap on the side the lights flicker a bit,but then shut right off.The bulbs are only 3 months old and the chances of 2 of them blowing at once.....It's got to be the ballast right? If so can I replace just that? Where could I get one? I live in the north-eastern U.S. and I'm not opposed to ordering online if I can get the things I need for cheaper.
 
You might want to start by looking for a loose connection. What are the chances of both parts of the ballast burning out at the same time? I have found my fixtures made by some manufacturers are not well built although the component parts seem to be fairly good quality. When that happens, simply making good connections instead of the ones they made for you, is often enough to get a nice reliable fixture. If simple troubleshooting of the wiring does not work, try an on line search for fluorescent ballasts and there are tons of vendors who can supply them. I have purchased good ballasts on line to fix fixtures that were actually no good. You will need to access your existing ballast to read the specs on it, so that you can order a compatible replacement. The wattage ratings and type are both needed bits of information. You will also want to leave the fixture laid open and compare the dimensions of available ballasts with the space inside the light fixture. There can be several different sizes in equal rated ballasts. I favor the electronic ballasts when replacing one because they are more energy efficient than a conventional one.
 
Ok,thank you. I'll take it apart this afternoon and start with the checking of connections and sniffing parts (I really don't know whats in there but I'm handy with things)I suppose it's a place to start and thats what I needed along with some reassurance that it can probably be fixed as opposed to buying a new $200 unit.Thanks again OldMan47.
 
I opened it up.I re-made some connections,others seamed very good so I let them be.There was also a lose ground strap screw and I tightened that up.The ballast had that nice burned electronics smell but I tried it anyways after the setting and it was no better,I've ordered a new ballast and it will be here in a few days and it'll be fixed.
 

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