Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Does fluorescent fixture require grounding for a test

Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.



PDA
htgc1
02-07-05, 10:38 AM
I am installling a kitchen fluorescent fixture. I want to connect the live wires to the fixture and test it prior to actually mounting it in the ceiling. Does the ground wire have to be connected in order to get a valid test?

John Nelson
02-07-05, 03:50 PM
Some fluorescent fixtures won't reliably start without a ground. But for purposes of a test, it's usually good enough to grab the metal shell with your hands to provide enough grounding.
GWIZ
02-07-05, 05:06 PM
For safety,
Yes use a ground.
Fluorescent lights bulbs need from 750 volts to over 10,000 volts.
They step up the voltage from 120 volts to over 750 volts
If there's a problem you can get electrocuted just by holding the metal casing without that ground.

htgc1
02-14-05, 12:13 PM
Ok, based on GWIZ's reply I gave up trying to test the fixture before installing it. I installed the fixture including the ground wire. The tube that I had been trying (which was new) in the fixture was faulty and didn't work. So I had to buy a new tube and then the new fixture/tube worked correctly. So the job is finished. Thanks for the replies.