Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - dim fluorescent lights

Hi All.

I've got some shoplights on my garage ceiling that are only lighting up half way and I'm not sure what needs fixing.

The lights are inexpensive shoplights plugged into 2 separate outlets in the ceiling. To my recollection, they did work initially with a standard wall switch, but I wanted to put in a motion switch in the wall, so I replaced the switch. After that, they only turned on half-way. Someone told me that my switch wasn't rated for such lights, so I got a more expensive motion detecting switch which was supposed to work, but I still got the same results. I finally got around to putting back the original switch, but again the lights only turn on half way.

I read a description online that if your lights turn on dimly and you see black lines running up and down the tubes, it's because the tubes are cold. It has gotten chilly here, but the shoplight that's on the ceiling (but not controlled by the wall switch) comes on okay.

I've replaced the tubes, but that didn't help either. So.... it's not the tubes. The T12 replacements seem to work in the other fixtures. It's not the switch (the original switch doesn't work, and I'm pretty sure-- though not 100% sure-- that the original switch did turn things on okay.) It can't be an outlet in the ceiling (there are two outlets, connecting 3 shoplight fixtures) and it can't be an individual fixture since all 3 are doing the same thing.


Before I go out to buy another fixture, is there any other thing this could be? Could I have messed up the power to the lights by the attempt at putting in the motion detecting wall switch (maybe I put it it wrong at one point?)?


thanks in advance,

- Frank

My experience is that all fluorescents warm up slowly when COLD. The power miser units(34W) sometimes never work in cold temps, but the old 40W standard ballast fixtures do eventually warm up and light fully. It may take 15-30 minutes.