Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Replace ballast?

My bathroom fluorescent light fixture is not working properly. Less than 6 months ago I have replaced both tubes. It worked fine. No flickers, no issues. Couple days ago it just didn't work. I turned the light on (the switch), the light came on and within a split second it went off. I tried turning it off and on again and I get nothing.

I took the tubes down and the ends are not black, dark or anything (they still look new). I replaced the tubes anyway with brand new ones. I kind of had to jiggle it around to get it to work and it did. The next time I turned the light on...same thing happened. It is not working again.

Now that I'm tired of having to get up there and fix over and over again...I'm really thinking something is wrong and needs to be fixed. Could it be the ballast? For some reason I'm thinking it might be the mounting socket b/c when I put the tubes in, the electrodes do not seem to be touching that metal piece in the mounting socket...or whatever it's called. I'm really not sure. Of course...please forgive my terms as I'm not really familiar with them!:o Maybe I need a whole new fixture? I've read that the ballast can cost as much as a new fixture?

Also, the light fixture is supposed to take 4 tubes (I assume) but when I actually got up there and looked, I can't put 2 tubes on the other side. There are no mounting sockets!

Supposed to take four tubes but there are no mounting sockets for the other two tubes?

Are you sure this fixture doesn't use U tubes? I have never used the U tube fixtures so I may be completely wrong.

Anyway, if it is supposed to have more tubes than it can support (no sockets) it may well indeed be time for a new fixture.

Hmmm...I guess that's possible. Never thought of that nor did I know U tubes exist. However, why would 1 side be straight tubes and the other side a U tube? Who installed these anyway? :D I looked at my other bathroom fixture and thought it should be the same thing but it's not. There are only 2 long (longer) tubes (twice the length of the one I have a problem with) on that one. I would have thought they'd be exactly the same.

I'm thinking a brand new fixture would be best.

This should be DIY right? Pretty much buy the same size fixture, turn the power off, breaker off and replace?

Thanks furd :)

I've never installed or re-lamped a U tube fixture so I may be completely off base with my answer. I've never seen a fixture that had two tubes on one side and no tubes on the other side, the only multi-tube fixtures I have seen have symmetrical tube placement, the same number of tubes on each side of center.

Unless you are in love with the fixture or a suitable replacement would cost dearly it is probably as cheap to replace the entire fixture as it is to just replace the ballast. Replacing just the ballast could take more time than replacing the fixture.

Yes, fixture replacement is definitely a DIY job. Be sure to mark all of the wires and where they are connected BEFORE disconnecting any. Taking a close up digital picture (more rather than fewer and from different angles) of the wiring before disconnecting can help in re-connecting the wires on the new fixture.

Definitely not in love with it, but it seems to be the easiest and safest route to go than to put what I want there. I don't want to have to rewire or move anything. Electricity scares me. :D

Thanks for the heads up on taking close up photos on the wires and marking them. That would be smart. :)

My mind is pretty set on replacing the fixture rather the ballast. Less time, same cost...that's sounds good to me. ;)

Thanks a bunch.

Afraid of electricity? Me too.

I've worked in close proximity to electricity all my adult life, from 26,000 volts in power generating stations all the way down to 24 volt control systems and I'm still not dead. The biggest reason for that is that I have tremendous respect for electricity, regardless of the circumstances.

Take all of the necessary precautions. ALWAYS remove power from the circuit you are working on by completely removing the fuse or turning off the circuit breaker. Use tape to hold the circuit breaker in the off position and post a sign that you are working on the circuit. Instruct everyone that NO ONE may remove the sign, the tape or re-energize the circuit but you.

You CAN do it.