From: Gordon J. Holtslander (holtsg@duke.usask.ca)
Date: 06/21/01-11:12:49 AM Z
Hi:
So... the problem is that you have a bank of flourescent lamps and
occasionanly one of them will not start properly. If you put foil accross
all of the lamps they all start perfectly.
I would suspect that the problem lamp is not grounded properly. Covering
the base of all the lamps with foil would collectively ground all the
lamps through all the good ground connections. When covered with foil the
problem lamp would be grounded through a different lamp.
See if you can buy a cheap multimeter or borrow one and check the
continuity of the bad lamps ground. Could be a loose connection at the
lamp, in the plug or a break in the cable somewhere. The little hole that
the ground screw threads into may be finished/painted and act as an
insulator - so even though the ground wire is screwed to the fixture, it
may not be grounded.
A multimeter would be the best diagnostic test.
Unplug your unit!
Set the meter to measure resistance (Ohms) put one lead on the ground
screw inside the fixture and one on the ground plug prong. If it reads 1
the circiut is not complete - the fixture isn't grounded. If it reads 0
or close the circuit is complete and the fixture is grounded.
Gord
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Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
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