replacing fluorescent tube light with regular bulbs

nikeman

In our pantry we have a fluorescent tube mounted up high on the wall above the door and it is wired to a light switch right outside the door. I want to replace that with maybe a strip of regular bulbs like in my bathroom just to cover the same area where the walls not painted behind that existing light.

The main reason I want to replace it is because half the time when we hit the switch the light does not turn on until you physically reach up and tap the tube with your finger. If your short and can't reach it then you just wont have a light in there which is annoying because I am the only one who can reach it! I took the bulb out and took off the cover plate for the fixture so I know how to remove that from the wall but I am not sure how or if I can just replace it with a fixture for regular bulbs using those wires...

Any tips? Its probably a 12" tube/fixture up there right now.

josall

Just replace with same fixture, cooler and brighter than incandescent.

nikeman

we actually have the same lights in our upstairs bedrooms closets and sometimes they do the same thing... I just want a light that I know will turn on every time I hit the switch (unless the bulb is burnt out of course). We also have one above the kitchen window over the sink and it just flickers all the time. These issues have turned me off of all fluorescent lights now.

gregzoll

If the bulbs are not lighting after trying new ones, either the "tombstones" need replaced (the parts that the prongs of the bulb fit in), or the ballast needs replaced. The light strips that are used in the bathroom, that unless they have a cover over the bulbs, is not code proper for a closet.

SD515

If you have multiple fluorescent lights having problems all the time, I would suspect maybe the bulbs aren’t ‘set’ in the holders properly or wiring/connection problems. Check that the bulbs are ‘set’ fully. Might check the wire connections inside the light fixtures for loose connections. Check the connections at the switch too. If they’re stabbed into the back of the switch, remove them and attach them to the screws on the side, the screws will provide a better connection.

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Kyle

Just because you can, doesn't always mean you should

pjcpc1

Is a ground wire connected to these fixtures? Needing to touch the tube in order for it to start is characteristic of a fixture that is not properly grounded. Fluorescent fixtures which use a rapid start ballast must be grounded in order to operate reliably. It's also possible that the bulb is worn out or the wrong type. If the bulb is in poor condition or a T8 (1" diameter) was installed and the ballast is designed for T12 (1 1/2" diameter), then the voltage provided by the ballast might not be high enough to reliably start the lamp.

nikeman

The only one that I have to touch is the one in the kitchen pantry... The one above the kitchen sink just flickers all the time and might just be the bulb in that one.. The house is 11 years old and for all I know so is that bulb. I have not tried a new one yet but will just to see.

SD515

oops...deleted

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Kyle

Just because you can, doesn't always mean you should