T5 Bulb Troubleshooting

[trevorhiller]

I purchased an ATI Sunpower 8-Bulb Fixture last year for my new tank. It's got 6 Blue+, 1 Actinic and 1 Coral Plus. All the bulbs worked when I installed them originally, then it sat around while I built the tank.

Now I am ready to turn it on and 2 of the bulbs aren't lighting. One coral plus and 1 blue plus. I tried switching lamp positions and they still don't turn on, but the other bulbs light up in their old positon.

Any idea what could be causing this? I ran T5 years ago, but never recall having to troubleshoot anything and I don't know a lot about where to start with this. It seems weird that it is two bulbs and they originally lit up but now they won't. They obviously haven't had an significant use and have been hanging in the fixture on the ceiling for months.

I've ordered some replacement bulbs in case they have gone bad, but I don't understand why they would have.

 

[PharmrJohn]

I don't think it's anything more than just bad bulbs. You got lucky in that it's not the sockets! I ran T5s for years and never had this happen to me, thankfully. But I've had my fair share of bad T8's

 

[braaap]

Swap them to sockets that are working. Take 2 bulbs that are working. Put them in the sockets that aren’t. My guess is it is that socket. My dimmable 8 bulb is 6 bulbs on one channel and 2 on the other.

If it’s that socket it’s a ballast. Pretty easy swap and they are $25-30 online. It is also possible you just don’t have the bulb twisted all the way in.

 

[trevorhiller]

Swap them to sockets that are working. Take 2 bulbs that are working. Put them in the sockets that aren’t. My guess is it is that socket. My dimmable 8 bulb is 6 bulbs on one channel and 2 on the other.

If it’s that socket it’s a ballast. Pretty easy swap and they are $25-30 online. It is also possible you just don’t have the bulb twisted all the way in.

I put the two non-illuminating bulbs in two new sockets that worked with other bulbs and they don't light up still.

I'm going to try wiggling them around a little more. They seem pretty well seated in there, but I find it odd the two bulbs worked and now all the sudden don't.

Brand new fixture, brand new bulbs. I must be screwing something up.

 

[braaap]

I put the two non-illuminating bulbs in two new sockets that worked with other bulbs and they don't light up still.

I'm going to try wiggling them around a little more. They seem pretty well seated in there, but I find it odd the two bulbs worked and now all the sudden don't.

Brand new fixture, brand new bulbs. I must be screwing something up.

That is interesting. Have you confirmed that all sockets are working by swapping bulbs you know work into them? Remember sockets are paired up so you have to have 2 bulbs in order to have them work.

 

[twentyleagues]

I put the two non-illuminating bulbs in two new sockets that worked with other bulbs and they don't light up still.

I'm going to try wiggling them around a little more. They seem pretty well seated in there, but I find it odd the two bulbs worked and now all the sudden don't.

Brand new fixture, brand new bulbs. I must be screwing something up.

If you put the non working bulbs in sockets that were previously working and they still dont work the bulbs are bad. Unless I am not understanding what you did. Do previously working bulbs work in the spots these non working bulbs are? Its possible that you have both a couple bad bulbs and a bad ballast. When I ran t5s I always did retro fit kits no premade fixture so I am unsure how many ballasts are in this fixture. Depending on how long the bulbs are you could have 2 or even possibly 3 ballasts. It would make sense that you would probably have 2 ballasts one running 4 bulbs and another running 2. Probably something along the lines of a workhorse 2 for the 2 bulbs and a 4 or 5 for the 4 bulbs.

Actually I guess its been a while wh5 for 2 4' bulbs and a 7 for 4 of them.

 

[trevorhiller]

If you put the non working bulbs in sockets that were previously working and they still dont work the bulbs are bad. Unless I am not understanding what you did. Do previously working bulbs work in the spots these non working bulbs are? Its possible that you have both a couple bad bulbs and a bad ballast. When I ran t5s I always did retro fit kits no premade fixture so I am unsure how many ballasts are in this fixture. Depending on how long the bulbs are you could have 2 or even possibly 3 ballasts. It would make sense that you would probably have 2 ballasts one running 4 bulbs and another running 2. Probably something along the lines of a workhorse 2 for the 2 bulbs and a 4 or 5 for the 4 bulbs.

Actually I guess its been a while wh5 for 2 4' bulbs and a 7 for 4 of them.

So I got two spare bulbs and swapped them out and they are all working now. It must be something with the bulbs. I swear they originally lit up when I tested everything, but now they don’t.

I just find it weird that I purchased 10 bulbs for an 8 bulb fixture and two of them aren’t working from the factory.

Today I got a shipment of 3 new bulbs and all 3 came broken. Between the shipping issues and the defective bubs, I sure hope this isn’t how things are going to be!

 

[twentyleagues]

So I got two spare bulbs and swapped them out and they are all working now. It must be something with the bulbs. I swear they originally lit up when I tested everything, but now they don’t.

I just find it weird that I purchased 10 bulbs for an 8 bulb fixture and two of them aren’t working from the factory.

Today I got a shipment of 3 new bulbs and all 3 came broken. Between the shipping issues and the defective bubs, I sure hope this isn’t how things are going to be!

For years I ran t5 exclusively. I would change out most of them every 6-8 months. I ran icecap ballasts for a long time and they overdrive the bulbs. It was typical to find 3 or 4 bulbs out of the 24 I purchased to not work and since I ran a multitude of bulb colors it didnt make sense to purchase extra (in my mind). I eventually swapped back to mh and t5 accent bulbs run by wh ballasts 12-18 month bulb life. Luckily for me my lfs would just test and swap them out for me as long as they had the bulb in question in stock. It was a lot cheaper to order on line than from them. After about the 3rd time getting 24 bulbs and wiping out 90% of their stock they wanted me to order online somewhere anyway.

 

[rtparty]

Non working bulbs are definitely not par for the course. Broken bulbs due to shipping is definitely par for the course though. Just one of the many reasons T5s are on their way out

 

[ChiCity]

Just one of the many reasons T5s are on their way out

… better stock up on bulbs and ballasts.

 

[PharmrJohn]

That is interesting. Have you confirmed that all sockets are working by swapping bulbs you know work into them? Remember sockets are paired up so you have to have 2 bulbs in order to have them work.

Ohhhhh. THAT'S a good point. Forgot about that!

 

[Dburr1014]

I ordered 2 blue+ and one died in 4 weeks. Champion lighting replaced it free and it lasted 2 months.
I stopped there. My search engine told me blue+ isn't that great.