florescent lights

[Tractorat]

Wonder if there is an electrical expert out there.

I recently replaced a florescent light in my bathroom. Now, when I turn the light on, I get a buzz on my am radio. The new ballast has 3 wires. The black, white, and a bare copper. The bare copper connects to the ground coming out of the wall.



Any ideas on what I might do to correct this short of buying another fixture ?



Now, the ballast is grounded to the house ground. But, other than the internal wire, there is no ground to the sheet metal like there was in the old fixture.

 

[p-Bar]

Fixtures have just gotten cheaper through the years . Most the time we never seem to know where we are getting the noise from. could be the ballast . Are you plugged into the bathroom plug for the radio ? most the time interference comes through the ant as you are driving your vehicle and drive near High power lines. You can try grounding to the sheet metal won't hurt.

 

[DavidC]

I would say you have a bad ballast although I have never seen a ballast with a ground wire. On residential all grounds and neutrals land on the same neutral bar at the cb panel.

 

[Tractorat]

I would say you have a bad ballast although I have never seen a ballast with a ground wire. On residential all grounds and neutrals land on the same neutral bar at the cb panel.

Ive actually installed 3 of the new fixtures. One in the kitchen, and one in 2 bathrooms upstairs. I get the buzz anytime any of the lights are turned on. It could be that the new fixtures are just cheap chinese junk. But it seems there should be a way to filter the rf.

 

[DavidC]

Ive actually installed 3 of the new fixtures. One in the kitchen, and one in 2 bathrooms upstairs. I get the buzz anytime any of the lights are turned on. It could be that the new fixtures are just cheap chinese junk. But it seems there should be a way to filter the rf.

Wow, being an Electrician for over 40 years I have installed hundreds of fixtures and never saw what you describe. Maybe disconnect ground wire and see if that cures it, if not try tying the ground from the ballast in with the neutral ( maybe a bad ground). Only other thought as I said is bad Ballasts. Don't need filtering in China ya know.

 

[redbone]

ground the case of the fixture