We have fluorescent cove lights in the living room. We think the "starter" is bad, but we can't locate the "starter". Can you help? We have tried switching the working light bulbs with the non working light bulbs.

If it is really a bulb not a tube, the starter is usually part of the bulb base. Starters don't do anything once the fluorescent tube (a bulb is just a coiled up tube) is lit and running.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Compact-Fluorescent-Bulb.jpg

With those symptoms I'd say Ray is correct, both need replacing.
.

if its an old 2/4 or 8 foot tube light , these used the shade as part of the housing this is where the ballast /starter is located and other wiring is there too , to remove these old type , remove bulbs by gently twisting 1/4 turn and allowing tube ends to drop free(hold on to bulb !!) remove all bulbs this way , then locate the end where you'll see a nut , there's only one on one end , sometimes on fancy decorator lights they make the nut seem as part of the ornation of shade, but a carefull look and you will see the seams that make it removable , unscrew this and shade end will drop away , the trailing end will unhook when shade is aprox 33 degrees angle away from light these old fixtures can be quite heavy so be prepared for weight ! make sure you disconnect any power to light before working on anything inside of it ,including tube ends ,as I find these are whats bad most times (cracks)

If your shop is in your garage, and it is cold outside, the two-pin fluorescent tubes don't work very well. Garage lighting (fluorescent) should be the HO (high output) type. It operates on the same voltage. The tubes are not interchangeable. You need a HO fixture. If your shop is inside your house, then flickering tubes (assuming that you tried changing them out with new ones) indicate a bad ballast inside the fixture. You can either change out the ballast, or for almost the same price, replace the fixture.

That switch says on it that it is for fluorescent lights only. I don't know if you can use compact fluorescent bulbs on that system, perhaps verify if you can or not. The switch has electronics in it and may need that ground wire to get 120 volts to operate. If you have incondescent light bulbs return and get the correct dimmer.

Hi tom,
It sounds like someone has wired the electric fan into the switching live of the lighting circuit.
You need to disconnect the fan and wire in correctly.
I would start at the kitchen light fitting as thats where the power to run the fan seems to have been taken from.It may only be 1wire incorrect but you need to be confident with 2way switching and household wiring.
If your not dont attempt to fix,call an electrician
hope this helps
Stewart

Hi before you take the dashboard out check the following (if it is the starter relay they are usually
on the fuse board which will be behind a panel on the lower part of the dash or a separate fuse box
in the engine bay)
To find out if it is the starter or the starter electrical try this procedure.
Make sure the key is OFF then go to the starter ( i think its not to bad to get at )
On the starter there is a big terminal ( +cable from the battery always live )
and a small terminal which is the small wire which becomes live when you turn the key
To find out if the starter is ok simply put a screwdriver across these two terminals mommentarily
With the transmission in neautral or park if auto box
If the engine turns over then you know the starter is ok and the problem is the supply from key swicth to starter which could include a relay
Also if the car is auto box then there will be a swich on it which could be faulty
I hope i have been able to help you with this problem John ( South Wales UK )

I would probably not blame the lights, but probably the Heating Cooling System, that is if you have duct work with registers that are located in the room.

If this is true, these type of air handlers bring in outside air for proper operation. If the intake vent
is located in an area where an exhaust vent is located or perhaps where construction work is
being performed

Hi,
You could cut A Fine Slice Of Coving, to the Missing Shape ( wedged Et,c )
Slide it in With A little Coving Adhesive, wipe the surpluss Adhesive, And you,ll never notice once it,s Painted.
Or you can fill it with polyfiller or Similar, and ripple it to look like the Covings finish.

Mike @ Compurepair.

20 Years in the Building Trade :)

Posted @ 22.55 PM ( G.M.T )

The ballast is a device that utilises and expanding/contracting electromagnetic field to create the high voltage which is needed to run fluorescent lights.

It is normally found behind the front cover or reflector part of the fitting and looks like a small box.

Replacement should normally be done by a person qualified in this field.

Although newer fluorescent fixtures have built-in starters or no starters at all, most older lights have an easy-to-change, visible starter. It is a small, silvery cylinder that plugs into one of the tube holders. 1) Shut off the switch. 2) Remove the tube. 3) Give the starter a quarter-turn in a clockwise direction, and pull it out. 4) Plug in new starter, giving it a quarter turn counterclockwise. 5) Replace tube. 6) Turn the switch on.