Light flickering, flickering, gone.

[Larry]

Hello,

I have a Vendo 110 that had a flickering light.  Well, first off the light did not work.  I changed the bulb and it went on fine.  Then I had issues with the door so I took the liner off.  While I was there, I changed the wiring from the ballast down (at that time I rewired everything).  When I tried the light, later that week, it was flickering.  The wire connections are good.  What are the chances that the ballast went?  Is there a condenser/starter on the lights (I didn't see one)?

Larry

[BryanH]

I'm assuming you're talking about fluorescent lights... Most machines will have a starter.  If it's not powerful enough or its shot -> that can cause the tubes to flicker.

[johnieG]

If when you had the door liner off & you were rewiring the ballast, if the machine had a starter, you would have seen it just above the ballast area, if not then your machines doorlamp is a manual ( push-hold until it glows-release) type switch, which would have had four wires coming out of it ( the switch typcally mounts just above the inside bottle portal area.

If the manual type start switch went bad, the light would just go out until you push it again to restart it,  but if the lamp goes out, then attempts to restart, lights up , then goes out again, or the tube ends never really stop glowing pink, then you probably have a bad starter, it's most likely an F2 size. but it may be an F5.

a bad ballast could cause the tube (lamp) to glow too brightly & it would have pre-mature aging signs like both ends blackening quickly, or if it's a weak ballast, it may not completly start the tube ( the lamp would glow pink at both ends and flicker, but it would never strike an arc completely across the length of the lamp)

[Larry]

I have the switch above/inside the door.  I turned the light on when I changed the bulb, ands it worked.  I just pushed in the switch and released it, like any normal push button switch.

The next time I tried to turn on the light, I pushed the switch in and the light came on, But when I released the switch the light went off.  It was a simple push button and release, I didn't hold the button in for more than a second.

I will go out and try to hold the button momentarily to see if the light stays on, then I will release, and see if it stays on or goes off.  Then I will get back to you with the results.

I did not see a starter anywhere.  Does it matter if I reversed the wiring or will it work either way?  I tried both ways.  One way the light was flickering, the other way the light went on and off just as fast.  It either doesn't matter or it's fried.  I will go out and hold the switch in and then release the switch and see what happens.

Thanks for the advice.

[Larry]

Thanks Johnie, as usual....you nailed it!!!

I went out and held the switch in.  The bottom and top of the bulb glowed.  I held it for a good 20 seconds (probally more than I needed to), and released the switch.  The light stayed on.

You're the man!

Thanks again,

Larry