ChoiceVend Flourescent Light

[jmrank]

Hey, everyone...!

I recently bought an old ChoiceVend CVC-224 that has been nothing but trouble for me (knowing nothing about this sort of thing, I was under the impression I could just Plug n' Go).  I've finally got it working, thanks to a lot of stuff I've read here, and now want to put some finishing touches on it.

My question today is, does anybody know what kind of light bulb fits in this thing, and do they still make them?  The note on the inside of the door just says "Use the same bulb" (thanks a lot), and that it's made by either GE or Sylvania.  It looks like it's about 27" long, and I'm wondering if this will be as easy as finding a bulb, or as much a hassle as replacing the fixture.

Also, on a side note, there's a big hole in the front (don't ask) that I'm going to cover up with some sheet metal, and I'm wondering if anybody has any tips for how to match the paint color... it's not exactly something I can bring into the store to have them color-match.  I'm not looking for "full restoration," I just want to cover it up so it's not so noticeable...

[tkaz]

http://www.buylighting.com/F25T12-Fluorescent-Lamp-Cool-White-28-Inch-p/s22527.htm

Would this one work?  It's 28", but I have no idea what the sockets are on your machine.  If they look like the normal 1" or so between contacts, this bulb should work.  You can pick one up at any local hardware store, just measure first.

[Brownac1983]

I had the same problem with mine. I unscrewed the steel fixture from the inner door. The wires for the far side receptacle run through that track, and can be pulled out of the track from behind. Find the next smallest bulb that is readily available (I think it was 24"), and just trim the track shorter. Drill new holes and put everything back like it was with the far side receptacle a few inches further in. Your other option is just to gut a flourescent shop light from Lowes or Home depot (about 10 bucks), and replace the whole rig. I'm about to resort to this because my ballast has gone bad and it's easier to just replace the whole thing than to find that old ballast.

[johnieG]

For your paint problem, try Rustoleum spa-blue it's a pretty close match for your light Pepsi blue.