florescent light fixtures in the cold

[rfuerst911sc]

Is there anything that can be done to standard 4 ' two bulb light fixtures to make them work when temp's fall into the 30's ? I have eight fixtures in one portion of the garage and they work fine regardless of the outside temp's. But four of them ( newer ) in a different section of the garage have a hard time " lighting " and make " noise " when trying to light. Is it the ballast that causes this ? When temp's are in the 40's or higher no problems. Any cure for this ?

[Rick V]

I don't remember if it was the bulbs or the ballasts but one of them are designed for use in the cold. I went through this lesson a few years back when I redid the lights in my garage.

[David McLaughlin]

It's the ballasts that need to be changed. They're about $20 at Lowe's.

[MBAtarga]

Ballasts +1
Also, make sure the ground connection to power is good.

[roadhog]

When I buy boxes of fluorescent bulbs I've seen warnings not to store them below 60 degrees.

[redstrosekNic]

My 8ft fixtures take a bit to warm up when the temps are in the 40's. They do quiet down and become bright after about 5-10 mins.

[Gretch]

Cold environment fixtures AND tubes are designed for this and are different from heated environment lighting fixtures and tubes. I might also add the cold environment ones use more electricity and are a tad more expensive.


Go to a lighting retail outlet they will educate you on the subject.

[sailchef]

Large commercial walkin freezers use flourescent lighting all the time.

Talk to your local electrical supply.