Fluorescent lamp switch wiring

Feb 09, 2006 4 Replies
T

Howdy: I got a small problem with replacing a switch on a fluorescent desk lamp. It's a swing-arm with a circular bulb. The old switch has two black wires coming out of one side and a white wire on the other side. There is a terminal in the middle of the back that the hot line attaches to.



The plug to the bulb has two whites and two blacks. The two blacks and one white attach to the leads from the switch. The other white lead attaches directly to the nuetral line.



I have finally found a replacement switch for this puppy, but it has two black and two blue wires coming from it. Each color is on opposite corners of each other. Both of these are pushbutton switches.



How do I wire up the new switch?? I'm at a loss. There are no markings on the back or side as to polarity or anything, just the usual amp/volt rating. And help would be greatly appriciated. Sure would hate to toss out a perfectly good $70 lamp because of a darn faulty switch.



Thank you.



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T

Just a thought! If I were to wire both blacks to the hot lead and both whites to the neutral lead and then put a regular wall switch between the power plug and the wall switch (or just switch the wall recepticle) would this work??? If I can't get the switch to work!

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S

The colors of wires mean nothing except to the people that built them. Use a multi meter and see what the wires really do. The two blacks may be the same and they used the switch as a junction point.

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J

Hello, and the fluorescent desk lamp that I've had for many years is wired like a traditional fixture (ballast in series with the lamp) with the exception that instead of a bimetallic starter a special DPST pushbutton switch consisting of a toggle off-on section and a momentary-contact section (to start the lamp) is employed. IOW when the pushbutton is depressed and held down AC is applied and the filaments (heaters) of the bulb are connected in series to allow the bulb to start. When the button is released the momentary-contact part of the switch is again open, the filaments are no longer in the circuit but now AC is flowing through the ballast to illuminate the bulb. Pushing the button a second time again energizes the filaments but this time when the button is released AC is removed from the lamp circuit. A replacement switch of this type might not be readily available at your local hardware store, thouogh. Hope this helps. Sincerely,

John Wood (Code 5550) e-mail: snipped-for-privacy@itd.nrl.navy.mil Naval Research Laboratory

4555 Overlook Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20375-5337
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