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My most used switches are for two florescent kitchen lights. The house is 20 years old. One light has two 3-way and the other has a single switch. They normally work perfectly but when the humidity is high such as imminent rain or fog they act up. I have to "play" with them or sometimes just give up and they light up when they feel like it. I would have thought dampness would make a better contact so this is very confusing to me.
Does anyone have an explanation. These are the only switched tube florescents I have, all others are the screw in bulb type. One of these fixtures is only about 5 years old. Is it the switches or the fixtures. Thanks.
The dampness, over time, especially in combination with other things in the air, can contribute to the corrosion of the contants in either the switches, or the fluorescent tube sockets. But if you find that fiddling with the switches makes a difference, then it is probably an issue with the switches. Replacing them may cure the problem. How old are the switches?
Dampness does not make a better contact. Water alone is a poor conductor of electricity. Water with other things, especially things like salts, will conduct a lot better. But even then it is not as good as a clean smooth metal contact. Corrosion on the metal contact surfaces will actually make things worse.
Thank you Skapare. I guess I'll replace switches first and see if that cures it. Are flourescents still the most bang for the buck or is there something new with better efficiency?
High pressure sodium lamps will beat fluorescent for efficiency. But I doubt you'd care for that peachy color. Metal halid might, too. But even it is not so great. And both of these tend to only come in high wattages intended for large area outdoor lighting, not indoor. About the only indoor use for these is indoor gardening (hey, this is Dave's Garden web site). Equal wattage of those two I've heard is just about the right spectrum for plants. So if you are doing indoor growing and need a lot of light efficiently, this might be considered. For any other indoor use, fluorescent is the efficient means.
