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I walked into the garage from the wet outside and turned on the lights, POW got the shock of my life. Checked the switch plate to grown and found 220 volts.
Well after I calmed down, had a beer, I started checking it out, switch, wires, thinking one may be bare. All the while wondering why 220 V. After trail and error, I disconnected the ballast and let it hang free, replaced the bulbs and voltage gone and things were fine. See next pic
I attached the ballast outside the metal fixture, to the drywall.
I'm sure the ballast will go soon but I have it working.
This is a tow bulb eight foot light.
I didn't know the ballast put out 220 V.
Has any one else had this type of trouble ?
I think the output from the ballast may be well over 220 volts--ballast is another word for transformer, and it is transforming 120 to something else--but off I can't remember what the output voltages are.
However, you should check and make sure that all your metal pipes and boxes are grounded. Very dangerous if they are not (as you found out.) Then if you get a voltage to the metal it will trip the circuit breaker.
Thanks ArtandOrchids, that's what the problem is !
It did not trip the breaker and I wondered why.
I checked the metal conduit and this metal is NOT grounded. It has metal from the switch to the lamps but the power lines running to it are not in pipe...
...
How long do you think the ballast will last ??? I guess I should replace them (they are 2 lights on this switch panel). Well they are like $25 each.
Thanks again for the help, Love the people at Daves Garden
Rule one: Don't fix nothing that is not broken. Those ballasts are a lot tougher than what you give them credit for. You can use them to make those frankenstein gadgets I seem to have forgotten the name of.
I just found this forum.
I would soon have an electrician checking out what you have going on there. (I don't want to have to post about you in memory garden forum!)
You have something seriously wrong if you are getting a shock off the switch box. There must be a short directly to the conduit.
...There must be a short directly to the conduit...
That's what happen, the ballast must have a short in it. But with the change I made in March every thing works as it should. I use the light every day.
