I have a light (tube) that has failed in the basement. Replacement tube has not done the trick. There's another light down there and it's okay when actually there but a little inconvenient in actually getting down to that switch.

I vaguely recall something about a starter or some other part that might be defective but I could buy those things (if I could actually identify what was needed) and then discover it still doesn't work.

Or I could spend $50 or more on having an electrician look at it to discover a $5 part would have done the job. Or it costs more on top to fix.

Or - because there is a wall socket just inside the basement door - I could get a bulb holder with cable (or a table lamp) and set that up down there and have an extension cable going up the stairs (obviously fixed so nobody trips on it) and plug it in. The only thing is it would be good to have a switch at the top.

So can one buy an extension cord that has a switch at the plug end?

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Replace the wall socket with a with one that is switchable. $15.98 at Home Depot.

It sounds like the Ballast has gone ( or as you called it "the starter) there is a few different types , but are very easy to change .

That looks a good option. Is it easy to reconnect wires?

Maybe...but what about replacing it only to find it's something else that's the problem and still be none the wiser?

I'm not very good at this sort of thing so maybe I'm worrying about nothing.

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/i.../inffluor.html

You're welcome.

Thanks. I think it might be beyond my puny abilities.

Hmm...I reckon I could manage a 1 or 2.

The starter seems easy enough to replace but the ballast?

This extract from someone suggesting it's not that hard?

Perhaps you're right. But what does a standard basement fluorescent fixture cost anyway? I'd guess about $19.99.

Sure...and maybe I'm being defeatist but I'm not good at DIY let alone stuff involving household wiring and what if it's a fault outwith the fitting anyway? What if the sky falls in?

Seriously...I was just looking at some on CanadianTire. Some seem to be of the plug in style but I don't think the one in the basement is that type. I'll have to go to the duplex to check.

If it's not that type won't it involve some wiring procedure?

Well, d'oh, yes.

Have no fear, this is not really tricky. Especially if you are not colour blind and have the courage of a lion.

I wonder if DIY involving electrical stuff rather than using electricians is the reason why Canada appears to have more house fires arising from electrical faults than the UK.


It still amazes me that a cooker just plugs in instead of having an electrician connect it.

Does it?

I've seen no figures but it seems to me that I see far more reports of house fires here than I ever saw in England.

House insurance policies here all seem to want to know how far the building is from fire halls and hydrants.

Sensible policy or recognition of numbers of fires?

You tell me. You brought it up.

Actually, the insurance/fire hall/hydrant thing only occured to me as an afterthought as I was commenting on the number of house fires I read of compared to the UK.

It's my impression that I read of a house fire here several times as often as when I was in England.

The policy of insurance companies in Canada compared to the UK might be a bit more reliable than my impression though.

So in Canada it's house fires, in England it's welfare bums.

Go figure.