Bathroom fluorescent light

hayesj29020 · Post by **hayesj29020** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 7:28 pm

We bought this unit back in March. The bathroom light has never worked. The fuses are good. Replaced the bulbs then finally replaced the fixture. All other lights work fine. Any ideas?

lassen · Post by **lassen** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 8:09 pm

Don't you have a master switch on the base cabinet in the area near the water heater switch. Its for short people or children.

Jack

mockturtle · Post by **mockturtle** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 9:18 pm

That's what I was going to suggest but was afraid to.

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Tue Nov 15, 2011 11:16 pm

Yes, both that light switch below the bathroom sink and the switch on the light fixture itself must both be on for the light to work!

hayesj29020 · Post by **hayesj29020** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:18 pm

Just for grins, I ran out in a thunderstorm to make sure again, but to no avail. And mockturtle... never be afraid to ask me anything, because that sounds just like something I'd do. But the guy I bought it from figured it was just the ballast. I just replaced the fixture itself.

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:47 pm

Jim,

Well if you have replaced the fluorescent lamps and then also the complete fixture including the built in ballast and both switches are ON and it still will not work, I would recommend the following. Drop the fixture back down and using a DC voltmeter, check across the two leads feeding the fixture to see if 12 vdc is across those two leads with the switches on. If not, then you have lost the 12 vdc power to the fixture somewhere in the wiring of the coach.

Next, using an ohmmeter, check each of the two leads for continuity to coach chassis ground. One good place to hookup to chassis ground would be to drop the lid down on the top half of your Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter. The metal frame inside the lid is a good ground connection. One of the two leads should be the ground lead and should show a low resistance connection to ground. If not, that lead has lost its ground connection and will have to be traced out and repaired. If you find one of the leads has a low resistance connection to ground then that lead is OK. Then you most likely will find the other lead (the hot lead) to be open circuit. That means that this hot lead's connection to the proper fuse in the DC fuse pc board in the Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter has been lost and will need to be traced out and repaired.

The photo below shows what the DC fuse pc board looks like with the lid down. Check to see if a wire lead for the fuse controlling the bathroom fixture is disconnected from the associated screw terminal.

Tracing out a disconnected lead will probably not be an easy task and you may want to have this problem handled by a professional and experienced RV technician.

hayesj29020 · Post by **hayesj29020** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 7:43 pm

Man! Thanks for the info. Bill. I do own a meter but I'm just enough electrician to be dangerous. I've got a buddy that may give me a hand when he (and I) can find an afternoon to devote to it. Thanks again and I'll let ya know how it goes.
Jim

robert newby · Post by **robert newby** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 3:13 pm

Bill is the BEST!!! -- he knows the BF inside and out - Thanks Bill for all you do for the club members --

mockturtle · Post by **mockturtle** » Fri Nov 18, 2011 4:55 pm

robert newby wrote:Bill is the BEST!!! -- he knows the BF inside and out - Thanks Bill for all you do for the club members --

Amen to that!

CHARLOTTE · Post by **CHARLOTTE** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 9:05 pm

We are really really lucky to have such a incredible talent that shares his knowledge......Thanks Bill

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Sat Nov 19, 2011 11:14 pm

Hey you guys, you are making me feel self-conscious and embarrassed.

CHARLOTTE · Post by **CHARLOTTE** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 12:09 am

Mike Jean Bandfield · Post by **Mike Jean Bandfield** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 4:44 pm

OBTW, I've now had 3 fluorescent fixtures fail due to poor internal wire nut connections in the 6 years we've had the BF. One failed outright and 2 were intermittent. The intermittent ones would temporarily start working or flash occasionally when you beat on them. (My finely tuned diagnostic skills.

)

Take them apart, remove the wire-nuts, twist the wires back together, using pliers to get a strong mechanical as well as electrical connection, and then replace the wire nuts. I finally did this to all these fixtures while I had the tools out - figured it would save a lot of hassles later. I've had no problems since.

Also, in all our years of RV'ing I've never had a bulb or ballast fail in one of these little 12V fluorescent fixtures - never! IMO, they're very reliable except for the internal connections and you can probably blame the road vibrations for the majority of those failures.

Mike

kiwijoe · Post by **kiwijoe** » Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:26 pm

Jim, had the identical problem. Removed the light switch under the vanity and found it only had ONE wire on it. The unoccupied blade on the switch was also slightly bent. Straightened the blade, retrieved the wire with the aid of a flashlight and a pair of long nose pliers. The push on connector was loose when I installed it. A GENTLE squeeze made it tighter and the light now works.
Hope this helps.

Geoff Arkley
Palm Desert, CA

hayesj29020 · Post by **hayesj29020** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:36 am

Thanks Geoff. I'll check it out.