Electricians, Help Me!!

[PufferGuy]

I just recently got 4 new replacement bulbs for my T5 fixture and installed them yesterday. I noticed on of the bulbs keeps turning off, and i have to shake/tap the fixture and it eventually turns back on. How can i go about seeing where the problem is and fixing it??

Also, the even worse problem, i had my arm in the tank today feeding my duncans and i touched the edge of the fixture with my forearm and got a pretty big shock... I dont know how this happened but i dont want stray voltage to kill everything in the tank...

Can these two be the same problem? I'm not very electrically inclined but my dad has basically any tool i would need to test individual wires and try to fix it.

Any thoughts on how i can go about fixing it?? Also, is my tank in danger from the stray voltage?? (the fixture sits on the edges of the tank on 2 plastic brackets so those brackets should be insulators right??)

 

[Rcpilot]

Sounds to me like you have a loose connection. The bulb is cutting in and out. The fixture is "live" and shocking you.

I'd take it apart and trace the wires back to the ballast. Look for a bare wire or a loose connection.

 

[yote]

+1 Rc.
Just take it apart and trace the wires coming from the end caps on the bulb thats flickerin.It could just be a wire thats worked loose,or it could be a wire with a bare spot.Either way,it needs to be fixed before it becomes a health or fire hazard.

 

[bobby]

+1 Sound like a wire might be loose. Check all the connection and give each wire at the connection a very small tug and see if it pulls out.

 

[PufferGuy]

So if i find this wire, would some electrician's tape do the trick?

 

[bobby]

Just reconnect where it's loose if that is it.

 

[Rcpilot]

If it's just loose - simply re-tighten the screw or wiggle the spade clip a bit to set it on the terminal again.

If the insulation around a wire is missing and you see an exposed wire - then I'd take the connection loose and slide a piece of heat shrink tubing down around the damaged part and shrink it on there with a regular cigarette lighter.

 

[bjohanson1234]

+1 all

I would just rewire the whole fixture:mrgeen: But that is just me.

Do what RC said. It is better than electrical tape. Heat shrink can be found at radio shack