Have ceiling tube light with red and black wires but can't seem to get it working

Are both of the wires carrying current? Where are you located? 120 or 240 volt standard?

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Originally Posted by ma0641

Are both of the wires carrying current? Where are you located? 120 or 240 volt standard?

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Well there's 4 of each wire so 4black and 4 red? Confused

Well Don, you are sure being vague about this. Can you tell us more?

What other wires are in the box?
How was the old fixture wired?
Do you own a tester?

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Originally Posted by Donmegga

Well there's 4 of each wire so 4black and 4 red? Confused

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Those sound like the inside wires that run from the ballast to the tube sockets. You removed the inside cover and found a rectangular black box with the wires? If that is the case, it could be bad tubes or a bad ballast. I can't imagine a ceiling box with that wiring.

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Originally Posted by ma0641

Those sound like the inside wires that run from the ballast to the tube sockets. You removed the inside cover and found a rectangular black box with the wires? If that is the case, it could be bad tubes or a bad ballast. I can't imagine a ceiling box with that wiring.

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There is no box just wires hanging out of the ceiling which are black and red that's all. The switch that was operating the light also operates another light in a different room again confusing. I want to get rid of this light and have the switch to just control the other light in the different room but no luck as there's power coming from more or less all the wires

There should be at least 1 white wire for a light to work. Could possibly have been a 3 way switch with wires to another light and this was used as a junction box. What was attached to this ceiling box before? Power from "more or less all the wires" is hard to diagnose this way. Do you know how to use a voltage tester or VOM?

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Originally Posted by ma0641

There should be at least 1 white wire for a light to work. Could possibly have been a 3 way switch with wires to another light and this was used as a junction box. What was attached to this ceiling box before? Power from "more or less all the wires" is hard to diagnose this way. Do you know how to use a voltage tester or VOM?

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I can't upload a picture other wise you would b able to c what I'm on about