Odd handyman type question
 

My kitchen has one of those typical kitchen lights, the fluorescent bulbs or whatever. We put in new ones today and for some reason they don't want to fully function. They go in and out and don't always turn fully on.

Not sure what the problem could be. Are the connectors not lining up right? Did we forget to do something specific to the bulb before hand? Is something else wrong?

Housework newbie, help!

Theres like this little seperate thing on the side. Its round and looks like a big fuse. this starts it up, ignites it. If you need a new one of those, then the light wont work with a fresh tube

Theres like this little seperate thing on the side. Its round and looks like a big fuse. this starts it up, ignites it. If you need a new one of those, then the light wont work with a fresh tube

I have no idea what I'm talking about -- really....

But is there a dimmer switch involved? For some reason, I remember being at my parent's house during a family gathering and them (old dudes) talking about fluorescents and dimmer switches, or multiple dimmer switches and there being an issue that the bulbs didn't function right.

*shrug*.... probably old-wife-tale shit I'm remembering, but a bump regardless.

Sounds like your ballast is going out.
cheap to replace, and often slowly dies after a few years.

aye, check the ballast

the connectors . . . . are they Y shaped? where the pins on the bulbs fit in.

the light sounds old...especially if it is round....just get a new fixture

Yes... sounds like the ballast... go to home depot or Lowes for a replacement... take the old one with you... shut off the power before disconnecting it.