(I am a new homeowner.)
I went to replace a some fluorescent tubes that looked like they burned out, but after disassembling it a little to get the tubes out, I saw something a little alarming:
There was a black sticky substance on the inside cover of the housing:
Picture #1 of what looks like a "burned" wire and "melted" electrical tape
Picture #2 of the same
Closeup of the "melted" electrical tape:
So, my questions are:
- What happened here?
- Were things about to catch fire?
- Now that the fluorescent tubes are out is it safe, since the circuit is not complete?
- Is this something I can fix, keeping in mind that I have no experience with anything electrical? If so, how do I fix it?
EDIT:
The electrical tape was not melted, and the wire was not burned. The culprit was indeed the ballast. Here are the leaks:
Thanks, lqlarry!
Best Answer
If you do it yourself, make sure you turn the breaker off before taking the old fixture out. Out of the ceiling will be either a black or red, a white and a green ground. A new fixture would show you exactly where to put the wires. If you have a friend that knows how to do this then get your friend to show you how so you can see what it takes.