A replacement ballast costs about
$10-25
depending on capacity and brand. The bite is that an electrician trip charge (which includes 30 or 60 minutes work) is going to be $75-150 probably – for about 5 minutes work on each light fixture.
Can I change a ballast without turning off power?
Although changing a ballast is safer with the power off, sometimes it is impractical, such as in a crowded store or office space, and
you must replace the ballast without cutting the power
. This can be done safely with some preparation and the right tools.
Is it worth replacing ballast in fluorescent light?
If your lights flicker or turn themselves off—and you’re sure it’s not due to bad tubes or bad sockets—it’s time to replace the ballast
. Be sure to find a replacement ballast with the same wiring configuration and voltage rating as the original.
How long do ballasts last?
According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours, or
12 to 15 years
with normal use. The optimum economic life of a fluorescent lighting system with magnetic ballasts is usually about 15 years.
How do I know if ballast is bad?
- Flickering. …
- Buzzing. …
- Delayed start. …
- Low output. …
- Inconsistent lighting levels. …
- Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp. …
- Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.
Why do ballasts fail?
Ballast failure is
often caused by the surrounding environment—mainly heat and moisture
. When it’s too hot or too cold, a ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps. Heat, along with continuous condensation inside an electronic ballast, can cause corrosion over time.
Do electronic ballasts go bad?
Causes of Ballast Failure
When it’s too hot or too cold, the ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps at all
. Heat combined with prolonged condensation inside an electronic ballast can cause corrosion.
How do you replace a ballast?
Can a ballast shock you?
Old magnetic ballasts can shock installers of LED tube replacements if not deenergized first
. Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Northbrook, IL, warned that installing double-ended direct replacement LED lamps in energized luminaires powered by magnetic 40W ballasts may pose a shock hazard.
How do you replace an old ballast with a new ballast?
Why do my fluorescent lights not turn on sometimes?
The fluorescent tube won’t turn on
No electrical power due to
a tripped breaker or blown fuse
. A dead or dying ballast. A dead starter. A dead bulb.
Can a fluorescent light work without a ballast?
In a fluorescent lighting system, the ballast regulates the current to the lamps and provides sufficient voltage to start the lamps.
Without a ballast to limit its current, a fluorescent lamp connected directly to a high voltage power source would rapidly and uncontrollably increase its current draw
.
Does a bad ballast burn out bulbs?
The ballast itself can go bad, which causes lights to flicker or even appear to be burnt out, when in fact they aren’t
. They require maintenance and energy to power, on top of the power used to light the fluorescent bulb. They are a large part of the equation when using fluorescent lamps.
Why do fluorescent lights flicker?
Without a properly operating ballast to limit the light’s current, a fluorescent lamp connected to the electrical source would quickly and uncontrollably increase its current flow—causing the lamp to burning out
. This is why a degrading ballast will cause the fluorescent lights to flicker.
How do you check a ballast?
How much electricity does a ballast use?
They consume
eight to 10 watts
when operating with the lamp in the circuit. The ballast will consume about four watts when the lamps are removed although the ballast is still energized. Electronic ballasts start and regulate fluorescent lamps with the use of electronic components.
Why do fluorescent ballasts fail?
Every ballast has an ambient operating temperature range and UL location rating.
When it’s too hot or too cold
, the ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps at all. Heat combined with prolonged condensation inside an electronic ballast can cause corrosion and ballast failure.
What does a bad ballast smell like?
A common source of these odors is the fluorescent light ballast. When called to such an incident, you typically will find
an electrical odor or a haze of smoke
.
How do you fix a bad ballast?
How do I know if my ballast is T8 or T12?
If no markings are available,
the size in diameter of the tube
is the easiest way to determine the type you have installed. T8 tubes are 1-inch in diameter and T12 tubes are 1 1/2 -inch.
What is the difference between ballast and driver?
Once the light is on,
the ballast then acts as a current regulator. LED drivers convert high voltage, ac current into the low voltage, direct current that LEDs are designed to run on
. Both fluorescent ballasts and LED drivers protect the light from fluctuations in the electrical supply.
What causes a ballast to overheat?
Any issue that causes excess voltage to run through the fluorescent bulb ballast
leads to overheating, and incorrect wiring during the construction of the fixture or installation is one of the most common causes of this problem.
What is the difference between magnetic and electronic ballast?
What’s the Difference between an Electronic Ballast and a Magnetic Ballast? Electronic ballasts alter the flow of electricity in the light bulb by using a series of induction coils that are separated from one another. In contrast, magnetic ballast uses 1 induction coil and not a series.
Will LED lights work with bad ballast?
Can LED lamps work off of existing ballasts?
Yes, if they have an internal driver than can work off that ballast
. Philips, for example, has designed a tube that is compatible with an existing electronic ballast.
Why is my fluorescent light orange?
A mere spot or blotch or ring / band at one end or both ends is usually not a sign of end-of-life. Bulb Is Out or Very Dim and Ends Glow Dim Orange:
Bulb is dead and a rapid start or trigger start ballast is making the filaments hot enough to visibly glow
. Replace the bulb.
