If both the tubes are old, you might consider replacing both of them with newer, slightly lower wattage ones to save electricity. Just follow the wiring diagram on the electronic ballast. Simple ballasts, such as those found in certain LED or neon lamps, function purely as a resistor to limit the amount of current flowing through a light’s circuit.When a lighting circuit relies on gas discharge, such as those seen powering many workplace fluorescent light ballasts, the luminaires they’re attached to generally draw significantly more power in operation. Then simply continue to replace ballasts as and when required, and enjoy the convenience and safety of a direct like-for-like lamp swap to upgrade your system.For any more information and advice on all kinds of lighting controllers and accessories, Most HID lamps need to power on and off quickly with little or no warm-up time, so their ballasts are designed and wired to allow for very rapid heating and cooling of the gas without causing damage to (or even explosion of) the bulb.In addition, the current flowing to HID lamps needs to be regulated very precisely, as too little is equally bad for the long-term health of the luminaire. Do not lean or touch conductive surfaces while working on the circuit. Use a voltmeter or preferably a voltage sensor to ascertain the voltage on all colors of wire in the box or circuit with respect to ground.If retro-fitting a new electronic ballast for a failed magnetic ballast, the new ballast may require new energy efficient lamps - and new holders sized to fit pins of the lamp.
Click through to view the full product range:Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better service while searching or placing an order, for analytical purposes and to personalise our advertising to you. Find ballasts at Lowe's today. You might like to photograph or take notes of which wire goes where for easier reattachment later. Oil often leaks from a fluorescent ballast when the internal seal has degraded through repeated exposure to high temperatures and started to break down.If there’s no obvious visual evidence of damage, test the ballast wiring with your multimeter on the ohm setting (X1K if there’s more than one option). ballast factor (BF) - The ratio of the light output of a fluorescent lamp or lamps operated on a ballast to the light output of the lamp(s) operated on a standard (reference) ballast. Some fixtures require proper grounding, too.All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being publishedSelect a ballast that has either the exact same part number or is a direct replacement based on When working on any electrical components it is recommended that you wear non-conductive shoes, stand on a piece of plywood, or use a wooden ladder. If not, it will need replacing.Ballasts for fluorescent, HID and compatible LED lamps can be a source of confusion and frustration for many people, especially in environments where there are a great many fittings and fixtures that need maintaining.Correctly fitted and functioning electrical lighting ballasts should last well and provide safe, well regulated current to the correct type of lamp without the annoying flickering and buzzing associated with older, magnetic or malfunctioning ballasts.There are many different types of Lighting Ballasts to choose from. However, buying a ballast can be expensive, so consider pricing a brand-new fixture for comparison. These control the flow of current at a much lower frequency than an electrical equivalent would, and thus the slight waveform inconsistencies in power delivery become more noticeable.Magnetic ballasts tend to be the older standard for traditional long-tube fluorescent lamps found in many workplaces, often in fittings that haven’t been upgraded in a while.