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It will overheat, possibly starting a fire, and then burn out, usually disrupting current flow. Until it does, due to the inductance and resistance, the current will be not quite 90 degrees out of phase with the voltage. Electronic ballasts are 4 or 6 wire devices.
What happens if you use wrong ballast?
If you use a wrong sized ballast the LRC will not be tuned so you are likely to not start the lamp at all. There is the possibility of burning out components pre-maturely also due to overcurrent and overvoltage conditions particularly if using a larger ballast on a smaller fixture.
What happens if you wire a fluorescent light backwards?
Usually nothing. The light will still light and still respond to the switch. However, the parts of the light fixture that are supposed to be energized will not be energized; and the parts of the fixture that are not supposed to be energized WILL be energized.
Which wire is hot on a ballast?
Generally, the hot wire on the ballast is black, and the neutral is white. The other colors are the wires that connect the ballast to the fluorescent tube holders and to each other.
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.
Can a ballast catch fire?
Overheated fluorescent lights can cause fires! Overheating of the ballast could result in the following: Ignition of nearby combustible materials. Explosion of the ballast due to the generation of gases inside.
What is the yellow wire on a ballast?
The yellow wires are your commons/return paths on the output side. Image from http://www.electrical101.com/replace-4lamp-series-ballast-with-parallel.html. The yellow wires are your commons/return paths on the output side.
What happens if ceiling light wired incorrectly?
Tip. The fixture still works if you reverse the wires, but the socket sleeve will be hot, and anyone who touches it while changing a bulb can get a shock. When wired correctly, the socket sleeve is neutral and only the small metal tab at the base of the socket is hot.
What happens if you mix up hot and neutral wires?
This happens when the hot and neutral wires get flipped around at an outlet, or upstream from an outlet. Reversed polarity creates a potential shock hazard, but it’s usually an easy repair. Any $5 electrical tester will alert you to this condition, assuming you have a properly grounded three-prong outlet.
What happens if you wire live and neutral wrong?
There would be a shock hazard, and some devices might not work correctly. Depending on where exactly the wires are flipped, ground fault detecting circuit breakers may become ineffective. All around, this is a bad idea.
What is the black and white wire on a ballast?
Black wire is for line voltage and white wire for neutral. An instant start ballast uses a single wire which connects from the ballast to each of the lamp terminals.
What is the red wire on a ballast?
A ballast is an electrical control unit that regulates and distributes power to fluorescent lights. The ballast has a hot and neutral wire at one end to receive power, and two blue wires a red one at the other end to supply power to the lights.
Do fluorescent ballasts hold a charge?
When your fluorescent light flickers or makes a loud and annoying hum, a degrading ballast is the cause. The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the bulbs. A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly.
What is the voltage output of a ballast?
Fluorescent lamps use a ballast which transforms line voltage to a voltage to start up and operate the lamp(s). Newer fluorescent ballasts are usually rated for both 120 volts and 277 volts. Some are rated for only 120 volts, others for only 277 volts (used in commercial environments).
Does ballast store electricity?
An electrical ballast is a device that limits the current through an electrical load. To prevent this, a ballast provides a positive resistance or reactance that limits the current. The ballast provides for the proper operation of the negative-resistance device by limiting current.
Why would a ballast melt?
Incorrect Bulbs When a bulb of the wrong size or voltage is used in the fixture, the ballast often overheats, causing the light to shut off. The bulbs and the fixture must also match in frequency, or the ballast becomes overworked and overheated.
Are ballast supposed to get hot?
Ballasts usually run hot, about 140 degrees F, but if one is so hot that you can’t keep your hands on it, it is likely the culprit. An overheating ballast can become hot enough to ignite combustible ceiling tiles or any other combustible it contacts.
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.
