Table of Contents
What are the signs of a bad ballast?
2. Look for warning signs that the ballast is failing. Buzzing. If you hear a strange sound coming from your bulbs or light fixture, like a buzzing or humming noise, that’s often a sign your ballast is going. Dimming or flickering. No lights at all. Changing colors. Swollen casing. Burn marks. Water damage. Leaking oil.
Is it hard to replace a ballast?
The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the bulbs. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes. However, buying a ballast can be expensive, so consider pricing a brand-new fixture for comparison.
Do I need an electrician to replace a ballast?
Yes. In fact, you really need a locking device to replace the ballast. – An electrician replaces the ballast on a fluorescent lamp. He uses a switch on the wall to turn off the fluorescent light.
How do you tell if the ballast is bad in a fluorescent light?
If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast: 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.
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.
How do you know if it’s the bulb or ballast?
Take out your current bulbs and replace them with the new bulbs. If the bulbs fail to light up, then 9 out of 10 times the ballast is culprit. If the ballast is good, an analog multimeter has a needle that will sweep to the right across the measuring scale. If the ballast is bad, then the needle won’t move.
Why don’t my fluorescent lights work?
A dead fluorescent can be caused by lack of electrical power (tripped breaker or blown fuse), a dead or dying ballast, a dead starter or a dead bulb(s). defective starters, defective bulbs or a defective ballast. IMPORTANT: Flickering fluorescent tubes can cause the ballast to overheat and fail prematurely!.
Why do fluorescent lights flicker?
In your lighting system, the ballast regulates the current flowing to the fluorescent lights and provides the voltage needed to start the lamps. The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current throughout the bulbs. This is why a degrading ballast will cause the fluorescent lights to flicker.
Is it cheaper to replace ballast or fixture?
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 anyone replace a ballast?
Yes. As a matter of fact, you do need a lock out tag out device in place for changing a ballast. ‘An electrician is replacing the ballast on a fluorescent light.
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.
What is the black stuff in a ballast?
The black goo leaking from the ballast is potting material that acts as a dielectric insulator and prevents the internal components of the ballast from arcing, while also eliminating the heat and noise produced by the core (transformer) that regulates the ballast’s output voltage to the lamps.
Can I use T8 in place of T12?
T8 tubes are simply 1 inch in diameter versus the 1.5 inch diameter of T12 tubes. In an effort to make LED tube lights compatible with the internal dimensions of most fixtures, you will find that most LED tube lights feature a T8 or 1 inch diameter. They can indeed be used in T12 fixtures.
Can I replace a T12 ballast with a T8?
The easiest and lowest price option to replace a T12 is a T8 linear fluorescent. They have become the go-to option for pre-existing T12s. If you still have magnetic ballasts, switching to a T8 will require a ballast swap. Another option is to move forward with an LED retrofit.
Will 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.
What causes a ballast to go bad?
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.
Why does my fluorescent light work sometimes and not others?
If a fluorescent tube blinks on and off-a slower and more distinct process than flickering-the fault may lie in loose wiring or in another component, called the ballast. The ballast is almost always to blame if the fixture hums during operation.
How do you tell when a fluorescent bulb is burned out?
How to Tell If a Fluorescent Tube Is Bad? Check the ends of the tube. If they appear darkened this indicates the bulb is burned out. Rotate the tube in the fixture if the bulb is not darkened on either end. Remove the bulb from the fixture if the bulb is still not illuminating.
Do all fluorescent lights need a ballast?
All fluorescent bulbs require a ballast. All compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs require a ballast, which is often integrated. All HID bulbs require a ballast, which is sometimes integrated. No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast.
