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ballast – A device required by electric-discharge light sources such as fluorescent or HID lamps to regulate voltage and current supplied to the lamp during start and throughout operation.
Do I need a ballast for LED lights?
No LED bulbs require a ballast, although some are engineered to work with an existing ballast. You will find ballast-compatible or “plug-and-play” LEDs that are designed to replace linear fluorescents, compact fluorescents, or HIDs. Incandescent and halogen lamps do not require a ballast.
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.
How do you tell if a light fixture has a ballast?
You can determine whether you have a compatible fixture in seconds. Simply turn the light on, then take a photo of the fixture using your smartphone or digital camera. If there are no dark bands on the resulting image, you have an electronic ballast that will work with direct drop-in LED tubes.
What is the use of a ballast?
A ballast is a device that is used with fluorescent and other discharge lamps to provide the required current and voltage. The primary function is to provide the lamp with high voltage and/or cathode heating during start-up, and then to stabilise the arc by limiting the electrical current to the lamp.
Is an LED driver the same as a ballast?
LED drivers (also known as LED power supplies) are similar to ballasts for fluorescent lamps or transformers for low- voltage bulbs: they provide LEDs with the electricity they require to function and perform at their best. LED drivers also protect LEDs from voltage or current fluctuations.
Can I remove ballast for LED?
Hybrid linear LED lamps are able to work both as a plug and play – with the existing ballast – and, once the ballast peters out, you can remove it and have the lamp run off of line voltage.
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.
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 causes fluorescent lights to 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.
What happens if you wire a ballast wrong?
The ballast is wired to the home’s hot, neutral and ground wires on one end, and to the light fixture’s lamp holders on the other end. If a ballast fails, it can cause a short, burn out tubes or even cause a fire, so it must be replaced.
How do I know if I have a magnetic or electric ballast?
Method One – Use your smart phone camera Stand under the light or a place close to the light and point your cell phone camera at the light. If you can see some strong dark strips flickering in your camera, it must be a magnetic ballast based light. Otherwise it should be an electronic ballast based light.
How much does a ballast cost?
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.
Why do lights need 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.
What’s in a ballast?
A magnetic ballast (also called a choke) contains a coil of copper wire. The magnetic field produced by the wire traps most of the current so only the right amount gets through to the fluorescent light. That amount can fluctuate depending on the thickness and length of the copper wire.
What is ballast in LED lighting?
A ballast regulates the current that’s coming at a lamp. It gives an initial burst just to get things going, then it makes sure the electric current is controlled and steady. A ballast for Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights is not required – instead a driver is required.
Can a fluorescent light work without a ballast?
Reverted question “ Can I make a fluorescent light work without a ballast?” yes, you can, but you need something to reduce the current as the bulb warms up. So, you can drive a fluorescent with a pulse width adjustable power supply, but this is what is in an ‘electronic’ ballast.
How many ballast are in a 4 bulb fluorescent light?
A 4 lamp fixture with two rapid start ballasts can be replaced with one 4 lamp instant start ballast. As seen below, connecting the 4 lamp instant start ballast to the four lamps can be a bit confusing.
