ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Checking 240 V Flourescent Ballasts

In my neck of the woods there are some 240V

West German flouresent ballasts. ..pretty

small in size when compared to some former

English ballasts which lasted for upwards

of 8 years. These W G ballasts have a life

time of approx 3 years. Is there a way to

test these ballasts ? Thanks for any info.

If they have a lifetime of 3 years, they have outlived themselves by a decade ;-)

I'd say that 3 years is a very poor lifespan for a fluoro ballast. I find plenty of old fluorescent fittings in this area which are 30+ years old and still on their original ballast.

Admittedly though, the modern ones don't seem to have the longevity of the old types.

You can check continuity with a regular ohmmeter, and use a megger to check for insulation faults. Testing for shorted turns requires more sophisticated equipment than that found in the average field electrical kit.

Problem with the old balasts is that they probably cost more to run than the complete fitting on the newer versions.

Agreed with the longevity issue on older ballasts. Took down some ancient 6' twin trough fittings last year in a big workshop; owner said they had been there since his grandfather owned the business. They were all working, bar a couple with lamp failures. JEEZ though...I could hardly lift the darn things!

There were thirty-odd of them, all replaced with more up to date affairs; HSE said the lux level was too low for a workshop. The present owner has said that their electric bills are down but more likely coz of the halide replacements and the management system.

Hold on a second, guys!
Just make sure that the tubes aren't of the 38mm RS (Quick-start) type.
And the fittings that supply these tubes, contain PCB's, usually in the Ballasts.
A fully sealed unit, but they have been known to leak Carcinogens(sp?)(Cancer-causing chemicals).
Watch out!!.