ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Fluorescent ballist

I replaced a bad 120v 4 tube 4' Fluor ballist today and it wouldn't work with the other older style ballist in the fixture. I had to replace them both, then it worked fine. The bad one was really hot. Is there a good way to check if there going bad, completely bad? Sometimes they seem to partially work. Is there a good web site that talks about the inner workings on fluor ballist?

A ballast is a transformer.

Try these links: http://www.thekrib.com/Lights/fluor-tech.html
http://www.lightcorp.com/FAQs.cfm



[This message has been edited by DougW (edited 04-01-2004).]

There are a couple of possible problems here but I would need more information to give you an exact answer. You said it was a 120v 4-lamp ballast but you also said there were two ballasts. You also referred to one of them as the older 'type', by that do you mean one was electronic and the other magnetic? What type lamps were you using, T8 or T12? If you had a magnetic ballast and T12 lamps you may need to change both lamps that are fed by the ballast to get it to work, at least thats what I always do. If you have an electronic ballast and T8 lamps you can just change the bad lamp. BTW you should never mix electronic ballasts and T12 lamps or magnetic ballasts and T8 lamps. Like HID lamps, fluorescent lamps are ballast specific.
As for troubleshooting a fluorescent fixture, the quickest, easiest way is to change the lamps and if that doesn't work change the ballast. That will get your light working and you out the door in about 30 minutes.

There's a pretty good information source available from Advance at
www.advancetransformer.com/literature/pdf/FLB_PocketGuide.pdf

(You'll need Adobe Reader, available for free).
This has everything from ballast basics to troubleshooting info...S

[This message has been edited by electure (edited 04-01-2004).]

SteveMc,
The lamps were T12, the new ballist were electronic, and I believe the old ones were magnetic. (I did change both lamps)
As far as troubleshooting, that is the way I've always done it too.
Thanks,

aldav53
Be sure you use the proper lamps as shown on the ballast. Many times I have found T8 lamps on T12 electronic ballasts.
This causes short ballast/lamp life. Sometimes we see an electronic ballast and just take for granted that it uses T8's, but it is not always the case.

Quote:
Be sure you use the proper lamps as shown on the ballast. Many times I have found T8 lamps on T12 electronic ballasts.

Watthead, you are correct, it's always best to check the ballast, but T12 lamps on an electronic ballast are rare.