How long do fluorescent light fixtures last?

Fluorescent light fixtures are commonplace in both residential and commercial settings. Fluorescent light bulbs have a typical lifespan of 8,000 to 15,000 hours, and ballasts often work for more than 50,000 hours. Fixtures made since at least the year 2000 generally do not have a starter, just a ballast.

How long should a fluorescent light fixture last?

Fluorescent lights have a better lifespan (7,000 to 25,000 hours) relative to some bulbs, but not compared to LEDs (50,000+ hours); LEDs have the longest lifespan of any lighting technology on the commercial market.

How long do fluorescent light 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 a fluorescent light to stop working?

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). Check for power first... then the starter (if applicable) and then the bulbs. When all else fails, the ballast should be replaced.

How do you know when a fluorescent light is bad?

How to change a fluorescent light bulb

What are the common problems of fluorescent lamp?

Fluorescent lighting deteriorates quickly, especially when installed in places where they are frequently turned on and off. Each time the lights are turned off and then back on takes time off of the fluorescent bulb's lifespan. This can lead to early failures and you spending more money, more often to replace bulbs.

Do unused fluorescent bulbs go bad?

Fluorescent bulbs can go for years without replacement—even when the ends start to blacken. Don't worry about them until the light they put out starts to weaken.

Can I replace fluorescent tubes with LED?

Yes, you can replace fluorescent tubes with LED tubes or LED-integrated fixtures. If you just want to replace the bulbs, you can use plug-and-play, direct-wire, or hybrid LED tubes. Plug-and-play tubes are the easiest to install as they do not require any rewiring to the fixture.

What happens when a ballast goes bad?

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.

How much does it cost to replace a ballast?

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.

Do I need to replace ballast?

If your lights flicker or turn themselves off—and you're sure it's not due to bad tubes or bad sockets—it's time to replace the ballast. Be sure to find a replacement ballast with the same wiring configuration and voltage rating as the original.

How do you check a ballast?

To measure it, set your digital multimeter to around a thousand ohms resistance setting. Connect the black leads to the white ground wire on your ballast. Afterward, test every other wire with the red lead. When you do this test, a good ballast will return an “open-loop” or max resistance.

How many years does a fluorescent tube last?

LED tubes last an average of 50,000 hours (roughly 16 years) while fluorescent T8 tubes last an average of 25,000 (roughly 8 years).

What is the rated average lifespan of a fluorescent lamp if it is with an average of three hours burning per day?

Fluorescent Tubes

In a large batch of fluorescents, say 100, when the 50th bulb burns out calculate the 3 hour periods of time and a typical F32T8 fluorescent tube lasts 30,000 hours. But, it the burn time for this same type of lamp is increased from 3 to 12 hours, the lamp will last longer, closer to 36,000 hours.

Do fluorescent tubes dim with age?

Another reason you need more lumens is that a CFL will dim over time. It will lose 20 to 25 percent lumen power after 4,000 hours (40 percent of a CFL's 10,000-hour-rated life). Incandescent bulbs also lose lumens, but the life of these bulbs is extremely short compared with that of CFLs.

Will LED lights work if ballast is bad?

Can LED lamps work off of existing ballasts? Yes, if they have an internal driver than can work off that ballast. Philips, for example, has designed a tube that is compatible with an existing electronic ballast.

Can a fluorescent light ballast be repaired?

If you can change out a light switch or outlet you can definitely replace an old ballast that doesn't work. As I said in the beginning, you'll save yourself $75 to $90 doing this fix yourself. Years ago I paid our electrician to do a similar fix at a rental and this is how much the fee was.

Are fluorescent tubes being phased out?

The government has announced plans today (Wednesday 9 June) to end the sale of halogen light bulbs from this September, as part of the UK's wider efforts to tackle climate change. Legislation being brought forward this month will also include the removal of fluorescent lights from shelves from September 2023.

Are LED tubes better than fluorescent?

New LEDs can last 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. The typical lifespan for a fluorescent bulb, by comparison, is 10-25% as long at best (roughly 10,000 hours). LEDs are extremely energy efficient relative to every other commercially available lighting technology.

How much does it cost to change fluorescent lights to LED?

Fluorescent to LED Conversion Kits

On average, an electrician charges $50-$100 an hour. Once the value of the electrician is added to the value of the LED conversion kit and LED bulb, the cost can be a bit high with an all-around amount of about $160-$506.

Is it cheaper to leave fluorescent tube lights on?

An urban myth has continued to circulate about the amount of electricity used by fluorescent tubes when they are first turned on. The extra electricity used is negligible.

What are the possible causes for light not glowing in fluorescent lamp?

Sometimes you may have a bad batch of product where something happened during the manufacturing system causing them not to last as long as they should. Or maybe a building experiences a freak electrical surge, causing the fluorescent lamp and/or ballast to stop working.

What causes fluorescent lights to flicker?

When the light switch is flipped on, the starter sends out a shot of electricity to the gas inside the fluorescent tube. That gas is then ionized and can conduct the electricity necessary to run the bulb. But there's a slight delay in this process, so the bulbs flicker a bit before they turn on completely.

How do I stop my fluorescent lights from flickering?

Brush dust out of sockets, then reseat firmly. If the tube still blinks when the light is turned on, wiggle it a few times while the light is on to see if this cures the problem. If not, take the tube out and inspect sockets closely to see if spring contacts are bent or corroded.