How long will a ballast 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.
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How often do ballasts need to be replaced?

The ballast takes in electricity and then regulates current to the bulbs. A typical ballast will generally last about 20 years, but cold environments and bad bulbs can decrease this lifespan significantly. You can get a new ballast at a hardware store or home center and install it in about 10 minutes.
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How do I know if the ballast needs to be replaced?

If your fluorescent lighting is displaying any of the signs below, it could be a symptom of a bad ballast:
  1. Flickering. ...
  2. Buzzing. ...
  3. Delayed start. ...
  4. Low output. ...
  5. Inconsistent lighting levels. ...
  6. Switch to an electronic ballast, keep lamp. ...
  7. Switch to an electronic ballast, switch to a T8 fluorescent.
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How do you check if a ballast is bad?

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. If you're using a digital multimeter, often the digital readout will possibly list a “1” when it doesn't find a measurable resistance.
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Are ballasts repairable?

While simply swapping burned out bulbs in an existing ballast is deemed “ballast repair” by many – and can offer advantages in longevity and energy savings – sometimes this simple “fix” is not enough.
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Fluorescent Light Troubleshooting and Repair: starter, bulb or ballast?



How much does a new 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.
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What causes a ballast to go bad?

Ballast failure is often caused by the surrounding environment—mainly heat and moisture. When it's too hot or too cold, a ballast can burn or fail to start your lamps. Heat, along with continuous condensation inside an electronic ballast, can cause corrosion over time.
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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.
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Can a fluorescent light work without 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.
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Why do my fluorescent lights keep burning out?

There are many possible reasons why a light bulb burns out quickly: The power supply voltage may be too high. Bulbs may be loose or connected improperly. Excessive vibrations may be causing the filament to break.
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How do you check a light 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.
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Why do fluorescent lights not turn on sometimes?

If a fluorescent tube neither lights nor flickers when switched on, first check to see that the fixture is plugged in and that no fuse has blown or circuit breaker has tripped. If this does not help, try wiggling the tube gently in its sockets by rocking it back and forth and from side to side.
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How Long Will electronic ballast last?

According to the Certified Ballast Manufacturers Association, the average Magnetic ballast lasts about 75,000 hours or 12 to 15 years with regular use. In contrast, the Electronic ballast can last up to 20 years.
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Will LED bulbs 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.
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Do you have to change ballast for LED lights?

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.
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Can a ballast cause a fire?

As with any electrical situation where overheating is possible, a bad ballast can pose a fire danger. The overheated ballast could cause the plastic housing on the light itself to melt and, in the right conditions, flame up.
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What is the most common reason for fluorescent lamp failure?

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.
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How do I know if my HID ballast is bad?

If you are forced to reset your ballast repeatedly, then that could be a sign of a bad HID or LED bulb.
  1. HID ballasts also serve as DC to AC converters. ...
  2. When inspecting it for potential issues, any burn marks, leaking oils, or swollen casing are indicators of failure.
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What does a bad ballast smell like?

A common source of these odors is the fluorescent light ballast. When called to such an incident, you typically will find an electrical odor or a haze of smoke.
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How do I buy a ballast?

When purchasing a ballast, you'll need to read the type of lamps it's designed for, how many lamps it operates, and the voltage the lamps will run on. Choosing the right ballast for a lamp will optimize the light output and life of the bulb.
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What type of ballast is used for fluorescent lights?

There are two lamp families that work with a ballast: fluorescent and HID. And there are two types of ballasts in each family: magnetic and electronic. Magnetic ballasts are the older ballast technology. For the fluorescent family, both T12 linear fluorescents and two-pin CFLs use magnetic ballasts.
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