How To Install A Ballast In A Light Fixture

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All fluorescent calorie-free fixtures consist of at least lamp(s), lamp holders, ballast and internal wiring. Some older types accept "starters", too. The ballast is used to create the voltage and current necessary to kickoff and illuminate the fluorescent lamp. In time, the ballast may need to be replaced. Read on to learn how to swap out the old with an approved replacement ballast of the same technology. Please read the entire commodity and warnings before attempting.

Steps

1. ane

   Before you go to the trouble of replacing the ballast, you should determine if a bad anchor is indeed the likely crusade of the problem. First, replace the tubes with new tubes or with tubes that yous know are good. Ordinarily, if the lamps have turned blackness at ane or both ends, they are bad, only the but way to know for certain is to supervene upon them with good ones. Notation, however, that fluorescent lamps more often than not burn down out gradually over time, not suddenly. If all of the tubes in a fixture stop working abruptly at the same time, it'southward probable that the problem is not the tubes.

   If replacing the tubes does not prepare the problem and if the light fixture has one or more than "starters" (institute only in older fixtures), supercede the starters. There will exist 1 starter per lamp (tube). The starter is a small-scale cylindrical function (iii/iv-inch (20 mm) diameter 10 one 1/4-inch (30 mm) long) that is twisted into a separate socket, usually located near the end of the fixture or behind a lamp. Starters are very inexpensive (nearly $ii each) and easy to supersede. It is hard to determine if starters are functional merely by inspecting them visually. Swap with a new or known "adept" starter to check. If changing the tubes and starters does not correct the trouble, the most likely culprit is the ballast.^[ane]

2. 2

   Remove the lamps and place them in a rubber location.

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3. 3

   Plow the light off at the switch, as well equally at the circuit breaker. (If you lot are not sure which breaker operates the light, shut off the whole house breaker to be prophylactic.) Turn the metal tabs nigh the center of the fixture perpendicular to its length. It volition fall abroad from the fixture. Pull information technology toward y'all and shop it in a user-friendly place. Practice the aforementioned with the other side.^[2]

4. four

   Before yous cut any wires, it is recommended that you check both the hot and neutral feed wires for voltage with respect to basis. (And see the alternative to cutting in step eleven before doing any cutting.) The voltage tin be checked with a uncomplicated voltmeter or voltage sensor. Locate the ballast and follow the wires until y'all observe the wire nuts (caps) that connect wires of the same colour (red to cherry, etc.). If there are no wire nuts, you will have to cut the wires well-nigh 12 inches (30 cm) (300 mm) from the centre of the fixture on each side. Complete this until all wires are cut or all wire nuts are removed.^[iii]

5. five

   Unscrew the nut belongings the ballast to the fixture while holding information technology in place with your other hand. This is best done with a nut driver or socket wrench. Remove the ballast by lowering the side held by the nut, and sliding it in that direction.^[iv]

6. 6

   Take the ballast with you lot to your local home middle or hardware shop and purchase a like replacement. Note the number of tubes in your fixture and their wattage, length, type (T8, T12, T5, etc.). Note also in that location may be 2 ballasts in a four-tube fixture, each anchor running two of the tubes.

7. vii

   Install the replacement ballast by reversing the instructions in step 5. Be sure the red and bluish wire face the end with red and bluish wires, and the blackness and white wires face the other end.

8. eight

   If you opt for the cutting method, cut the wires so they overlap the fixture wires by almost 6 inches (15 cm) (150 mm).

9. 9

   Strip about 1/2" (12 mm) of insulation from the ends of all 8 of the wires. ^[v]

10. 10

    Utilise a wire nut to connect the bluish wire to the blue wire, the scarlet to the red, the white to the white, and the blackness to the blackness. As a quick and piece of cake culling to cut and wiring, simply rotate and pull the wires out of the lamp connectors. A petty back and forth rotation (in the style of a screwdriver) suffices, but is necessary otherwise the wires won't come out. Make a notation of the wire colors when you pull them out. To connect the new ballast, simply push button the wire into the pigsty from which y'all pulled the sometime wire out and give the wire a tug to brand sure it's seated firmly, the same method equally used at the factory.

11. 11

    Reverse stride 3. Make certain the tabs are in the holes at the terminate of the fixture.

12. 12

    Replace the new lamps.

13. 13

    Plow on the low-cal.

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Add New Question

• Question

  The old ballast has three wires, red, black, and white. The new ballast has 5 wires, red, black, white, and two blue. How do I wire in the new anchor?

  

  Most probable that is a dissimilar generation of anchor. Cap the two blueish wires and install the red, black, and white as usual. It should work fine.

• Question

  My fluorescent light fixture sometimes turns on and so sometimes won't. How do I fix that?

  

  If information technology has a starter (a small aluminum-looking cylinder that screws in below the bulb), replace that. If non, replace the ballast.

• Question

  If merely one light works in a fixture, is the ballast bad?

  

  Probably not. If the fixture is a 2 tube fixture, it is probably a single bad tube. If both the tubes are erstwhile, you might consider replacing both of them with newer, slightly lower wattage ones to salvage electricity. For case, if they are twoscore watt, endeavour some 32 watt tubes..

• Question

  Tin an F54 ballast work for F34 bulbs?

  

  Yes, but not the other style around. (A 34-watt anchor will non power a 54-watt lamp.)

• Question

  Is it safe to insert wires into either terminate of a ballast?

  

  If you are referring to "quick connect" terminal blocks on each end of a anchor, the answer is yes. Brand sure you follow the colour pattern on the ballast (i.eastward. blackness to black white to white, etc.).

• Question

  How practice I change a magnetic anchor to a electronic anchor?

  

  Just follow the wiring diagram on the electronic anchor. Depending on the number of lamps in the fixture, yous may have to necktie some together.

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• This is a proficient time to make clean the fixture.

• Let the light at to the lowest degree a minute to commencement.

• If yous bought i of the new electronic ballasts, you will have ii bluish wires and two red wires. But your single bulb fixture may take only one blue wire coming from the bulb connector. The other wire is the neutral (white) wire. You volition need to cut the neutral wire loose from the bulb. That way two blue wires go to one end of the bulb and two ruddy wires become to the other cease of the bulb and the 100V Hot(black) and Neutral(white) become Just to the electronic ballast. Connecting a blue wire to a Neutral(White) wire will burn out your electronic anchor.

• Many times, lamps that neglect to light fully bespeak (in order to exist checked): cold lamps or low ambient temperature, defective lamps or starters, a reverse connected 120V ballast, bad lamp holders or defective anchor. Some fixtures require proper grounding, too.

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• Select a ballast that has either the exact same function number or is a straight replacement based on blazon (electronic or electromagnetic technology) input voltage, number and type of lamps, wattage and if desired, sound rating. Additionally, both magnetic and electronic ballasts oftentimes come in either "Rapid Outset" (a/k/a Programmed Outset or "PS") or "Instant Start" ("IS") versions. Your option should exist adamant by how the fixture is primarily used, i.e., if virtually always left on for 10+ hours at a time choose "IS" which is slightly more than energy efficient of the two starter types, but if frequently turned off and on, use a "Rapid Start" for longer bulb and ballast life.

• When working on any electrical components it is recommended that you lot vesture not-conductive shoes, stand up on a piece of plywood, or use a wooden ladder. Practise not lean or touch conductive surfaces while working on the circuit. If you are unsure if the circuit is hot or you must piece of work on a hot circuit, use one mitt only, stick the other in your back pocket. Use a voltmeter or preferably a voltage sensor to define the voltage on all colors of wire in the box or circuit with respect to ground.

• If retro-fitting a new electronic ballast for a failed magnetic ballast, the new ballast may require new energy efficient lamps - and new holders sized to fit pins of the lamp. The old lamp holders may non support the new lamps, and the new ballast may not lite the old lamps. Given the corporeality of time and money to be spent on this retro fit, it may exist appropriate to either replace the failed ballast with the aforementioned electromechanical engineering or supervene upon the unabridged fixture altogether.

• If pursuing a retrofit, schematic reading skills will be required. The electronic anchor will non connect "wire for wire" as the old ballast. It is most imperative that the schematic on the new ballast exist followed exactly. Check for lamp type supported by the ballast (likely T-8 blazon), and purchase lamp holders to fit lamps. If boosted wire is needed betwixt ballast and lamp holders, exist sure the added wire is the same size and blazon insulation every bit the wire at the ballast. This volition forbid overloading and fire risk. Wire nuts (if needed) must be selected based on the size and number of wires existence continued to ane another.

• Properly recycle spent fluorescent lamps. All fluorescent lamps contain mercury (even the supposed "environmentally friendly" types with the greenish end caps), and care should exist taken to preclude breakage.

• A fluorescent fixture should never be in contact with combustible materials, due to the heat created by the ballast. Provide one inch (two.5 cm) (25 mm) of air infinite between the fixture and whatever combustible materials to reduce fire hazards.

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Commodity Summary X

To safely replace the ballast in your fluorescent light, plough off the lamp, remove it, and check the voltage of the feed wires with a voltmeter. And then, employ a nut driver to unscrew the nut belongings the ballast in place and install the replacement ballast. Insert the crimson, blueish, black and white wires in their corresponding holes, screw the nut back in place and supplant the lamp. For communication on additional safety tips, as well every bit a method using wire cutting, read on!

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