Replacing ballast in fluorescent lights - of course, the new one's different....
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 43
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Replacing ballast in fluorescent lights - of course, the new one's different....
Hey all - I've got two overhead lights over my workbench that have given up. New bulbs didn't change anything, so I've got two new ballasts (one for each fixture, and two bulbs per fixture) to try.
I figured it would be as simple as wire-nutting the new one in, but they're different. Here's the old ballast:
And here's the new one:
So for the left side I'm guessing black/black, white/yellow and red/blue (might be wrong though?), but on the right side of the old one there's two red and two blue - new one just has three blue. Any ideas? I'd be happy to get better pictures of the little diagrams on each one if it would be helpful.
Sorry for the dumb question - there's a reason I never became an electrician!! Thanks very much for the help.
I figured it would be as simple as wire-nutting the new one in, but they're different. Here's the old ballast:
And here's the new one:
So for the left side I'm guessing black/black, white/yellow and red/blue (might be wrong though?), but on the right side of the old one there's two red and two blue - new one just has three blue. Any ideas? I'd be happy to get better pictures of the little diagrams on each one if it would be helpful.
Sorry for the dumb question - there's a reason I never became an electrician!! Thanks very much for the help.
#2
Technically you bought the wrong ballast. The new one is three tube.
Connect the two reds at one end together to any blue ballast wire.
Connect the two blues at the same end together with another blue ballast wire.
Cap off the third blue ballast wire.
Connect the red ballast wire to all wires at the opposite end.
Connect the two reds at one end together to any blue ballast wire.
Connect the two blues at the same end together with another blue ballast wire.
Cap off the third blue ballast wire.
Connect the red ballast wire to all wires at the opposite end.
#6
Take them back and just replace with LED bulbs and skip repairing old tech lights.
One you get LED, especially shop lamps you will never go back!
Increasable lights!!!
One you get LED, especially shop lamps you will never go back!
Increasable lights!!!
#8
Group Moderator
I have just swapped over 10 of the fixtures in my office to LED's. No ballast was required with the bulbs I got. I just cut the wires to the ballast in the fixture and hooked up the wires according to the instructions that came with the LED bulbs. It took less than 10 minutes.
#9
But if you do that be sure the LEDs you buy do not need a ballast. Some do some don't.
#10
Not sure why you would use the ballest types, sort of defeats the entire purpose.
I've converted over 5 shop/basement lights, only ones left are the 8' HO 95W bulbs in the garage, interesting, the cost for those big bulbs are not very cheap to convert.
I've converted over 5 shop/basement lights, only ones left are the 8' HO 95W bulbs in the garage, interesting, the cost for those big bulbs are not very cheap to convert.