new balllast issues
#1
02-07-19, 08:32 AM
new balllast issues
Recently I replaced an ancient ballast on a fixture that has 2 4' T12 Hg bulbs, with a new ballast from HD.
It worked impeccably for a week then died. I tested the new ballast with ohmmeter: dead.
There are no starters on this old lamp.
So I bought another of the same supposedly correct ballasts (HD has total hardware monopoly in this area). Installed it. One tube worked fine but other only partially now. I exchanged the 2 tube locations with each other, and now both are only partial. I really doubt the tubes or sockets went bad suddenly as they were fine until the 1st new ballast died.
I fiddled and fiddled with the tubes to no avail.
The wires were carefully stripped and tightened very tight with the correct size nuts.
The one nut grounding and holding the ballast is as tight as I dare make it.
There are no starters on this old lamp.
Baffled.
It worked impeccably for a week then died. I tested the new ballast with ohmmeter: dead.
There are no starters on this old lamp.
So I bought another of the same supposedly correct ballasts (HD has total hardware monopoly in this area). Installed it. One tube worked fine but other only partially now. I exchanged the 2 tube locations with each other, and now both are only partial. I really doubt the tubes or sockets went bad suddenly as they were fine until the 1st new ballast died.
I fiddled and fiddled with the tubes to no avail.
The wires were carefully stripped and tightened very tight with the correct size nuts.
The one nut grounding and holding the ballast is as tight as I dare make it.
There are no starters on this old lamp.
Baffled.
#2
02-07-19, 08:48 AM
None of us like to deal with the small, hard to read, technical print, but in your case, you must read the label on your new ballast to find your lamp listed in that tiny chart. If the lamp your purchase, t-12, t-8, whatever, is not listed, then the ballast will not work properly and that is when you get failures that can not be explained.
#3
02-07-19, 08:53 AM
Never mind!
In total desperation I attempted the totally illogical (to my rookie mind) step of replacing the tubes with new ones, and now it works perfectly again!
No idea why they both would go from perfectly fine to bad with such timing. Of course these tubes were likely a few years old.
Fingers crossed that things will stay working...
In total desperation I attempted the totally illogical (to my rookie mind) step of replacing the tubes with new ones, and now it works perfectly again!
No idea why they both would go from perfectly fine to bad with such timing. Of course these tubes were likely a few years old.
Fingers crossed that things will stay working...
#4
02-07-19, 02:51 PM
Group Moderator
In the future don't bother replacing the ballast. Just buy LED replacement bulbs. You throw away the ballast and the LED bulbs are line powered by 120VAC. More energy efficient and no more ballast problems.
