What is a Fluorescent Light Ballast?
Fluorescent lights without ballasts can be a pain. They flicker, don’t always start, or are inefficient, giving you bad light. The answer to this problem is a ballast for your fluorescent light. The ballast helps the light work right by controlling the voltage and the electricity that goes to the light, so it doesn’t […]
What Is the Best Way to Test a Fluorescent Ballast?
A bad light ballast can cause your fluorescent lights to flicker or not work. The solution is to know how to test your ballast so you can make sure your light is working. The best way to test a ballast in a fluorescent light is to use a multimeter to check the voltage and […]
How Long Does a Ballast in a Fluorescent Light Fixture Last?
A bad ballast can cause your fluorescent lights to flicker or not be very bright. The solution is to understand how long they last and how to take care of them. Magnetic ballasts in fluorescent light fixtures usually last 10-20 years, depending on how much you use them, how you take care of them, […]
What is the Difference Between a T8 and a T12 Ballast?
People have a hard time deciding between T8 and T12 ballasts. This can lead to inefficient lighting and problems with your system. The solution is to understand the differences between the two types of ballasts. The main differences between T8 and T12 ballasts are in their energy efficiency, the size of the lamps they […]
Why Does Tungsten Filament Ballast a Mercury Vapor Bulb?
One of the things that confuses people is the use of a tungsten filament as a ballast for a mercury vapor bulb. People wonder why you use tungsten, which is typically in incandescent bulbs, as a light ballast in some lighting systems, especially with mercury vapor bulbs. I’ll explain why this is the case and […]
Can You Use a 600W Bulb with a 400W Ballast?
Using a 600-watt bulb with a 400-watt ballast gives you a problem with not enough power, which can either result in reduced performance or be a safety hazard. No, you don’t use a 600-watt bulb with a 400-watt ballast. If you mismatch the wattage of your bulb and ballast, you can have bad lighting, your […]
What’s the Best Digital Ballast to Buy?
Choosing the right digital ballast can be confusing for a lot of people with all the choices out there. Get the wrong ballast, and you can have inefficient lighting, higher energy costs, and reduce the life of your bulbs. I’m going to help you pick the best digital ballast, so you have great performance and […]
Can You Use a 1000 Watt MH Bulb in a 600 Watt Digital Ballast?
Using a 1000 watt metal halide (MH) bulb in a 600 watt digital ballast to try and get better performance might sound good, but it can lead to worse performance, safety issues, and damage to your lighting system. Instead of improving your lighting setup, mismatching the wattage between your bulb and ballast can cause […]
Anyone Use Electronic Digital Ballasts?
Old school magnetic ballasts are big, inefficient and get hot. Luckily, electronic digital ballasts are a cool, efficient alternative for high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting systems. They save more energy, make your lamps last longer and have extra features like dimming and multi-wattage capability. You’ve got electronic digital ballasts that are super efficient, save more […]
How to Replace a 4-Bulb Ballast?
If your fluorescent lights are flickering or not working at all, it’s probably time to replace the fluorescent ballast. Don’t pay an expensive professional to do it for you. Read this simple guide to learn how to do it yourself. Replacing a 4-bulb ballast involves turning off the power, taking the fixture cover down, […]
How Does a Bad Ballast Resistor Affect an Ignition System?
A bad ballast resistor can cause your vehicle to be hard to start, stall out or not run at all. These problems will interrupt the performance of your vehicle. Knowing the symptoms of a bad ballast resistor can keep you from having trouble. A bad ballast resistor can cause your vehicle to be hard […]
How Can I Tell if a Ballast is Bad?
A bad ballast can cause your lights to flicker, be slow to start or not start at all. This can interrupt the operation of your business. Knowing the symptoms of a bad ballast can prevent you from having trouble. The symptoms of a bad ballast include flickering lights, dim output, weird noises, and slow […]